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New struts or something else?


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I have searched the board and found numerous topics on struts, but none to help me diagnose. I did the pushing on the bumper test it only bounches back once (which means my struts are OK), the car doesn't ride like a boat on the freeway and it doesn't lean/sway too bad in corners. HOWEVER, when I ride over small bumps I hear a knocking in the Rt. rear and sometimes in the Lt. rear. Anyone have suggestions, or further tests.

Also, I would like to get some manufacturer recomm.s for if indeed I need new struts. I'm looking for struts for general purpose driving, nothing sporty or too stiff.

Thanks for your help.

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My 1995 Impreza does the same thing. When I go over small holes or something it sounds like something is loose and only in the back. I was thinking it might be the strut bearing. It's located on top of the strut and not that hard to fix. My friend just replaced them on his 89 Jetta and it made that same noise and it doesn't anymore after the fix. If you don't want a stiff sporty ride just go to NAPA or similar parts stores and see what they have for strut/shock deals. They are usually pretty inexpensive. If you can put them on yourself which isn't to hard you can save yourself some money and it is not all that hard. Make you you get a 4 wheel alignment after your done!

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What car do you have?

 

Check the rear sway bar. Make sure nothing is loose there. Also look to see if it is shifting side to side. If so, you will see shiny marks around the mounting points. It could be the source of your noise.

 

Most (all?) Subarus use struts made by KYB. You can also buy aftermarket struts directly. However, I know that for my 97 OB, the aftermarket struts are a tad stiffer. Just something they chose to do.

 

Commuter

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Sorry...I have a '98 OBW w/ 141,000mi.

I was told it might be the sway bar by someone else. I got underneath the car yesterday and tried to move stuff (grabbed it and tried to shake it) to see if anything was loose, but everything seemed pretty tight. I didn't notice any shiny marks around articulation points either. The main reason I ask is that I don't mind getting new struts as long as I know for certain that's what it is and if I do replace them myself I want to fix the right thing the first time.

Can tell me more about the strut bearing Beaudiggity?

What it looks like, where it's located?

 

thanks

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Thanks again guys.

I rode in the back of the Outback while my wife drove around town so I could isolate where the sound was coming from. From what I could tell the sound is coming from near the middle left side righ behind the rear 'axle'. So I jacked it up and looked again at the sway bar and it seems pretty tight as did everything else underneath.

How do you get to the upper strut mount...from inside the car?

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I have searched the board and found numerous topics on struts, but none to help me diagnose. I did the pushing on the bumper test it only bounches back once (which means my struts are OK), the car doesn't ride like a boat on the freeway and it doesn't lean/sway too bad in corners. HOWEVER, when I ride over small bumps I hear a knocking in the Rt. rear and sometimes in the Lt. rear. Anyone have suggestions, or further tests.

Also, I would like to get some manufacturer recomm.s for if indeed I need new struts. I'm looking for struts for general purpose driving, nothing sporty or too stiff.

Thanks for your help.

 

My vote is strut mount(s). If you go here: http://catalog.autopartsperformance.com/ and drill down you'll see them. Range from $60 to about twice that.

 

Mike

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  • 1 month later...

I have a bad mount in the front and am wondering if you have to take out the strut assembly to change the mount. Also, my mechanic says I may as well change the struts at the same time but I've tried the bound back test and they seem tight. Thanks in advance.

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I have a bad mount in the front and am wondering if you have to take out the strut assembly to change the mount. Also, my mechanic says I may as well change the struts at the same time but I've tried the bound back test and they seem tight. Thanks in advance.

 

You have to remove the strut assembly to change the mount. If one of the mounts is gone, chances are that the struts are at the end of their lives. What mileage do you have?

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I have almost 200,000 on the car but don't know if they've been changed. Any good sources to recommend for struts?

 

A matter of taste I guess and of the kind of ride you want. When I replaced mine last summer, I used OEM struts bought at 1stSubaruparts.

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