I'm sure that would be of additional help. I'm ok for now, but will try that if it should happen again.
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MPP Comfort Coilover making ping sound when turning wheel
- Thread starter coolioj
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- mpp coilovers ping
Mine are in the mail, so I am trying to think of things to try before installation so I don’t need to pull them out again.
Dolemite
is my name
How often does this happen for you guys? It’s once in a blue moon for me under really hard cornering. Every time it happens I hear an “achievement unlocked” in my head. I’m sure I’d find it less entertaining if it was on a daily basis, but it’s like <1x per week.
That would work even better, but we don't want to ask people to do something at that level!
Glad we got you all sorted out @coolioj
Man I thought I was going crazy when I installed these during Covid back in March, my pinging has gotten more pronounce but I came from a K-series with a complete suspension set up to a Model 3. I guess this was more common than I thought, so I'm assuming just dousing the entire assembly with brake cleaner is the solution at this point.
lbowroom
Plaid, white on black, CF, 8/27/21, Track Pack
When I installed mine last week, I used 80 grit sandpaper to scuff the spring and spring seats and then cleaned them with isopropyl alcohol so they had more friction. No pinging.
I got my kit 2 months ago and got this issue as well. I notice it when I'm moving slow and turning the wheel to the extremes while backing out. Don't really notice it while turning regularly on the street. I'm going to give the brake cleaner solution a try as I don't want to remove the whole assembly to do another alignment, but may do the scuffing when my new rims come in. MPP's been very helpful about answering my questions.
Not to resuscitate an old thread, but any of you still having pinging? My M3P has. UPP coil overs. It pings badly while turning the wheel at stop or low speeds. Does it now on both sides. Tried the brake cleaner cleaning method. Helped for a bit. Tried rotating the springs, did not help. Tried lubricating with WD40; lessened the volume of the sound but did not prevent it.
It’s annoying. It makes the car sound cheap. Today I’m going to install needle bearing thrust plates and see if very low friction will solve the problem. I’m concerned that road debris, dirt, etc will eventually cause the friction to increase, and we may be back to the same issue.
anyone installed these type bearings with any success in combatting this annoying noise?
It’s annoying. It makes the car sound cheap. Today I’m going to install needle bearing thrust plates and see if very low friction will solve the problem. I’m concerned that road debris, dirt, etc will eventually cause the friction to increase, and we may be back to the same issue.
anyone installed these type bearings with any success in combatting this annoying noise?
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Odd you bothered trying to lubricate the mating surfaces when it's stated in this thread that's the opposite of solving the issue.
My method of using 80 grit sandpaper on the spring and spring seat to increase the friction has worked perfectly for years now. No pinging ever.
Lindenwood
Active Member
I have about 400 miles on my Comfort Adjustables, and have the “bing bing bing” from the left front as well.
1) I DID lube the perches since my compressors didn’t work on the smaller diameter spring, requiring me to tighten the top hat and then spin up the perch to desired height. (It just made me feel more comfortable to lube the threads). I will make sure to clean off the oil.
2) @MountainPass thank you for the 2nd tip on rotating the coil. I will do that if cleaning the perch doesn’t work!
Otherwise, I still like them (and the rest of my upgrades) enough that I have already tossed all my factory suspension components (and I LOVE that I now have the ability to align at home (rather than waste 2 hours and a hundred bucks so I can try to explain everything to the local shop as they work).
1) I DID lube the perches since my compressors didn’t work on the smaller diameter spring, requiring me to tighten the top hat and then spin up the perch to desired height. (It just made me feel more comfortable to lube the threads). I will make sure to clean off the oil.
2) @MountainPass thank you for the 2nd tip on rotating the coil. I will do that if cleaning the perch doesn’t work!
Otherwise, I still like them (and the rest of my upgrades) enough that I have already tossed all my factory suspension components (and I LOVE that I now have the ability to align at home (rather than waste 2 hours and a hundred bucks so I can try to explain everything to the local shop as they work).
The issue is not between the spring and the perch. The issue is the top hat. All coilovers will have a binding issues. The top hat is stationary and the top of the spring when trying to rotate cannot and so it binds to a point where it will “ping” due to rotation especially on angles. You need an aftermarket hat that has a radial bearing or need thrust washers to allow the shock to rotate without binding the spring. Thrust and Delrin washers help with the bottom but not the top. The spring needs to be essentially floating between the shock and top hat and be allowed to rotate freely.
Lindenwood
Active Member
These are not MacPherson struts, and therefore do not need to rotate during normal operation. As @MountainPass explained, the noise comes from the fact that turning the wheel causes the lower control arm to move forward and aft slightly, which is enough to cause the perch (mostly the lower perch, it seems) to sometimes move relative to the bottom of the coil, leading to the coil skipping across the perch with an audible “bong”.
I’d say take a paint marker pen or zip tie and tie one coil facing towards the outside of the car. You’d be surprise after a week on the relative location of it. This isn’t pertaining to any brand. I know our cars are not a McPherson strut but Model 3 top hat does not have an indexing dent and spring can still rotate from what I’ve seen. Just from my experience on coilover behavior.
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@TLLMRRJ nailed it. Friction needs to be added, not removed. There needs to be enough friction to prevent the spring from slipping when those twisting forces are applied as the lower control arm takes it small forward/rearward arc as the steering is turned.
Bearing equipped thrust plates, or top-hats with bearings WILL develop noise and wear over time. The OEM solution works, because the spring is held captive. The same concept applies here.
It's a frustrating thing that occurs with this type of suspension geometry, and we're putting in a lot of work to fix this issue once and for all!
Bearing equipped thrust plates, or top-hats with bearings WILL develop noise and wear over time. The OEM solution works, because the spring is held captive. The same concept applies here.
It's a frustrating thing that occurs with this type of suspension geometry, and we're putting in a lot of work to fix this issue once and for all!
So just to be clear…you are agreeing that the spring does rotate or want to rotate naturally with any Tesla model 3 coilover system? So finding a way to “bind” it in place is more preferred then letting it naturally rotate between the top hat and lower perch?
Lindenwood
Active Member
As I understand it, from the perspective of the bottom of the coil, it is less angular rotation and more linear fore-aft movement. His use of the word “twisting” probably refers more to the whole lower suspension assembly than any specific twisting forces acting on the coil itself.
Lindenwood
Active Member
@MountainPass I doused the lower perch and collar in rubbing alcohol and after about a dozen slow, sharp turns bebopping around the neighborhood, the noise seems to have gone away! I’ll update in a few days if that changes.
I can also confirm the noise is due to lubrication. I was lubricating my upper ball joint and the noise appeared the next day. Cleaned everything well and no more binding noise.
Thanks for the update! I'm having the same issue and will try brake cleaner later. Please keep us updated when you have a fix, thanks!!
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