Huge Problem W/ Suspension !!!!help!!!

OK here is the deal about three weeks ago I had some Tokico gas shocks and Eibach Sportline springs installed on my car in Georgia. The ride was great and handled wonderfully when something hanis happened. I was driving and went down a little dip onto a bridge and I heard this big bang coming from under my hood. I got home and saw that one of my struts had came loose and was out of place, the pole that takes the bounces was sticking into my hood!! I went to the people that installed them and showed them what was wrong. They fixed it for free and told me if it happened again I should buy an alignment kit for my car. WELL...... I went about a week and nothing was wrong. UNTILL.... I'm heading back up to Clemson, SC tonight when I hit this HUGH a$$ pothole at around 90 mph, and the other shock under the hood did the same thing as before!!!!!! So now I'm stuck up here and the people who installed them are 100 miles away back at home.

My questions are:
Could they have installed the shocks wrong?
Would getting the alignment kit help fix my problem? (even tho I don’t think so)
Can I drive home with this problem, it is 100 mile drive.
Should I do something about the place that installed them, like take them to court?

Could they have installed them shocks wrong?

i would imagine so, i have actually never heard of that in my life

Would getting the alignment kit help fix my problem? (even tho I don’t think so)

not your current one, but it would help your negative camber problem which im sure you have with sportlines. and it sure as hell shouldnt have a dman thing to do with the strut piston shooting through the top of the tower.

Can I drive home with this problem, it is 100 mile drive.

i would seriously advise against it. that is unless you have a death wish or would like to see your car ruined.

Should I do something about the place that installed them, like take them to court?

your damned right i would take them to court. for the cost of installation at thier shop since they did it wrong, the cost of reinstalling it at another place cause they messed up, and any damges you might have (which you may very well have).

My guess would be that the idiots didn't torque down the bolts to the proper spec, thus allowing things to come loose over time and driving. And if they realized this when you brought the car in the first time (which is a HUGE liability for them), then didn't check the rest of the torque settings on removed parts, they'll be damn lucky to get out of this without a major lawsuit. My advice is to take the car to another shop, any shop, and bring your service manual. Make sure they check EVERY part of the suspension which has been worked on by the other shop, check torque settings on all bolts, and then send the other shop a bill along with a written letter of their findings. My guess is other bolts are not properly torqued, and if this original shop doesn't agree to pay the bill you can easily take them to small claims court and win the money back. Honestly, if this is the case I would bad mouth this shop to everyone who'll listen... it's only a matter of time before they get someone seriously injured or killed due to their ineptitude.


Ps- Or it could be something strange and different I haven't thought of, either way I'd love to hear the final outcome of this. Hope this helps, peace.

Should I call the people who installed them and tell them what is up and that they will need to pay for the cost of repairs. or should I get it done up here then take the bill to them and say pay me?

I aggree with texan this is an install issue, even if your shock mounts were bad there is no way the shock rod would come through the top.

I would call them ASAP and explain your situation, calmly, and let them know that it is dangerous and that you are very worried.
Ask them what they are willing to do for you since this is the second time that has happend, and that this could have caused an accident etc.

Good luck

Thanks, I;m giving them a call right now...AND I'm on hold......

I talked to the guy and he said that they installed them right but that the bump stop and bump stop plate were worn (I had some coilover on the car before I put this new set-up on) and they said that I could have it temp. fix here and when I got home (Georgia) that they would order the parts I need and fix it, all I’ll have to pay for is the parts. O and they said they would reimburse me for the other people fixing it. I hope this works. I'll let you know what happens as it comes. I’m going to go have it fixed tomorrow as I have to find a good place to take it to. and I'm headed home on Friday so I'll post what happened by Monday

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

which shop did u go?

just wondering......cuz..I'm in ATL too

sweet reembursment, but should have been fixed b4 it was broken (if that makes sense)

Your bump stops were worn out? Smells a little bull shitty to me... How many miles on the car?

Its a difficult situation though. One, I'd be VERY learly of the shops install job if they screwed it up twice before. Even if the bump stop is worn the freaking mount shouldn't come loose. If the shock tower broke out right while you were doing a full scale inpersonation of the General Lee, well maybe, but then they should of mentioned this before and certainly after you had the problem the first time.

Sounds like a shop I wouldn't touch a ten foot pole.

petzride the shop is Friends Tire in Suwanee. AndSomegoy i have 49,000 but by having my car dropped by the coil overs they wore out the stock shock to where they were leaking. and i had the coils on there for 30,000+

They should have replaced the mounts when the install took place. IMO, if they were worn, but that is water under the bridge :)

Glad it worked out!