trim the bump stops 1.5 inches, and go back to stock length shocks, I tried the shorter shocks had same issue, broken bolts, I replaced with stock shock bolts , red thread locker and torqued to specs, which I can't remember but I'm sure somebody here has that #

 

Oldblue-

Reason OP went to shorter shocks was when the vehicle was put on a lift & raised off the ground, the rear springs would fall out..

If the bump stops are hitting first (as they should), it should not be breaking bolts..

My thought is the shocks are bottoming out first, & breaking the bolt(s)..

 

That is the only reason I switched to short shocks-to keep the springs in place when the car is on a lift. And yes, if the bump stops make contact first, then the shock bolts will never be stressed on compression. The only problem would be when the car hits a bump and goes up in the air. Then, the rear would be held in place by the shock and the bolts would be stressed.

I never trimmed my bumpstops. I did not see the reason to. All trimming would do is increase the travel beyond that which engineers from GM set it at. I did not want to have the tires hit the body, or any other parts, due to the increased movement. I realize that with shorter shocks and unmodified bump stops, there will be less travel.

 

Lee- You have to be really flying & hit a Big Bump to get the rear wheels off the ground..

fwiw: You could make a pair of limiting straps, like some 4x4 guys use..

 

Exactly sleeper, Lee needs limiting straps instead of relying on the shocks to do the job.

Check out this link for some ideas......

http://www.offroad-engineering.com/limiting-straps.html

 

Mike-

It's a weird thing, no one else seems to have this problem TIKO..that's lowered.

 

I've been wondering about the shorter shocks, just how much shorter than stock are they?

I can't recall anyone else with this issue either, maybe a shock change is in order.

 

Glad I went with the shorter stock SS shocks instead when I lowered mine with Goldlines. Have never had a problem with springs falling out, bottoming out, bolts snapping or any such problems.

 

I was wondering the same thing-how come I am the only one with this problem. The first time it happened, the upper bolt loosened and the shock was rattling around. Then, the lower bolt came loose and was scraping the wheel. Now, remember that I have been working on cars for over 40 years and know enough how to tighten bolts, either with a torque wrench or by plain brute force. And I triple check everything when I am done, so I am certain I did not leave them loose. Still, I used lock tite on that side, and they seem to be alright. But, why did they loosen in the first place, and why did the other side break off? I am assuming it first backed out then broke off. So why the stress on these bolts?

The shocks are only about 1 1/4 inch shorter than the stock shocks-just enough to hold the springs in place. I bought them from a reputable dealer that has sold them to many other HHR and Cobalt owners before.

I will look into the limiting straps as a safety measure, but they are usually used on off road vehicles that do jumps and I never do that. It is all very strange.

I ordered 4 new bolts and as soon as they arrive, I will bring my car to the guy that did the fabrication on my race car. Together we should be able to determine what is going on.

I hope that I am not setting a trend, though. Back in 2007 I was one of the first people to experience the traction control problem after putting on an aftermarket air filter. I got various codes, including MAP and MAF sensors. I replaced my filter for a dry one, fearing the oil was damaging the sensors, then replaced both sensors to no avail. Then, a lot of other people started to get the same code and T/C shut down, even some that did not even change their air filter. In my case, the problem evolved gradually. At first, I only threw the code when I nailed it and spun the tires. Then, it began happening when I was driving and accelerated hard. Finally, it would happen even when I was coasting or sitting still at a traffic light. Never figured it out-but now it only happens when I step on the gas all the way, so as long as I drive easy I don't get the code. But when I am on the highway and go to pass someone, the light will always go on!

 

Got the shock bolt removed yesterday and found out why I was having the problem with bolts loosening and breaking. When I installed them May 2009, I was anxious to get them in and solve the problem of the springs falling out when the car was on a lift. They were supposed to be modified shocks customized to fit the HHR, so I did not study them when I got them-I just bolted them in. Wellllll, master mechanic/fabricator/friend/race car driver Bobby Gardner explained the problem. They are regular, generic shocks that have a shorter travel then the standard HHR shocks. But the bushings were not really made for the HHR, so they did not fit well or hold up. I had a problem 2 years ago when the top bushing cracked, and I replaced it with a hardware store piece that worked but did stand up well. Over the years, I attributed the thumps and thuds as being from the exhaust banging around, or just a result of driving over NYC potholes all these years. Bobby used a lathe to enlarge the holes in metal pipe, and then made spacers for each side of the bushing. Now there is absolutely noise anymore, meaning it was the shock banging around all these years (which eventually caused loosening and breakage).

The lesson here is that when you modify your car, even when the part is supposed to be designed for it, you have to check to make sure everything fits together well (and not rely on it working just because the manufacturer said it would).