Problems Gold Line and BTG

[turbomangt]

I’m going to post this in several places because I think it’s important enough, and some people only don’t read all the topics. I purchased the Gold Line rear only lowering springs and had them installed today. (2003 GT Turbo)
When I picked up the car I liked the look, but during my drive home I hit a bump and heard a “clunk”. Oh brother I said another mod leading to problems I never had before making the change. I turned around and brought the car back and had my service guy take it for a test drive. They heard it as well. It seems that my BTG exhaust was now too close to the spare tire frame after it was lowered and thus the rattle noise. They were able to put some padding in-between the pipes and now it seems to be ok. When I got home I looked at the car, and it seems now the front of the car is higher than the back. OK, call me a perfectionist, give me a break, I detail cars. So I measured the front and back and sure enough, the gold line dropped the rear lower than the front, by about 3/8”. I also got an e mail from someone today that told me I may have to change to shocks to compensate for the new springs. Man, every time I do one mod, it leads to more than I planned on. Looking forward to discussion on this. Do I need new shocks, should I now lower the front as well? Gary

[ptcruzin42]

heh....you'll keep having the problems.....i had goldlines on my car for a while and heard the clunking also...it's not the spare tire frame cause I don't have one. [:I] one idea is that if you look at the bottom of the rear springs they rub together in some spots, especially when you go over a bump and this will cause them to "clang" against each other....there is a type of silicone/rubber wrapping you can glue to the springs that wraps around them and keeps them from "clanging" together when they compress.

[OurPTGT]

my Hearthrob exhaust started clunking when I lowered it also. It hits the suspension where it crosses over top of the axle. You may want to check there. It's EZ to see where mine hits. Hope your is too.

[rash_girl]

gary,

mine does the same...but i was expecting it. its not just "goldline", i have been in vehicles with lowering springs...they all clunk when you hit hard. even some with coilovers sound the same. besides the noise, is it riding rough? thats whats really important...i wouldn't worry about shocks unless you can FEEL you need them. i changed my rear ones, its not like the clunk goes away with new lowering shocks.

and 3/8" of an inch??? damn you are a perfectionist...if i was you and i was happy with the front end height, i'd buy a xenon flushmount wing instead of front springs. that wing should trick your eye into seeing that horizontal line as being even by squaring out the back end.

my 2 cents.

[Mike-in-Orange]

For what it's worth, see my comments at http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/forum/...?TOPIC_ID=7556 in response to Gary's post under that topic heading on this same subject.

[sakigt]

I have the BTG/Goldline setup and love it...but yes there were some issues. I did replace the stock shocks and I get the lovely squeal once in a while from the left rear area. Apparently its quite common in neons when one goes very low. My stock exhaust clunks once in a while.

You cant expect to lower a car that drastically w/o anything negative happening to it. Even bagging it has ride quality issues...You have to take the good with the bad, IMO.

[:I]

[sakigt]

Let me clarify...I have the 3 inch rear drop and the BTG 1.75 inch front drop. What size goldlines did you get?

[PTGT Redman]

Don't think he did the slammers, Saki

[turbomangt]

Call me ignorant, when I called Moss I simply told them what model/year car I had and wanted the lowering springs for the rear. I didn;t know they had different types, progressive and such. I appreciate the feedback, but I'm still confused on the shock issue. I don't hear the clanging noise since they padded it up. Some have suggested that I do the front, but from what I'm hearing on that one, their are more issues to deal with when doing the front then the back. I think I should stick with detailing. Not a gearhead by any means.

[kgdptblue]

Hey Gary, it seems that there are two reasons people are lowering, for me it was all about performance and handling, so I went with the whole ball of wax! Eibach frt & rear lowering springs and just had new Koni shocks and the Eibach front a rear sway bars. What a combo! The baby handles like it's on rails. The front end feels as tight as,.. well you know what I mean. So I guess it alll depends on what your after. Lower the front and your in for some more issues, maybe. just my .2