Suspension woes... still clunking after replacing bushings and balljoints

Hi All - I have a 2005 LGT with 162,000 miles and the following suspension mods:

 

- Koni Yellows on HR springs (about 2 years old; ~35k miles on them)

- Progressive sway bars (f&r)

- Kartboy endlinks (about 2 years old)

- Strut tower bars (f&r)

 

I had this really bad clunking which I knew was contributed by bad lower control arm bushings which my mechanic replaced along with both ball joints (both left and right). This helped somewhat and steering response and handling improved, but some bad clunking is still there and I can feel some road "feedback" in the steering wheel while going over bumps/potholes. Being that my struts and springs are not that old and the end links are still in good shape as well as the sway bar bushings, my only thought is that the clunking is coming from the top hats.

 

Can this be attributed to anything else besides the top hats? It's starting to drive me a little crazy trying to track down where this is coming from.

 

Thanks!

I've had clunking from the LCAs. Only 2 or 3 threads from the castle but holding the bolt in the car, stealership told me ball joints among other things. Went to replace the ball joint and couldn't find play there so I started searching

It might seem like a stupid suggestion, but try going back over everything and make sure its tight to spec

Thanks for the reply!

 

I did check over everything again when the car was on the lift. The castle nut is tight with the cotter pin still in place (both sides) and as mentioned, both balljoints are brand new (the old ones were not completely worn but made sense to replace while the lower control arm was removed).

 

I keep thinking that it has to be the tophat, but I would hate to replace those and that really not being the issue. I can't see my struts having gone in such a short time frame (I do mostly highway driving, so they are not going through all that much "abuse")

Also, while steering I can hear some clunking noises and can "feel" it in the steering wheel, primarily at low speeds. What else can be causing this?

Something you could try, have someone crank the steering wheel back and forth in the drive way while you look and listen(pretty much what it took for me, I could see a tiny bit of play while i was moving the wheel on the hub but someone at the steering wheel putting the hydraulic pressure on it was the shining light)

 

Also, make sure they go full left and full right. If still no sound, try bouncing the suspension while they do it. My car was clunking only while pulling in and out of angled parking lots spaces, the tight angle and reverse got it every time.

Thanks - I'll give that a try. It just gets frustrating trying to track down this issue especially after spending time and money.

Good luck! Btw what part of PA do you come to for work?

Did you check your axle boots? Are they torn, if so thats a usual suspect! Does it clunk when you turn, is it constant, or when ur car goes up and down? CV joint will show the same symptoms your having if they are in bad shape. Theres 2 boots on each axle, so inspect both inner and outer.

@Hamilton - Thanks! Several years ago I used to work in Malvern, PA (I was a free-lance consultant and was at Siemens Med - I have moved on since and am now with one of the big 4)

 

@Tehnation - Yep, I checked out the boots and both boots on each side are in good shape. I had replaced both sides within the last 2 years and I am familiar with the notorious "clicking" when they start to go bad. The noise seems more attributed to an up and down motion. I think that when steering, it might put "pressure" one way or another on the strut assembly. This is why I am thinking tophats are the culprit.

you say you have koni shocks. is the bottom bolt securing the insert in the strut housing still tight?

you say you have koni shocks. is the bottom bolt securing the insert in the strut housing still tight?

 

Good point! I will have to check that one! In the next few days I will go over all of the bolts/bushings again. Maybe I missed something.

also, if you are running a big bar up front on the stock u-brackets, they may have deformed. ES bushings and brackets make your FSB silent and stable.

Another thing to check is the sway bar bushings, which is where I nearly always start when diagnosing suspension noises. If they're worn enough they could be allowing the sway bar to contact the frame, especially when turning.

Another thing to check is the sway bar bushings, which is where I nearly always start when diagnosing suspension noises. If they're worn enough they could be allowing the sway bar to contact the frame, especially when turning.

 

Yeah, I checked the urethane bushings and they are sound. I know that I might need to re-grease them as I do also hear some "squeaking" as I drove over bumps, (but that I am not too concerned about). The clunking is there whether I am going straight over bumps, or turning and going over bumps, but I can "feel" feedback from the bumps more in the steering wheel as I am turning.

The bottom of the strut for the konis is a bolt that keeps the strut and insert together. You should be able to get to it from just turning the wheel.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=226788&d=1458594896

The bottom of the strut for the konis is a bolt that keeps the strut and insert together. You should be able to get to it from just turning the wheel.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=226788&d=1458594896

 

I will definitely check that, I am sure that I missed it, thank you for the pic, that is a huge help! I hope that one does the trick.

 

I will keep you all updated as I further diagnose...

^if you can get a turn out of those bolts, there's your problem.

If you didn't use loctite or something then it will definitely start to come lose, happened to me a bunch before i just pulled it out and used loctite.

Quick update - I checked the bolts on both sides (that bolt at the bottom of the insert that keeps the strut and koni insert together) and they are snug.

 

Next step - I ordered new sway bar bushings (I really hope that is it) - I do get some squeaking as I drive over bumps and am pretty sure that new bushings and lubricant will take care of that issue, but not sure if that will resolve the "clunking".

 

I also went over all bolts again - balljoints, endlinks, lca bolts, strut tower bolts etc. and everything is snug.

 

Aside from replacing the top hats, Is there anything from the brakes that could be causing this noise? I did do the sti brembo conversion, but I don't think that the front brakes would "clunk" going over bumps.

 

Anyway, I will keep you all posted as I continue to troubleshoot... Thanks!

Brakes? Not likely, with STi Brembos. But you could check the pins that hold the pads in place. Your rack ends and tie rod ends are other things you could check, though again not terribly likely. Or a loose engine mount, loose steering rack... Idk, I'd just check all the bolts you can get your hands on and check em.

Also, check your top hat "nut". Those are one-time use nuts (per the FSM) and they really need to be tightened-down well to keep everything below flying in tight formation. Both I and Gonzo had this issue (noisy clunk) and it turned-out to be the top hat center nut.

Also, check your top hat "nut". Those are one-time use nuts (per the FSM) and they really need to be tightened-down well to keep everything below flying in tight formation. Both I and Gonzo had this issue (noisy clunk) and it turned-out to be the top hat center nut.

 

Thanks - I'll definitely check that when I install the new sway bar bushings.

I just replaced my struts today eveything is tight but now I too have a odd clunk but I think I tracked it down to the FSB bushing. It only occurs when I turn all the way to the left and back to center. Took a look at my FSB bushing on that side and its looking a lil worn.

 

 

Update:

My issue was that my strut perch was rotated the wrong way and was clunking against the seam weld/adhesive bead in the upper strut area. Pulled the assembly rotated the perch and no more clunk.

OK - So, I checked the top hat nuts on both sides and they are snug. I also checked out of curiosity how the dampening is set ("soft" vs. "hard") on the strut inserts and they are both set to "soft" (I don't think that this makes a difference, but just wanted to put it out there).

 

Some additional information:

I did some driving over the weekend and as expected, on the smooth highway no clunking noises. However, on bumpy roads, the clunking seems to have gotten worse. Also, my brakes are making a sort of "thud" after I stop (I am not sure if it is suspension related, but it doesn't feel very safe to drive).

 

I called up Koni and spoke to a technician and explained to him what is going on. He recommended pretty much what was recommended here (check the bolt holding the strut insert into the housing and check the top hat nut; he also said to check the struts for leaks near the top where the "soft/hard" adjustment is and where the piston moves into the body of the strut). He also said that "clunking" would not be attributed to a bad strut, but would be a loose bolt/nut; but I don't know what else to do at this point (replacing the sway bar bushings are next, but I am leaning towards biting the bullet and trying to replace the struts, they do have a lifetime warranty, so I may give it a try along with new top hats). Also, the struts are not leaking at all.

 

It just feels as if the strut is not doing its job in dampening and when going over bumps the wheels are kind of "bouncing" too much and skipping along. I don't know, maybe I'm making myself crazy?

 

I will keep you all updated as I move to the next step - replacing the sway bar bushings. I will also go over the brakes thoroughly as that is not something that should be ignored. Thank you!