Any GM Techs, Automotive Guru's...

[dbart]

My wife has a 2015 Camaro RS,
It needed new struts all around and the dealer was gonna be almost 3K.
My brother sends me to his wife's cousin's shop, Route 66 Automotive in upland and they saved me almost $900.
I get the car back home and when I pull in the garage where the hanging tennis ball is that hits the bottom of the windshield...it hit the front of the hood???
I get out and look and the car is sitting higher...definely in the front and maybe a little in the rear.
I call the shop the next day and they tell me it has to settle (Insert BLANK STARE HERE) ?????
What, I have never heard of that, but what do I know??
I drove over to Hardin GMC with my tail between my legs and talked to Sean and told him what was going on and if I can pick his brain.
He took one look and said yeah, that doesn't look right.
I popped open the hood and the top of the strut had a gap between the collar and the inner part of the fender where it comes through and mounts to.
He said well that looks like it was put in backwards!
UGH.
I call the shop and drive it over right then...the guy keeps telling me it need to settle. but he'll check it.
Oh...yeah that part was put in backwards but let it settle for a week and call them back.
It hasn't moved an inch and there seems to be some +camber so the outer portion of the tire is goin to wear.

Here are a few pics. The mounting point where there is a gap (they fixed that) and a comparison of her car before and after.
I think the whole car is sitting higher...definitely in the front.
@John@Outfront
@L.R.S.
Hitting you guys up hoping you can clarify this issue or is it totally normal??
Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Dale

 

[Crusty]

That's NOT normal dude.

But I'm clueless and interested in what those here that know have to say...

 

[megadesertdiesel]

google results, top cap installed upside down?

https://www.reddit.com/r/camaro/comments/1b08j13/2014_camaro_v6_front_struts_question

 

[rivermobster]

So WHY did it need new struts??

Most modern shocks/struts are gas charged. If the replaced struts lost their charge, yes, the vehicle is going to sit higher, with fresh new struts installed.

What brand struts did they use?

What brand were the old ones?



And any shop that installed a strut incorrectly, is Not a shop I'd want to be working on Any of My vehicles!

 

[MWB]

Call them back, tell them BS on the let them settle and that you can approach this one of two ways.
First option you install the struts correctly at their expense or the second option I will take it to the dealer and charge you to have it fixed, oh and if you think your just not going to pay it I will pay three homeless guys to picket out front of your shop every day until you pay the tab.

So how are we going to handle this ?

 

[rivermobster]

Call them back, tell them BS on the let them settle and that you can approach this one of two ways.
First option you install the struts correctly at their expense or the second option I will take it to the dealer and charge you to have it fixed, oh and if you think your just not going to pay it I will pay three homeless guys to picket out front of your shop every day until you pay the tab.

So how are we going to handle this ?

Hey macho boy...

You might wanna read my post again?? It's a very real possibility, the car is sitting as it should.

 

[madweazl]

Hey macho boy...

You might wanna read my post again?? It's a very real possibility, the car is sitting as it should.

Their notion that it will settle isn't (springs do, gas doesnt). Since at least one item is obviously installed incorrectly I'd have a hard time listening to anything else they had to say.

 

[rivermobster]

Their notion that it will settle isn't (springs do, gas doesnt). Since at least one item is obviously installed incorrectly I'd have a hard time listening to anything else they had to say.

Agreed.

 

[dbart]

So WHY did it need new struts??

Most modern shocks/struts are gas charged. If the replaced struts lost their charge, yes, the vehicle is going to sit higher, with fresh new struts installed.

What brand struts did they use?

What brand were the old ones?



And any shop that installed a strut incorrectly, is Not a shop I'd want to be working on Any of My vehicles!

127k miles on the originals, was feeling a little spongy and sqeaking and every bump just felt like they are worn out!
Why isn't the back sitting a lot higher is what I asked the shop and why is the camber look off.
From some info I am reading on these, it might be the lower control arms and when they get tightened down...the car should be on the ground before tightened???
I know the struts have to be compressed to be installed...I'm thinking they weren't.
When the car was ordered brand new it didn't sit higher in the front when it was delivered.

This was the first time I took her car to this shop...trust me it will most likely be the last.
It is going back in on Wednesday and the owner said send me the pics of the car and bring it in...we'll get it figured out.

 

[honEXduner]

127k miles on the originals, was feeling a little spongy and sqeaking and every bump just felt like they are worn out!
Why isn't the back sitting a lot higher is what I asked the shop and why is the camber look off.
From some info I am reading on these, it might be the lower control arms and when they get tightened down...the car should be on the ground before tightened???
I know the struts have to be compressed to be installed...I'm thinking they weren't.

Yes, the car should generally be at ride height when the lower control link inner bushings are tightened to avoid twisting/tearing the rubber, especially on hydraulic bushings. Although, I would question if these were even removed as part of the work you had done. They could likely just pull the strut fasteners and let the rest hang down a bit.

Camber is easily adjustable via the two lower strut retaining bolts and a M10x1.5 bolt. Was an alignment performed or did they just line up the marks from the old parts?

The springs are compressed on the bench/stand to assemble the strut package and tighten the lower top nut (below the visible large washer) holding everything together. That whole assembly is usually lifted up into the strut pocket at which point the larger washer is loosely installed and the bottom bolts are attached to the knuckle. The large washer is torqued after setting the car back down since the top washer just keeps the strut from coming out of the pocket at full rebound. Otherwise, only the weight of the car keeps the whole assembly in place within the pocket.

There are published dimensional values for suspension ride height & fender opening heights available from the dealer or possibly online too. Usually easiest to measure the suspension while on an alignment rack but these values can illustrate if the suspension is sitting too high up in the travel. A quick fender height check could show gain vs the nominal.

 

[rivermobster]

127k miles on the originals, was feeling a little spongy and sqeaking and every bump just felt like they are worn out!
Why isn't the back sitting a lot higher is what I asked the shop and why is the camber look off.
From some info I am reading on these, it might be the lower control arms and when they get tightened down...the car should be on the ground before tightened???
I know the struts have to be compressed to be installed...I'm thinking they weren't.
When the car was ordered brand new it didn't sit higher in the front when it was delivered.

This was the first time I took her car to this shop...trust me it will most likely be the last.
It is going back in on Wednesday and the owner said send me the pics of the car and bring it in...we'll get it figured out.

Yes, the vehicle Has to be loaded, before tightening the suspension.

But...

There is no reason to loosen any suspension components up, to replace the front struts, or the rear shocks.

The Springs have to be compressed to move them from the old struts, to the new ones. The strut, not so much though.

Stick your head under the fender and see what BRAND of strut they used. This is a major concern.

At 127k, your old struts were most likely junk. Ask them to show them to you...

When trying to push the shaft into the strut, it will be difficult to do, and push right back out on a new strut.

On a bad one, you'll be able to push the shaft in easily, and it will stay there.

Find out what brand of strut they used. There is a HUGE difference between different brands of shocks/struts.

 

[Sandkist]

New springs or originals? Spring or the position of the spring on the strut determines your ride height. Assuming an aftermarket strut, could be the lower spring perch is at a different position (higher) than a factory strut.

 

[dbart]

I love this site!
Thank you everyone for the responses and the assumption that something is probably off in the install!
The specs on the struts, I plugged the numbers in for the parts number for what was installed and the rears came up...the fronts did not so I am concerned they did not put the correct ones in!
I feel like telling them put the old ones back on, give me my money back, I'll walk away with my tail between my legs and drop it off at the dealer!
I thought this was a simple deal (Simple for a shop that does this stuff) No way I could tackle this on my own.
It goes back tomorrow...and I am not looking forward to being that customer!
UGH!

db

 

[Rockwood]

The gap appears normal. If it wasn't there, your Camaro would be even higher. It's to allow deflection in the suspension when moving. Should see it open and close just moving the wheels left/right and up/down on the suspension. The only time it'll touch the strut tower is if you lift it off the ground since the spring bushing is no longer compressed. All that gap/rubber is there to isolate noise and take out small bumps in the road no one wants to feel in a daily driver. Racecar parts would be heims.

New strut assemblies (with springs) are what is usually installed these days since it's quicker/easier. If there are new springs, they will take a week or so to settle.

google results, top cap installed upside down?

https://www.reddit.com/r/camaro/comments/1b08j13/2014_camaro_v6_front_struts_question

If the cap were mounted the other way, you'd have metal/metal contact and lots of noise.

 

[rivermobster]

I love this site!
Thank you everyone for the responses and the assumption that something is probably off in the install!
The specs on the struts, I plugged the numbers in for the parts number for what was installed and the rears came up...the fronts did not so I am concerned they did not put the correct ones in!
I feel like telling them put the old ones back on, give me my money back, I'll walk away with my tail between my legs and drop it off at the dealer!
I thought this was a simple deal (Simple for a shop that does this stuff) No way I could tackle this on my own.
It goes back tomorrow...and I am not looking forward to being that customer!
UGH!

db

So what brand are they??

Post the numbers up.

 

[dbart]

Been a week and it hasn't settled one bit!
I think the tech installed the top cap upside down.
So there should be a gap????
I'll make sure that is correct.
When talking with the dealer, he didnt recall any camaro leaving that was lifted that much.
When he walked out he immediately said something was off...it shouldn't be sitting that high.
It is over an 1" taller

 

[dbart]

So what brand are they??

Post the numbers up.

FRONT RIGHT/FRONT LEFT
COMPLETE STRUT: FCS 1333585IL

REAR RIGHT/REAR LEFT
COMPLETE STRUT: FCS 2345826L

Not sure of the brand, paperwork doesn't state what brand.
I can look tonight.

 

[Rockwood]

Been a week and it hasn't settled one bit!
I think the tech installed the top cap upside down.
So there should be a gap????
I'll make sure that is correct.
When talking with the dealer, he didnt recall any camaro leaving that was lifted that much.
When he walked out he immediately said something was off...it shouldn't be sitting that high.
It is over an 1" taller

Should be a gap. Cap is installed correctly. If you flip it, you'll have metal-metal contact when the suspension tops out and lots of noise. Here's a picture of the assembly from the manufacturer (based on the part # provided):




Part # posted is for a new strut/spring combination, so it should sit higher than the previous set with 127k miles on them.

 

[networkalignment]

ya that's a complete strut "assembly" which means it comes with a new spring and upper strut mount. This means the tech just bolts it in as a complete unit. We have seen these Quick struts come with some inferior components and stopped using them. Could be that the manufacturer used the wrong spring when the unit was built. The strut mount looks correct. My bet is on the wrong spring.

 

[rivermobster]

FRONT RIGHT/FRONT LEFT
COMPLETE STRUT: FCS 1333585IL

REAR RIGHT/REAR LEFT
COMPLETE STRUT: FCS 2345826L

Not sure of the brand, paperwork doesn't state what brand.
I can look tonight.

Complete (cheese ball) assembly.

Definitely not Bilstein's...

FCS 1333585L Suspension Strut and Coil Spring Assembly https://a.co/d/eZCllxq

Not surprised the ride height is wrong.