what the heck? harsh ride after replacing cats!

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97tbird

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yeah i know - doesn't make sense>

so i did the long overdue replacement of the cats (one cat has been giving me the "efficiency below thershold" code for about 2 yrs now, and i went ahead and got the whole direct fit Y pipe thing replaced with new cats and new O2 sensors -front O2's, that is).
This is the 2nd "repair" of any kind i have done on this car - 1st one was getting the aluminum crossover intake as a precaution.

at the same time i told the guy (former Ford master tech) to check under the car and see if ANY suspension parts need replacing/repairing (car has 127 k miles); he said he check all that, and everything checked out fine - my car is gently driven.

So car feels great now, EXCEPT HARSH RIDE !!!! I felt it AS SOON AS I drove off after getting the car back.
I KNOW - i am not psycho - idk why the [censored] this should happen, but it feels like it has no shocks (they're there - i checked LOL) - jarring ride over even the smallest stuff, like white arrows on the road, i mean HARSH - no funny noises or anything, and handles nice, but man you FEEL it.

This car has the sports suspension, which is on the stiff side, but i can never remember it being this "solid" and harsh...
They did NOT do anything to the suspension... could they have need

what could have happened? did they perhaps put some air in the tires and overinflated them? That's the only thing i can think of - didn't get a chance to see how much air in them yet.... (I normally run 33 PSI) They do the full check up when a car is brought to them for the 1st time... and I do remember him saying "we checked out everything under car including the TIRES" .... wonder if someone "filled 'em up" thinking they should inflate them to max. pressure or something ...i've heard stuff like that happening to people..

I am baffled, and i don't wanna sound like an idiot and call them and ask "hey did you put air in the tires?"

what could have happened?
 
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Sounds like they inflated your tires. You are describing how my car feels over bumps when I pump the tires to 40psi.
grin2.gif
 
LOL @ papa bear.

I don't think it's broken shocks or springs:
can't see anything abnormal - car sits straight and even.

I am leaning towards the tire pressure...
I do have the 235/60/16 tires, so i guess over inflation can be more dramatic than with stock 225/60/16 size (?) ....
gotta go and check the tire pressure as soon as rain stops...
 
Uh, did you check the tire pressure yet?
There is also the "Just off the Lift" feel which can give bad - steering and ride feel - puts many strut cars on tiptoes for a while.
 
well, I bit the bullet and called the place: he says they checked the suspension for looseness in any joints/parts but didn't find anything amiss - so they didn't really tighten anything OR add air to tires as far as he knows !!!

(so i didn't check pressures - but perh. I should do it anyways??? I mean, he may not have done it all himself - what if the other guys tighten something in the suspension, or added air?)

WHAT in the world !! I mean I KNOW my car so well, and it was not BOUNCY like this!

Now, the other possibility is that my front shocks kicked the bucket JUST when I drove home and they need replacing now...
but how bizarre is THAT? wouldn't they have seen THAT when they were checking under car?)

is this all in my head?
 
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Maybe they drilled holes in your front shocks to let out all the gas so you would have to come back and replace them. Oh, the conspiracies! Do what Micheal Andretti recommends, "Check your tires!".
 
ha. ha. ha.
frown.gif
:)

I hope it's nothing dangerous!
i might have to do the bounce test to see if shocks/springs are ok..
dammit i only weigh 125 lbs! think that's enough to push corner of a 3,995 lb car?
 
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When they raised your car on the lift, your shocks picked up some extra air-find a bumpy road, grit your teeth, let it bounce around a bit & get back to normal. Or find 2 or 3 people to bounce one end of the car & then the other. If that doesn't work-maybe "Job 1" is to find "A Better Idea!"
28.gif
 
Maybe your new cats are emitting some "funny fumes".:P

Another vote for checking tire pressure.

Almost every time I took my old Grand Am to the dealer for warranty work(lots), I'd get it back with 40-45 psi. in the tires(not good for ride quality).
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
Does it meow when you hit bumps? maybe one of those cats is stuck in the suspension!
lol.gif


Is it possible that a swaybar link reversed after extending the suspension?


Nice Cat theory, Tom: Har Har Har. :)

I don't understand the sway bar thing - is that possible at all?
 
Took another short ride - no change: hard and bouncy!
I am thinking this might need looked at - I mean it absorbs like nothing !!!
 
If it was put on a lift where the wheels hang suspended, perhaps it did "finish off" one or more of the shock/struts by expanding them fully for a time and then compressing them when the car was lowered. Like everyone here I'm just speculating.

Have you tried the bounce test on the corners of the car? Worth a shot. If one or more did go bad it's likely they would have under normal wear soon anyway.

Of course check the air pressure, but based on your description of the ride, I don't think so.
 
Is this a joke? I mean if something was bothering me this much and I could not figure it out on my own I would just check the tire pressure. If you don't have the tools for the job you can go to a gas station with a pressurized air machine and they have a gauge at the end of them and most are free to use.
 
Step 1) Buy a $1.99 pencil gauge from walmart
Step 2) Test your tires, then return the gauge, get your money back.
Step 3) Profit.

Repeat as necessary.

Dude, you're a Pharmacist! It's your job to measure stuff accurately! Come on!
cheers3.gif


Did they wash the car? It could be the dealer porters have a 19 point checklist that they just "do", which could include molesting tire pressure.
 
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