Front suspension clunk/pop

I believe that this pop has to do with the front rear LCA bushing. No one will be able to confirm this until someone with the pop changes to the AVO bushings and unfortunately that is a little in the future for me.

 

I don't think the nubs on the top of the insert would be the issue, but if the donor strut is a little too long, and the insert isn't bottomed out in the donor strut at the bottom where it bolts in, I could see that as a possible source of the pop.

 

However, there have been a few on here with the pop that were on stock struts and lowering springs, so I don't think it's the Konis, I think it has more to do with being lowered.

 

If the pop comes back with the OEM strut installed, and based on the pop occurring when you hit bumps, I would say that endlinks would be your issue. My pop is only when turning hard left or right at a slow speed into a parking space or driveway, not on bumps.

Edited November 3, 2017 by GTEASER

After a couple days on the stock strut and spring, I have heard no popping. The only way I could see that it would be some other part of the suspension is if the stiffer strut/spring combo is putting more stress on another joint somewhere.

 

I think I am going to swap top hats from the stock assembly to the koni/'13 spring combo, and see if the pop goes away, since that is the easiest and free-est option.

 

I don't believe that the strut was cut at the wrong location, but who knows. How could I identify whether or not the insert is properly bottomed out? I don't recall exactly why too long of a housing causes any problem. What exactly prevents it from going in all of the way? I have mine shrink wrapped to keep water out, so I'd prefer not to cut it off if I don't need to.

You should be able to see the threaded boss on the bottom of the insert through the hole in the bottom of the housing, and you'd be able to see a gap there if it wasn't bottomed out correctly. GTEASER posted a pretty good picture in the Koni thread of why having the housing too long is a problem, there's a slight taper in the insert body above the nubs that'll eventually limit how far the insert can go into the housing.

I forgot to respond to this thread. I took the strut out and checked to verify that it was bottomed out and that the nubs were properly seated, which they were. After reinstalling the koni assembly, the pop seemed to happen less frequently, but still happens. Now, it could be coincidental or I am avoiding bumps more, but either way it is still popping.

 

So what is everyone else doing that is having this problem? Is everyone just living with it? Don't I risk further damage the more I drive on it?

Just living with it for now myself. I still think it's the rear LCA bushings, but I don't have any plans to swap the stock junk bushings for the AVO units any time soon.

 

I seem to recall, maybe it was Fred, or somebody else that had the pop, and they tightened the bolt for the rear bushing, got a half or a quarter turn on it, and the pop went away. But I can't recall for certain.

I still have a clunk on the front right, sometimes the left as well, but not as often. was hoping it would go away after replacing both control arms, bushings, and ball joints. seems to happen more below 60 deg, so now I get to listen to it alllllll winter.

 

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I still have a clunk on the front right, sometimes the left as well, but not as often. was hoping it would go away after replacing both control arms, bushings, and ball joints. seems to happen more below 60 deg, so now I get to listen to it alllllll winter.

 

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So no change at all after replacing the lower control arms/bushings/ball joints?

I had a loud clunk pop in my front end recently and it was my front sway bar link that was loose. Only way to check that is to keep weight on the suspention and give it a wiggle.

 

If you suspend the car the weight of the unloaded suspention will firm up lose linkage and it will seem tight when you check it.

 

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You guys make me want to never touch my suspension at this point

 

There's someone I know that has swapped their LCA bushings. I'll ask him if he's had any issues. I know he's dropped a bit and running coilovers. Maybe we need an LCA bushing redesign for lower vehicles?

You guys make me want to never touch my suspension at this point

 

There's someone I know that has swapped their LCA bushings. I'll ask him if he's had any issues. I know he's dropped a bit and running coilovers. Maybe we need an LCA bushing redesign for lower vehicles?

 

Seriously. Had I known this was going to happen, I may have reconsidered...

 

But anyway, it isn't a lowered suspension problem, it is a stiffer suspension problem. I'm on stock 13-14 springs with the Koni struts, and as I turn the koni stiffness down the clunk happens less frequently.

You guys make me want to never touch my suspension at this point

 

There's someone I know that has swapped their LCA bushings. I'll ask him if he's had any issues. I know he's dropped a bit and running coilovers. Maybe we need an LCA bushing redesign for lower vehicles?

 

This problem is ongoing with many models and generations of Subaru, really all automakers who use this suspension setup. Hondas have the same issue. Mine has clunked since I bought it with 49k miles on it.

This problem is ongoing with many models and generations of Subaru, really all automakers who use this suspension setup. Hondas have the same issue. Mine has clunked since I bought it with 49k miles on it.

 

But as I said, the clunk simply does not happen with the stock suspension on my car. That suggests that something (the LCA bushings, according to others here) is not designed to work with the stiffer suspensions that we are putting on our cars.

 

Anyway, does anyone know if DOHCLGT ever installed the AVO bushings? Did they end up solving it?

It did on mine, still does with the konis and eibach springs. Also same issue on our completely stock tribeca. The front lower control arm bushing at the rear of the arm simply wears out its not able to deal with the vertical motion and horizontal loading. Over time it deteriorates.

^^ Your Tribeca clunked too?

^^ Your Tribeca clunked too?

 

Still does, since my mom isn't too worried we haven't messed with it. Tracks straight, no vibration or uneven tire wear. Just noise, and from the looks of it the offending bushing is the same or nearly the same as the legacy.

Seriously. Had I known this was going to happen, I may have reconsidered...

 

But anyway, it isn't a lowered suspension problem, it is a stiffer suspension problem. I'm on stock 13-14 springs with the Koni struts, and as I turn the koni stiffness down the clunk happens less frequently.

mine is the opposite. the softer the rebound is set on the konis, the more it happens. I go stiffer and it's less frequent.

 

it's not the endlinks as I swapped those out a couple months ago, which solved one of my other rattles. 1 yr old oem, and they were noisy.

 

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Hey all, reviving this because it seems the most relevant place to post. I just installed a set of Bilstein coilovers on a 2010 legacy gt and seem to be having the exact issue described here. I love the suspension feel, and if it wasn't for the sound, wouldn't have any concerns, but since install, the car makes clunks, pops, and twangs from the front left area. I'm wondering if anyone has any success getting rid of the noise?

 

The person I purchased them from had them on an outback, lowered, and didn't have the noise issues. I'm wondering if outbacks have a different setup that prevents the noise from happening? If that's the case, can we adapt ours?

I think I finally got rid of the pop in my car, or maybe I just don't notice it anymore, lol. I keep forgetting to pay attention for it. I replaced my swaybar links with moog ones.

I think I finally got rid of the pop in my car, or maybe I just don't notice it anymore, lol. I keep forgetting to pay attention for it. I replaced my swaybar links with moog ones.

 

Replacing all my endlinks front and back with the Kartboy ones relieved a huge amount of my creaks/rattles/pops/general geriatric car noises. The new front LCA bushings improved that even further.

I have the same noise on my bpe. only happens once every morning when I turn the steering wheel left.doesnt do it again until the next morning.The noise happened soon after I did a complete suspension over haul,all new parts

bilstien shocks/oem springs

whiteline kca409 top hats

whilteline lca bushes including caster adjusters

wheel alignment

I have been paying more attention, the pop/clunk is definitely gone. But the creaking remains. I am almost certain it is from my adf spacers. They will probably be coming off soon, though.

 

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I have the same noise on my bpe. only happens once every morning when I turn the steering wheel left.doesnt do it again until the next morning.The noise happened soon after I did a complete suspension over haul,all new parts

bilstien shocks/oem springs

whiteline kca409 top hats

whilteline lca bushes including caster adjusters

wheel alignment

 

I wonder if one of the struts bearing in the top hats is getting seizing. You could try to diagnose it with the hood open first thing in the morning when someone turns the steering wheel. (one person outside the car, one person inside)

Unfortunately, I still hear weird clunking and hoping sounds over months of annoyance (Still love driving the car though and hardly noticeable on good pavement).

 

I am running on Koni and RCE Blacks and also replaced almost everything. The softer the Konis are set the more noticeable this clunk is.

1) New sway bar links

2) New top hats

3) New Control Arms (Movotech Arms with upgraded lower rear control arm bushing)

4) New Control Arm bushings

5) New balljoint

6) New tie-rods

 

I did everything expect touching the frame and engine mounts.

Edited October 18, 2019 by ssulb

Are the endlink fasteners tight enough?

 

 

Norm

Are your spring seats lined up with the coil ends?

 

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