The now infamous "bounce test" has shown that the Azera's rear suspension characteristics are notably different than the front - firmer and probably just right for all 4 corners on a new car.

Why could that be? Think it's a double-wishbone like the front?

Surprise!



It's a 4-point multilink suspension. Also with a thin stabilizer bar. It has the right components... now wishing that they had put a multilink setup on the front!!!

Also just in passing, the rear shocks in this car are 041s. I don't know if they're supposed to be identical to the fronts? Or if 041 is supposed to be the part # for the rears? Too lazy to look it up right now...

More pics:





Cheers! :beer:

:)

The complete rear shock part number for the shocks now on your car is 55311-3L041.
Your car has the correct rear shocks for when it was assembled. What is the build date on your car?
The 55311-3L041 is now obsolete in that you cannot replace it from the parts department.
Replacement part numbers are now 55311-3L040 up until 10/20/07 with the later cars
(late 08s and all 09s) now having a better shock with part number 55311-3L640.

These are the latest part numbers and the rear shocks of choice!

Both front and rear shocks share the same last five numbers.

But the front shocks start out with 54611 instead of 55311.

The complete latest best shock part number for the front is therefore 54611-3L640.

See:
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/index.php?ac...pe=post&id=7975

:amen:

Clear as mud? :P Questions? Please fire away.

:)

This post has been edited by snaglepus: Jul 10 2008, 10:59 PM

Well, build date on both of ours was April 10 2007, which was supposedly after the end of the period where they were assembling Azeras with 041s. So there might have been a 'phase out' or something. First started assembling the fronts with 040s, then, later on, the rears? Anyhow, I'm trying to drive the Azera more often these days to get some miles on it. If there's going to be a problem, I want to try to experience it before it reaches 5 years old :(

According to the Southeastern Hyundai service rep, who contacted the technical department, there is no difference between the 040, 041 and 640 shocks except that the "clunk" in the 041 has been eliminated in the 040 and 640. NO change in ride characteristics at all or in suspension between 06 and 09 models.

:)

Yes but your very good pictures show that at least one of your cars has 041 shocks.
I would assume that they both do, and that series is what is on the fronts also.

Yes, the earlier shocks are 041s, both front and rear.
In September 2007 Hyundai issued the TSB replacements and the 040s appeared.
Hyundai evidently continued on with the original 041s (must have had a bunch of parts left over?)
and since 10/20/07 are supposedly installing the latest 54611-3L640 series.
I have an earlier print-out from the parts department that shows the 54611-
3L041 were the parts installed from 10/31/2006 through 10/20/2007.
Ours was built 12/12/2006 and that's what it had originally.
The TSB was done and it now has the 54611-3L040s in front.

Bob says that he was told that there is "NO change in ride characteristics at all
or in suspension between 06 and 09 models." I disagree with that completely.
We know that this is not true. Although I have not driven any other Azeras but my own, we do
have one fellow who has changed his own front shocks to the newest shock, the 640.
Tim does report improvement. Of course, I saw improvement when the dealer did the TSB on
mine also because the original 041s were completely shot and felt like they were worn out.
But not too long after that, the new TSB replacement 040s have taken on those
very same characteristics as the original shocks had after only 5K miles.
In Tim Carr's picture, you can plainly see that at least the shocks appear to look different.

Why did Hyundai go to all the trouble to not only change the front shocks, but also the
rear shocks if they were not changing them somewhat for the better?
Would that make any sense? I guess we may never really know. :whistling:

:)

This post has been edited by snaglepus: Jul 11 2008, 09:46 PM

No... 040s front, 041s rear. cf. http://www.hyundai-forums.com/t27270-suspe...-centerfold.htm

That's Thor, I haven't checked Soo-Dae yet. But her alignment is absolutely perfect, so I'm not in any hurry to pull the wheels off.

:)

I give up!

Goes to show you cannot believe everything that's listed on the parts department microfliche. :clap:

:)

This post has been edited by snaglepus: Jul 12 2008, 10:01 PM

Heh! Well, who knows what the explanation is. They might have said, "throw the rest of the 041s on the rears for a few months, clunk isn't as bad there", or someone might have complained about clunks on test-drives of Thor, and they went ahead and put the 040s on the front there. It might not have been assembled that way. He did have over 500 miles on him by the time I bought him.

:)

Strange indeed. :whistling:

According to TSB 07-50-007, Thor is supposed to have 54611-3L041s as original equipment.

As you already know, that TSB calls for changing them out for the 54611-3L040 parts.

Did you get Thor sometime after the TSB was issued in September, 2007?
If so, perhaps that TSB was done before you got him?

:)

I did, I got him in the first few days of '08. So it's quite possible that's why the front has been changed out. :)

:)

Was Soo-Dae bought that same way? If so, perhaps that same agency
changed the white cars' front shock out according to the TSB also?

It really doesn't matter, as within less than 5K miles, the 040s all
seem to go South. At least that's what everyone seems to say.

Let's wait and see. Perhaps you'll have better luck with your two Azeras,
unlike most of us have had with our TSB 040s replacements. :amen:

:)

This post has been edited by snaglepus: Jul 13 2008, 10:11 AM