Front end clunk

Crossposting from the Outback area, hoping for more input.

 

Yup, I've got it. 2009 Outback 2.5i, 4EAT.

 

My car has a clunk that I can feel more than hear. I feel it in the brake pedal and the dead pedal/floorboard at very low speeds - parking lot speeds, coming to a stop at a light, etc. Like 10mph and lower.

I bought the car in February with plans. Here is the setup.

 

-JDM Rev A Bilsteins from a Legacy

-Whiteline rear toe and track arms KTA124

-Whiteline rear trailing arm bushing W63398

-Whiteline front control arm bushing W53353

 

I put all the above on to lower the car to a normal Legacy height and deal with ghostwalking and camber issues. I had this plan in place almost before I bought the car.

 

Since then I've also installed new front swaybar endlinks from Autozone (the stocks were shot), and new front balljoints from RockAuto (I killed the boots on the originals). I hardly drove the car between installing the big suspension items and putting these on.

 

At this point I started to notice this clunk. I jacked the car up several times to check tightness on all connections but found nothing loose anywhere. I also tightened the castle nuts on the balljoints another couple flats on the nut to verify that.

 

Every time I jack the car up and put it back down, the clunk goes away for a while but always returns. My searching indicates this is typical. My brother visited a few weeks ago; he has quite a lot of Subaru experience in addition to being an ASE trained mechanic; he also went over everything and verified that everything seems to be tight and sound.

 

The only thing he and I, and my searching here and elsewhere could think of, was swaybar bushings, so I replaced those with new OEM about two weeks ago. Due to COVID and my schedule I haven't driven it a ton, but it seemed to be OK until today, when I did about 150 miles this morning. Sure enough, as I approached home I felt it at a few lights, and when I pulled into my driveway it was back.

 

The only system I haven't touched is the brakes. I've heard that stuck slider pins can cause this issue, but the brakes seem to be working perfectly and I feel this is unlikely (though I'll probably check it out soon).

I'm a bit stumped. This doesn't seem to be a safety or performance issue but it's annoying as hell. I'd be grateful for any input anyone might have.

 

To review, I've replaced:

Front control arm bushings (rear round bushing)

Rear trailing arm bushings

Front swaybar endlinks

Front swaybar bushings

Front balljoints

 

Plus the Bilstein JDM setup and the Whiteline rear arm kit.

 

Thanks!

Might be a stretch, but how are your diff and transmission fluids? I rode in a friend's 2008 OBXT with a 5EAT and it seemed to have a weird clunk like you're describing. The car had a new motor and all the fluids had been changed and it seemed kinda permanent. It doesn't seem tied to your note about being put up on a lift though.

 

Have you tried to drive the car while your brother sits underneath the car as the thing is up on a lift? What about taking a stethoscope to the car until you find it?

Unfortunately I don't have access to a lift, and my brother lives 8 hours away. He was here for a visit, helped me do a timing belt job (he's done several, I'd done zero). All work and diagnosing has been done in my garage with the front end either on ramps or jackstands.

 

The car has 92k miles (hence the timing belt). I doubt this is the rear diff... I don't know how to change front or center diff fluid. Is it as simple as changing the trans fluid? If so I'll look into it. I also have plans to do a complete brake job (pads & rotors) within a few weeks, so we'll see if that takes care of it.

 

I should also mention that it's not wheel bearings. The front driver's is new, and we verified that neither side has any play at all.

 

 

I'm going to do some more poking around underneath and in the engine bay. The car had the headgaskets changed just before I bought it (verified) so maybe something unrelated is a little loose.

I've had a clunk in my front end since installing a Cobb 25mm front bar and whiteline end links front and rear. I added whiteline lateral locks up front tonight. I'll drive it tomorrow and see if the noise is gone

 

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When does the clunking occur? Driving straight only? Turning only? Bumps only? A combination of these?

All of the above. It seems that the only unifying factor is very low speed - like, as you’re slowing to a stop or into a parking spot. Maybe even under 5 miles an hour; under 10 for sure. Most prevalent under braking. I noticed it first through the brake pedal, and my brother noticed that you can also feel it a little bit through the dead pedal/floorboard. I feel it much more than I hear it. In fact, I’m not convinced I actually hear anything.

My 07 had a clunking when I got it. Previous owner gave up on finding it and that’s why he got rid of it.

Two months later, during a clutch swap. Notice the passenger side engine cradle had a missing bolt and other on was half way out.

 

 

 

Once I got a new bolt and tightened everything, the clunk was fixed.

 

 

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Wow! I doubt that's my problem... but I'll check it out. Thanks for the tip.

 

 

Any other input appreciated as well - honestly, anyone who wants to weigh in, I'd be grateful.

also, under the hood, check if the nut on top of the strut is tight (usually under a small plastic cap)

also, under the hood, check if the nut on top of the strut is tight (usually under a small plastic cap)

 

 

Did that! Should have said. It's one of the (many) items my bro and I checked out when he was here. Although, with the Bilstein setup, I'm not sure it does the same job - these are inverted struts I think. Either way they were tight.

Definitely not the engine cradle/sub frame bolts. All are present and tight to the top. Also checked out steering rack, and reverified that suspension stuff is all tight this afternoon.

 

Starting to think I need to do at least a front brake rotor and pad job to see if that takes care of it.

Definitely not the engine cradle/sub frame bolts. All are present and tight to the top. Also checked out steering rack, and reverified that suspension stuff is all tight this afternoon.

 

Starting to think I need to do at least a front brake rotor and pad job to see if that takes care of it.

 

 

My next thing was to suggest possible pad slapping.

 

 

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I had a bad top-hat bearing that caused a very mysterious clunk. Check those too.

I had a bad top-hat bearing that caused a very mysterious clunk. Check those too.

 

 

I got the whole JDM Bilstein setup complete (struts/springs already assembled). I don't think they're bad - both of them spun quite freely. How would I check them out? I'm honestly not sure.

 

 

If they're bad, I'll have to find a source for new ones, apparently the JDM ones are different from USDM.

Sometimes you can reproduce a clunk by standing next to the car, open the door and lift it up and push it down - basically rock the car using the door as leverage. If you can hear the clunk then maybe you can try to isolate where it's coming from.

Just tried your trick with the door. I was not able to hear any unusual clunking. I am back to thinking that I need to isolate the brakes.

Today I installed new front rotors, pads, clips, slider pins, and even new rubber pin boots. I had high hopes that it would solve the issue, especially when I found that the pads on the car came out of the clips really easily (the new stuff was much tighter during the installation); unfortunately the clunk came back within 100 miles on the highway during a short trip this afternoon.

 

I'm now thinking top hats? It's about the only thing left I haven't replaced. I don't think it's the strut(s); I know they're used but there's no bounciness, they seem to work perfectly, and they're not leaking at all. Unfortunately these are the JDM Bilstein units and I hear that these tophats aren't common to USDM cars, so I'm not sure where to source them.

 

I appreciate all the input so far. I'm grasping at straws at this point.

OK, so I was just pulling into work this morning and notice this exact feeling you're describing. I don't know what it is, but it's never bothered me and it's definitely been there forever. My car has 214K and runs pretty OK given the mileage. The entire suspension has been replaced and is fine. Something tells me it's a normal noise our cars make when you're in low speed. Maybe the AVCS system, maybe the brake system, but I'm not sure. I've replaced nearly everything in this car and that has never gone away. Happens at maybe 5 MPH.

I have a hard time accepting that. It's so weird and disconcerting, it just doesn't seem that everything can be right and it still happen.

 

Working on trying to figure out how to diagnose the strut assemblies without taking one (or both) apart...

Edited July 27, 2020 by Rittmeister

I got the whole JDM Bilstein setup complete (struts/springs already assembled). I don't think they're bad - both of them spun quite freely. How would I check them out? I'm honestly not sure.

 

 

If they're bad, I'll have to find a source for new ones, apparently the JDM ones are different from USDM.

KYB now sells a replacement tophat that should fit (KYB SM5806). The JDM tophat for bilstein struts is the same tophat as a USDM spec-b. Edited July 26, 2020 by rhino6303

KYB now sells a replacement tophat that should fit (KYB SM5806). The JDM tophat for bilstein struts is the same tophat as a USDM spec-b.

 

 

I ran across that as I started to research the part. I was wondering if it's really the same part, but it sure looks like it so I'm betting it'll work. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Any other thoughts welcome.

I have a hard time accepting that. It's so weird and disconcerting, it just doesn't seem that everything can be right and it still happen.

 

Working on trying to figure out how to diagnose the strut assemblies without taking one (or both) apart...

 

Might also be worth checking if your sway bar brackets are in good shape.

Hey guys. I might have found the problem. Found this when I pulled apart the driver's side to install the new tophats I ordered. Pretty sure this hole should be circular...

 

VERY much hoping that replacing the spring perch I just ordered will fix my issue. Luckily they're only $15 apiece. I ordered two so I can do the passenger side if it becomes necessary.

 

 

Hey guys! That wasn't the problem. Brand-new upper spring perch installed, clunk is as bad or worse. I am well and truly stumped. Probably headed to a shop. If I ever solve this issue I'll report back.

Good luck!