Gaz Gold Pro rear dampers knocking/clonking after fitting
Discussion
Finally got round to fitting the rear Gaz Gold Pro dampers I bought a few months back, with brand new Gaz springs (8" x 250 lb). Couple of issues with them however.
Firstly, the spring 'top hat' that Gaz provide to enable you to use the narrower diameter spring, on the drivers side, isn't sitting flush with the top mount. There is roughly a 10mm gap between the top hat platform and the underside of the top mount. On the passenger side it fits right up inside the top mount fine. No amount of "adjusting" will get it to fit up inside the top mount. Has any one come across this before? I've got another pair of top hats for the front pair, so as a last resort I'll take the damper out again and try one of the other two top hats.
Secondly, the handling has been greatly improved over the previous, original, tired shocks, but I seem to be getting a knocking or clonking noise over some of the larger bumps. I've had the car up in the air again tonight to see if anything was loose, or if the spring was loose on full droop, etc. but it all seems fine. The spacers are either side of the lower rose joint, so the bottom of the damper isn't moving about. Everything seems to be fine. The car isn't lowered that much either, about 330mm wheel centre to arch, or 130mm ground to floor rail/sill - the spring platform is pretty much bang in the middle of the damper. The only thing I did notice was that when I was jacking up each corner, the wheel doesn't droop much at all, I thought maybe this is causing an issue with something bottoming out at some stage?
Firstly, the spring 'top hat' that Gaz provide to enable you to use the narrower diameter spring, on the drivers side, isn't sitting flush with the top mount. There is roughly a 10mm gap between the top hat platform and the underside of the top mount. On the passenger side it fits right up inside the top mount fine. No amount of "adjusting" will get it to fit up inside the top mount. Has any one come across this before? I've got another pair of top hats for the front pair, so as a last resort I'll take the damper out again and try one of the other two top hats.
Secondly, the handling has been greatly improved over the previous, original, tired shocks, but I seem to be getting a knocking or clonking noise over some of the larger bumps. I've had the car up in the air again tonight to see if anything was loose, or if the spring was loose on full droop, etc. but it all seems fine. The spacers are either side of the lower rose joint, so the bottom of the damper isn't moving about. Everything seems to be fine. The car isn't lowered that much either, about 330mm wheel centre to arch, or 130mm ground to floor rail/sill - the spring platform is pretty much bang in the middle of the damper. The only thing I did notice was that when I was jacking up each corner, the wheel doesn't droop much at all, I thought maybe this is causing an issue with something bottoming out at some stage?
I've got a set of these on, I've had a very light knock over larger bumps since they've been fitted. Note this is very light, I suspect the noise is internal rather than anything to do with the spring assembly.
On a side note I have Leda coilovers on another car which are also noisier over bumps than a standard strut would be.
Have you spoken to Gaz?
I believe 250lb (350lb front) is what WIM supply as part of their fast road setup. I had the dampers set on click 9 (from soft), it did feel a little bit "floaty", so I've increased the dampers to click 13, so I'll see how that affects things tomorrow.
Haven't spoke to Gaz yet, wanted to get the car in the air after work tonight to check for simple things first.
Haven't spoke to Gaz yet, wanted to get the car in the air after work tonight to check for simple things first.
jammy_basturd said:
I believe 250lb (350lb front) is what WIM supply as part of their fast road setup. I had the dampers set on click 9 (from soft), it did feel a little bit "floaty", so I've increased the dampers to click 13, so I'll see how that affects things tomorrow.
Haven't spoke to Gaz yet, wanted to get the car in the air after work tonight to check for simple things first.
I believe you're correct on the spring rates. When I bought them I thought that sounded a bit soft (I ran something like 450/575 with Nirons on my S2 Elise which was ~820kg) but decided to give them a go and see how I got on. Haven't spoke to Gaz yet, wanted to get the car in the air after work tonight to check for simple things first.
I've not really had "enough" spirited B-Road driving in them in the last year since I had them fitted to be 100% certain, and I've only managed to squeeze in one trackday so far, so my experience is still somewhat limited, but my conclusion is currently that my initial thoughts were right.
Whilst the ride quality is WAY better than the crappy set-up I bought the car on, my preference is for a stiffer set-up. Cranking up the damping has worked somewhat, but that itself isn't a longer-term solution.
S Works said:
IMHO, the springs which are supplied as standard are too soft. At some point I will get stiffer ones, even though it's mainly a road car. If it's clunking because you're hitting the bump-stops, that's bad.
There isn't a "standard" for GAZ Gold Pro springs. You choose the springs when you order them. I have F400/R300.MX-5 Lazza said:
There isn't a "standard" for GAZ Gold Pro springs. You choose the springs when you order them. I have F400/R300.
When you purchase from WIM, there is a *standard* set-up that they recommend. It's up to the purchaser to decide whether to accept that or not. Having never driven an MX5 on GGP's, I had no point of reference other than the advice I was given. Now I do, and I will likely-as-not stiffen them up if the car remains a keeper.Maybe contact GAZ?
There was an similar issue on nutz only last week that turned out that a customer had received the dampers for the racecars which had shorter bodies. http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9...
There was an similar issue on nutz only last week that turned out that a customer had received the dampers for the racecars which had shorter bodies. http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9...
MX-5 Lazza said:
That's just a WiM GGP kit rather than a GGP standard though. If you bought them direct from GAZ they would ask what springs you wanted.
Agreed.NeoVR said:
Maybe contact GAZ?
There was an similar issue on nutz only last week that turned out that a customer had received the dampers for the racecars which had shorter bodies. http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9...
Funny that. The first time I had mine fitted at WiM GAZ sent the wrong dampers too. Had to do a return trip to swap them over. There was an similar issue on nutz only last week that turned out that a customer had received the dampers for the racecars which had shorter bodies. http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9...
Just read through that problem on Nutz, although his springs look more bound up than mine, I think his ride height is higher, and his symptoms sound exactly like mine.
Just hope that, if this is the same problem, I can get them changed, as I also bought mine last year (July/August time - only just got round to fitting them), but I think I got them from a trader on eBay. Will ring Gaz tomorrow and see what they say. Luckily I took measurements of them before I fitted them.
Just hope that, if this is the same problem, I can get them changed, as I also bought mine last year (July/August time - only just got round to fitting them), but I think I got them from a trader on eBay. Will ring Gaz tomorrow and see what they say. Luckily I took measurements of them before I fitted them.
Don't believe the 'product issues' - WIM were not paying their bills! WIM put a set of Gaz adjustables on my Mk 3 a year ago and completely cocked it up! It banged and crashed over even the slightest inperfection in the road. I took it back to WIM twice and the failed to sort out the problem - which was the fronts were not fitted correctly! they had left out a rubber bung and a metal spacer, which meant the main nut on the top of the unit was tightening against the end of the thread and not clamping the part together. So all of the parts jumped about when the wheel hit the smallest bump. I was given the only springs that they had in stock at the time - which were 325 front and 250 rear (very soft). I was very unhappy with WIM and do not understand how they have the reputation that the seem to enjoy. I will never go back.
Happily Derek at Absolutly Shocks came to the rescue. I am now running 400 front and 300 rear springs. The units have been adjusted all round for just the right amount of pre-load - which WIM not only set far too high, was different from side to side!
Now properly set up the handling is brilliant!
Happily Derek at Absolutly Shocks came to the rescue. I am now running 400 front and 300 rear springs. The units have been adjusted all round for just the right amount of pre-load - which WIM not only set far too high, was different from side to side!
Now properly set up the handling is brilliant!
Yep - huge fan! We live and learn. I see you have a Mk1 Eunos RS Ltd - nice! I would love one but I'm just too long to fit! I'm no expert but I would say that if you are running the origonal suspension - it's got to be getting a bit baggy by now? I can only speak from experience but Derek at Absolutly Shocks has huge experience with Gaz and with MK1's - he supports their race series. He will also do the work for you/with you at the Gaz factory in Bazildon, Essex. He's a real enthusiast and was willing to have me roll up my sleeves and get stuck in along side him. Don't know about the Mk1 but the Mk3 is not a quick and easy job to change the suspension front or back - in fact the whole job is probably half a day! (I can't tell you how much difference getting the right pre-load makes). The other massive improvement was the tyres. I've recently fitted federal 595-R's which are a semi track tyre. Wow what a difference!
I had nothing but trouble with the GGP fitted to my Mk1, the worst money i have ever spent on a car modification.
I tried numerous spring rates, numerous length dampers, even had to resort to running the car at stock height and yet on track the suspension was on the bump stops, on the front the wheels were rubbing hard on the inner arches at the top (enough to make my front two tyres bald) - this was at stock ride height. My knackered inport suspension at the same track had none of these issues. Derek at Gaz was very helpful but we still failed to sort the issues out despite repeated visits to the factory. It should have worked out of the box anyway.
For reference this was my 5th MX5, all had aftermarket suspension of some sort, GGP were by far the worst and i got so fed up it led me to fall out of love with the car and ended up selling it.
Maybe i was just unlucky. I hope you have better luck sorting.
I tried numerous spring rates, numerous length dampers, even had to resort to running the car at stock height and yet on track the suspension was on the bump stops, on the front the wheels were rubbing hard on the inner arches at the top (enough to make my front two tyres bald) - this was at stock ride height. My knackered inport suspension at the same track had none of these issues. Derek at Gaz was very helpful but we still failed to sort the issues out despite repeated visits to the factory. It should have worked out of the box anyway.
For reference this was my 5th MX5, all had aftermarket suspension of some sort, GGP were by far the worst and i got so fed up it led me to fall out of love with the car and ended up selling it.
Maybe i was just unlucky. I hope you have better luck sorting.
We have GGP on our track car. It's especially superb on track. No roll at all and fantastic go-kart handling.
My own car also has GGP set a bit softer (it's mostly a road car) but also has very little roll and no problem at all other than a little noise which I'm pretty sure is from the shock body. Hard to hear though and not a problem.
Track car was installed and set up by Derek. WiM sponsor the car and do all the alignment checks/adjustment we need FOC. Never had a problem.
WiM fitted the GGP to my car.
Never had a problem with WiM, Derek, GAZ or GGP.
My own car also has GGP set a bit softer (it's mostly a road car) but also has very little roll and no problem at all other than a little noise which I'm pretty sure is from the shock body. Hard to hear though and not a problem.
Track car was installed and set up by Derek. WiM sponsor the car and do all the alignment checks/adjustment we need FOC. Never had a problem.
WiM fitted the GGP to my car.
Never had a problem with WiM, Derek, GAZ or GGP.
Not really. Started doing my bike licence, plus started using my Mum's Audi A3 (as it was just sitting idly on the drive), so the Mazda has been used less and less frequently.
I ended up winding up the damper setting quite high so the ride was quite hard. Unfortunately I've now got quite used to the hard, but still slightly 'nodding-dog' like ride I get from the Mazda now, so it's hard to compare it to what it was before.
I aim to do some more work on the suspension in the coming weeks, whether I will or not remains to be seen!
I ended up winding up the damper setting quite high so the ride was quite hard. Unfortunately I've now got quite used to the hard, but still slightly 'nodding-dog' like ride I get from the Mazda now, so it's hard to compare it to what it was before.
I aim to do some more work on the suspension in the coming weeks, whether I will or not remains to be seen!
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