The setup: Eibach Sportlines 1.2in drop / Tokico DSP-9 shocks / SPC front & rear arms

The problem: SPC front arms are hitting the inner fender well when going over bumps, uneven roads or potholes. The installer also cut the dust shield/bump stops in half so I'm losing about 1/2" to 1" of clearance.

The solution: I'm going with Hotchkis springs and installing new bump stops.

Update: I no longer have clearance issues with Hotchkis springs and new and uncut dust shields/bump stops. I have SPC A-Arms part #72120. PM me if you have any questions. I'll try to help you out. Thanks!

 

the boot will keep the pistons clean, bump stops are recommended, if you are knocking on slight bumps the bump stops won't help unless your shocks are bad and are bottoming out... which you will then need new shocks

 

How can I tell if the shock is bad? On the last pic, I compressed the rotor with another jack and it theres still about an inch left before it hits the bump stop and a few mm on the arms before it hits the fender.

Could it be that the drop is too low?

 

I never removed the bump stops. Do you need to trim them on the Z?

 

I don't think you need to but the installers did and now I have to buy new ones. I don't think that'll fix my problem so I'm just gonna go with Hotchkis springs. The sportlines are too low for the road conditions here.

 

For lowering springs it is recommended to trim them to allow for more compression to reduce the chances for it to blow. But the boots should be used so dirt won't scratch the shaft and cause a leak. As for the noise check all the bolts and nuts first before changing anything out. Even a loose endlink bolt can make a lot of noise.

 

Thanks for the advice. I really believe its the arms hitting the top frame (see below). On the smaller bumps, its hitting the seam of the fender (circle on the right) which causes a quick clank sound. Since they cut the bump stop, the shock travels more than its suppose to, causing the arm to pull up and hit the fender well.

I have prepared a couple options when it gets back to the shop:

1. Make sure the strut is tightened with a load. Check for loose bolts like most people suggest to do FIRST.

2. Install brand new bumpstops/dust shield + add some stackable shock mount spacers from SPC (1/8" a piece) + bend the seam.

3. Swap to Hotchkis springs + new bumpstops/dustshield

Whichever one works is fine with me. I just don't like metal to metal clanking when going over subtle bumps.