i just lowered my car over the winter and i installed the qa1 plates, got it aligned and now when i hit a bump, there is a rattle coming from the passenger's side. anybody got any ideas as to what it could be?

 

Did you put on coilovers also?

 

Coilovers or not...could be the bearing shifting or binding...check your spacer arrangement as well and the top strut nut.

 

it came with 3 spacers, 2-16 mm and 1-17 mm. both struts have all 3 of the spacers in the same location i.e. the 16 mm on top of the plate and a 16+17 on the bottom. i already zapped the strut nut with an impact gun.

 

check everything you used the impact on with a breaker bar just in case. jack your car up and move the wheel around some to help pin point where the noise is coming from.

 

thanks for the suggestions, i hope that it is just something stupid.

 

Ok, here's what you need to do.
Call QA1 and tell them that you need the updated Bearings. They will send you a set of MUCH stronger bearings and in some cases they send them already installed into a set of new top plates also. Mine came as just the bearings, but no big deal.
You'll need a snap ring plier, 24mm(or 21, can't remember) socket and a hammer. Take the top plate off of the assmebly (you don't have to take anything else apart, just the top plate). Look on the bottom and you'll find a snap ring, remove it. Now take it over to a vice and open the jaws so that the bearing will be able to clear the opening on the bottom of the plate. Take the socket (21 or 24?) and use it to hammer out the old bearing. It will come out pretty easy if you spray it with some pennetrating oil. Once you get it out, flip the plate over and line up the new bearing with the hole. I recommend using a soft blow hammer for this since you are going to be using these bearings for good now. Grab the socket again and hammer the new bearing (you can use a rag to keep it from marring the bearing, but be careful not to get the rag jammed up in the bearing bore. It will be a major PITA to get out).
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Here is a link to the exact way I did it with pictures and all.
Link for QA1 C/C's

 

Here you go, I put a complete how too in the Tech 101 section just for you

C/C fix

 

thank you pistolwhip, i will call them on monday. oh, btw anybody got their phone #. thanks again guys

 

Is any nuts get proper tightened. Check on all bolts and nuts to make sure they are tight.


Matt MAGE:

 

just talked with somebody at qa1 today, he said to bounce the car up and down and try to make the car make the noise. i did that and saw the bearing moving in the top plate!!! guess i'll have a busy weekend.

 

Unfortunately, this is a common problem with QA plates of this vintage. Time will tell if the new bearings (are they charging for the fix, by the way?) will last.

I use and recommend Steeda units, which I've had for some time without problems.

tripleblack

 

QA1 has been sending the new bearings out free of charge. It seems to be a hit or miss even with the "best" C/C plates on the market which are usually opinionated to be Maximum Motorsports. Most people will agree that the MM's are the best on the market but even they get bad bearings from time to time. I think the problem was that QA1 must have bought more bad bearings than everyone else....

 

its your bearings

 

got new ones coming, should be here by fri or next tues. again, thank you guys for the help. :notworthy