I've noticed that the paint on the springs of my one year old Apex (BC) coilovers is flaking off (I admit I've only inspected one but am assuming the condition of the others) The seven year old Prodrive springs that I removed were still perfect! Is this a case of 'you only get what you pay for'

JohnD

 

Sounds like it is

 

Thats a shame, as they look cracking when new and i would have thought they would know to prep and paint them properly considering the conditions they have to endure, mind you if you think thats bad, my whiteline rear arb has shocking tin worm and that has spent 99% of its life in the garage it is in fact in worse shape than the one i took off which was 12yrs old the whiteline has been on for 2yrs, not impressed.

 

I've noticed the same thing with Whiteline anti-roll bars.

The one on my brother's nissan pulsar is TOTALLY rusty and corroded after just 4 years. The OE Nissan one up front still looks like new after 17 years!

 

Atleast its only the paint on yours John, my BC's knock, groan and creak like they are 50 years old! Ive said it before and ill say it again IMO they are $hit!!!

 

Sounds like they need some TLC. Theres zero reason for them to make any noise.

 

Mine have been on two years and seem to be OK..........

 

There not exactly cheap though. Maybe cheaper than some others but £650/700 is still a considerable amount to me! Would want high quality for that.

 

They had TLC not long back where i stripped them, greased them and reset the preload....were fine for a week then went back to how they were, they are not even 18 months old!

 

personally, I think they're brill bit of kit. I've had mine about year and half now and are still like brand new. No noises at all and are brill on the track.

I had the wheels off the other week, so I thought I'd give them a little clean. Just using Autoglym engine cleaner and very little elbow grease they came up like new

 

The BC's i had on my Classic were brilliant, couldn't fault them at all.

Very disappointed with the set on my Newage though. Paint is flaking, and they are knocking/creaking.

 

If you have any issues then give us a ring, lets get them resolved 01274 683633

 

The set i bought from you guys for my Classic were faultless, rated them very highly.

When i bought the Newage the BC's were already fitted, and not supplied by you guys.

 

It doesnt matter who bought the kit, how old they are etc. If theres an issue then just give us a ring and see if we can get the problem resolved. Theres no inherent fault with the design of quality of the kit so its logical that you have some sort of relatively minor issue that can be resolved. We have no problem with getting the kits back for a full free inspection. This involves checking all set up aspects and every component in each strut

 

In terms of the flaking paint on the springs, I assume it's a consequence of the flexing although they should have been properly powder coated in the first place? If they're made from a half decent spring steel then the alloying elements should impart a reasonable level of rust resistance although I'm not trusting enough not to spray them with some Waxoyle.
Annoyingly, it's not just a case of removing the springs and re-coating. I'm not prepared for the car to be sat in the drive with no suspension and then pay out another £120+ for alignment!

JohnD

 

To my knowledge very few aftermarket suspension springs withstand with rigours of time as, like you say, springs are a component that constantly flex and distort so theyre function doesnt lend itself to coating longevity.

However I am investigating further and Ive raised the point with the factory.

 

Can't fault the customer service.

 

+1 on the customer service.

I'd let him check them out,so you can find out if there is a manufacturing fault.

 

i wouldnt expect the paint to last forever without cracking and flaking at certain points.

the constant movement, must weaken the powder coating/painting. i dont think they have overly flexible properties??

plus salt on roads, stone chips ect.

altho i do hate it when only after a few months fitment there covered in mud/****, but i think getting the wheels off for a good clean will bring them right back up.

 

With regards to knocking etc, what is the manufacturers warranty and how long is it? Would that not be covered by that?

 

It's possible for such a coating to last, as proved by the seven year old Prodrive springs which I replaced with the Apex.
Taking the wheels off for a "good clean" is only worth it only if there's some paint left on the springs to clean!

JohnD

 

a tad tightly wound

 

I have mine sitting in my garage. I wanted to set my car up differently for some track work. They had been on 2 years without fault. They were seized so solid i was unable to adjust the ride height as i needed. I even had them in a vice with a 2ft pair of stilsons with a 4 ft pole on them and was unable to unlock the locking rings. I guess i should have lubed them more regularly

 

quite surprised at that,

but proves its possible suppose.

why did you replace them then? just due to weakened springs?

 

They come with a 12 month warranty but generally we find that a lot of problems are down to set up issues or minor problems that can be relatively easily rectified.

As I said above, Im investigating whats involved in improving the durability of the finish to move it over and above that of our current process and those of our competitors.

We have ways to free up siezed units or remove solid bottom mounts and/or locking collars from the damper bodies but the easy way to prevent the issue in the first instance is to copper grease between the bottom mount and the damper body and between the locking rings and damper body before install

 

I'm almost at the point of taking my BCs off and chucking them in he bin as I'm fed up with the constant knocking over the slightest bump. Had them on for about 2 years, but luckily I only do about 3k miles a year in the car or they would have been binned a while ago although their days are seriously numbered now

 

Have you spoken to us about the issue? If not then you should. A loose top nut will cause knocking. A loose bottom mount will cause knocking. Incorrect spring preload will cause knocking. There are multiple very easy resolutions to the vast majority of reported noises.

It makes no odds to us how old the units are, we dont stop aftersales the moment the warranty expires. If you have a problem, give us a ring. Just pick up the phone, 01274 683633

 

Hi Bren, when they first went on I had an issue with a loose top nut. I think since I bought them off you people were having issues with spring rates so BC developed new springs?

My guess is possibly the loose bottom mount, don't think incorrect spring load as we followed the setup when they initially went on but you just never know.

Will give you a shout this week, thanks for the offer of support.

Marc

 

It transpired that the 2000- Imprezas were prone to knocking from rear suspension units irrespective of brand. Youll find that Ohlins Europe dont offer a kit for the 2000-2007 vehicles for that very reason.

However we listened to the feedback and in response developed a new rear top mount which was basically an uprated copy of the original. It eliminated the rear noise issues. To fit the new mounts you also need a new spring which is presumably why you thought it was a spring swap that was the resolution.

Spring platforms can come loose leading to movement and a loss of preload which will lead to noises so if the collars werent 100% tight on install they might have walked causing problems down the line.

Do you have camber adjustable rear top mounts? They can and will transmit noise into the cabin.

Either way, give us a shout. Ask to speak to me specifically, tell whoever answers the phone that I said you were to speak to me and theyll put you through

 

Whereabouts are you Bren?

Edited to say: near Bradford?