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Location:
Manly
Registered:
August 2005
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Corolla SX - Clutch + Suspension > READ & WEEP
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Tue, 16 August 2005 12:34
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Hi,
CLUTCH:
Hope someone out there can help 'cause I've got a sqeaking clutch in my '91 SX that's starting to drive me nuts.
I replaced the pedal box(car had dual controls - was a driving school car believe it or not).All was fine for first 3 - 4 weeks then the clutch started sqeaking when I released it (but not when depressing it).
I grease the wire and it fixes it ..... for about 1/2 hr and then it comes back. It seems to be binding on something. Did I forget to grease something? Could I have put the release spring on the wrong way (tho I can't see how). Someone please help, its like a Chinese (Japanese?)Water Torture
SUSPENSION:
OK ... A few months ago I decided to spend a few $$$ to make the car handle better. After reading a few forums I decided to go for a Whiteline kit. Unfortunately at the time they weren't doing installs as they were closed for testing, so referred me to a reseller.
When I originally had the job quoted, it was about $2300 for the kit, with KONI Sport shocks specified. At the resellers, they told me that because it was an Australian assembled SX (were there any other kinds?)it had the wrong kind of struts so they could only put in KYB's.
Fine I said, put 'em in ...figuring they, as a well known modifier of cars for rallying ..knew what they were doing. I got the car back and it was frankly crap. On a billiard smooth road it was ..OK. Sure it handled flatter, but on ANY road irregularities the front end would shit itself, the car bouncing all over the shop, crashing on the bump stops etc.
It was obviously way under-damped for the springs. Any idiot could see that. How this supposedly reputable firm could let the car out of their shop like that is just beyond me.
Less than 2 weeks after I got it, the car got even worse. I take it back to them & they tell me the LHF shock has burst from the car bottoming out. They fix it ... and less than a month later the shock goes again.
This time I take it straight to Whiteline. They agree the car is too soft, but say its not their fault as they would have spec'd Koni's. The reseller says its not their fault as I had the wrong struts.
They ended up changing the front springs for slightly higher ones, so the car doesn't crash anymore, and is a bit better behaved, but in absolute terms its still crap, OK on good surfaces but quite poor on uneven roads, where it is probably slower point to point than a stock SX.
I offered to pay for the correct struts myself and have the Koni's fitted & pay the extra $$$ (about $400) but neither of them would admit responsibility so I was left to carry the can.
Now don't get me wrong, the reseller was helpful enough, but offering to fit the Koni's & new springs at cost price, and suggesting I flog the old shocks & springs on ebay just not good enough.
I know Whiteline do good work but I will never use them again, neither will I ever spend money at the reseller, the only reason I don't name them is that I'm not sure to what extent they were at fault.
Would probably have said nothing except I had to get on here for that damn clutch ... just another consumer jipped by sub standard operators
GS.
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