2003 Saturn Ion Back suspension

Tiny
TWO RIVERS
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  • 2003 SATURN ION
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 175,000 MILES
I had new shocks and springs installed in the back. When, I hit a bad bump or pot hole, it's like the back tires are flat. Thank You! Richard
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 AT 12:14 AM

8 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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First of all thank you so much for donation. So why did you change the spring's and shock's to begin with?Because of what your describing now?How much pressure is in your tire's right I want to know exactally. Also what pressure goes to which tire I want all four pressure's. Did you have Saturn coil spring's and shock's installed?Or are they aftermarket?If you hit a bad enough pot hole your car will bottom depending on the size of the pot hole and the speed you are going. Also the same pot hole get's bigger over time when there not fixed. Let me know what you find.
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 AT 11:11 AM
Tiny
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https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/416332_2003_ion_rear_suspension_1.jpg


Those are good shock's but shock's only smooth out the bounce of the car.The coil spring's hold the weight of the car up and prevent bottoming out.You said you changed your coil spring's too did you get saturn one's or aftermarket one's?Let me know also you never said why you replaced the spring's and shock's?Was it bottoming out before you changed everything?Or did all this start after you changed everything?
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 AT 5:42 PM
Tiny
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Aftermarket thur Auto Select in Green Bay, WI. Are saturn coil springs ( GM ) different, does saturn have it's own springs. It was worst before the changes. Thank You, Richard.
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 AT 7:05 PM
Tiny
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Iam not sure who make's the Saturn spring's when I got Saturn part's to put on the car's most of the label's just say Saturn and the part's aren't marked.I don't know the difference between the Saturn rear spring's and the aftermarket one's I have never even seen a aftermarket spring.I spent all my year's working at the Saturn dealer's So I dealt 99 percent of the time with the factory part's.I have never even had to replace a rear coil spring on those car's for colasping and causing the car to bottom out. There's really no weight back there to cause them to colaspe. The only time I have seen people bottom those car's out is when they went too fast thru a dip or a pot hole. Let me ask you this is your tire's leaving a mark on your inner fender liner's from bottoming out?When people bottom there car's out the tire's alway's leave a mark there. The wheel's have alot of room to travel before they bottom out as you can see from the distance from the tire's to the inner wheel liner. Let me know.
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Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 AT 2:38 PM
Tiny
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The springs are the ones saturn uses. The car is not bottoming out, the tires are not absorbing the shock of a bump, ( at low speed, any speed ). Is it possible the tires are the whole problem. The tires are Cooper CS4 Touring, I don't krow how many miles are on them. I will find out tomorrow, the tires look very good. Some one on Tire Rack review, said they are not a good tire. ( Coopers ). Thank You, Richard.
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Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 AT 11:26 PM
Tiny
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I don't know much about those tire's I just put some general altimax hp's on my niece's 2003 ion and she like's them. When I drove the car with those tire's it rode really nice.I also put the general altimax rt's on my 1999 Saturn SL2 and my sister's 1993 Saturn SL1 and really like they way they rode and there rated at 70,000 mile's. So are running stock rim's and stock tire size?If not what tire size are you running?
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010 AT 12:29 AM
Tiny
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Running stock rims and tires, 185/70/R14. I think, I can put on 195/60/R15 tires. You think that would help, the tire dealer said it won't help. I think the tires are the problem. Thank You, Richard
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Sunday, June 13th, 2010 AT 12:24 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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If you put the bigger tire's on it will make your speedometer off and not read the correct speed. Now on your tire's not absorbing the bump's in the road it's hard to say on that one since I can't test drive the car to see what's it's doing.I can tell you this though there isn't much in the rear end you haven't replaced that would affect your ride. IT's just the I beam the spring's and the shock's.
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Sunday, June 13th, 2010 AT 10:03 PM

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