1996 Legacy Lsi. This new-ish front strut assembly I installed is making a noise when I turn, like a light thunking sort of noise.

 

At least I'm assuming that's what it is, I just replaced the whole strut assembly on that side and it's now making the noise I don't recall being there before.

 

I want to pull it off and have a look - but i've never taken a strut apart before or anything, so what am I looking for?

Edited June 29, 200916 yr by grossgary

Are you sure it's not the mount? Often clunking is the mount.

 

Cheaper than a strut and I always go new. I think they are maybe 20 bucks. I forget but I've replaced a lot on fronts and backs.

 

Also I've had quote's vary from almost 50 bucks to 12 bucks on strut mounts on Suby's and VW's so it's definately a call around item.

I have no idea - I've never done anything with a mount before.

I guess it requires a coil spring compressor to replace that part on the top?

 

It only clunks in sharp turns, like in parking lots, that's it. It'll be like one or two noticeable "thunks".

Usually that's the mount in my experience. Usually the top. IIR you need to compress them a bit but not break them down. But I haven't done any this year and my memory isn't the best. I still mark and loosen everything up and possible remove the entire assembly.

 

I always have a car aligned after new struts - no matter how well I mark, etc.

 

Usually it changes the "stance" of the car with fresh struts so I figure that should change the alignment.

 

On a VW it could also be a strut bearing but it groans.

thanks dave, i'll pull it off and have a look.

 

your remarks about alignment are dead on here. the car does pull a bit now with the new strut, even though i made sure to reinstall everything exactly how it was.

 

oddly enough - the strut also seems "twisted" when i installed it, what i mean is when the top was bolted in place, the bottom didn't line up with the hub very well, i had to sort of torque it to get it to mount in the hub.

 

is that maybe a sign the strut wasn't assembled right?

 

what gives the strut "alignment", like the top bolts in relation to the bottom bracket? how is that set?

 

could this extra "torque" i speak of be the problem?

I don't align cars but those lower 2 bolts I think they spin to adjust. They aren't normal bolts. I forget the fancy name. Basically the centers are off center.

 

 

On some struts you have to pay attention when you mount the top hardware or they will torque like that. I never install them that way. I loosen everything up, fight with that rubber shim that the coil rides on, and pay attention when redoing the top part.

 

I haven't done a front one recently enough to remember any more details.

 

Perhaps someone else here has?

 

If it is the mount you may be able to just lower the axle enough to undo the old mount and install a new one. I'm usually checking the strut anyways so I take it off.

 

Sometimes there will be rubber dust on the strut tower, or signs of wear where the metal ring meets the rubber. In extreme cases rips or big cracks. But usually they just look dry rotted and tons of small cracks. Sometimes you do see the dust though.

Right on, I'm familiar with the cambered bolts for the bottom strut mount. I always mark them and install them exactly as they were.

 

I'll pull it next week and have a look at the mount and coil spring seating in the perches. Hopefully i've done enough "thunks" that whatever the problem is will show itself with some wear like you mentioned!

Usually it's the top mount. Not worth going used in my opinion even if you have one setting there.

 

Then again I'm usually selling the car so I fix them correctly. If it were my personal beater things might be different. My VW TDI gets swaybar bushings every 60k and strut mount bearings about the same. A lot of times they actually rust now that I don't drive much anymore. Pushing 180k and due for swaybar bushing as I write this. I just found the new ones while cleaning up the garage a bit. Gotta do rear axle bushings and It's best to remove the rear axle. Not looking forward to that job. But it still looks better than a Subaru rear wheel bearing job. 174k with some heavy loads (sometimes people, sometimes stuff) I guess it's time.

If you haven't done so already, you might want to recheck that all the mounting hardware is tight. It's also possible that the front end geometry changed enough so that something that was okay before might now be noisy. This is ''old news'', but the problem might be in the same area: http://www.endwrench.com/pdf/steering/FrontEndPopNoiseInfoSp99.pdf

problem found:

 

the bearings in the top are rusted. should have thought about that since they sat semi-exposed in the parts car for awhile.

 

the bearings were popping as i turned. i greased it with a needle fitting and then sprayed PB blaster down in there too, to get to the places the grease can't/i can't.

 

after 15 miles of driving to work the noise was noticeably less, i'm wondering if it'll just go away entirely, it's not a load bearing part.

 

thoughts?

On my VW that are known to have strut bearing issues replacement is the only permanent fix. On them sometimes when the bearing gets rusty it starts to wear into the rubber so I replace the whole mounting assy.

 

 

Never needed to replace the strut bearing on a Subaru. If is comes as part of the mounting kit (I forget) I'd probably do both sides. Otherwise you have well fatigued rubber on one side and stiff rubber on the other.

Sounds fair. Yeah these struts sat exposed after I pulled the hood of my parts car and just laid the crumpled one on top of it. So the bearings rusted, bah!

after 15 miles of driving to work the noise was noticeably less, i'm wondering if it'll just go away entirely, it's not a load bearing part.

 

thoughts?

 

That bearing actually supports all the load on that wheel. The spring turns with the strut, so the weight the spring supports goes through that bearing. Grease and PB is not the best mix, but keep packing grease in there and see if it will free up.

The noise is much, much better and very light now, but still there. I'll replace it at some point.

gary,

please check the attached pic and tell me which parts, item numbers you are planning to replace to reduce your noise, 5/6, 7, 8, or 9. i'm trying to learn some basics about struts, thanks.

 

part numbers found here: http://static.opposedforces.com/epc_img/366494921102.png

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 200916 yr by johnceggleston

I'm not sure JCE, this is the first time I've ever messed with coil struts before. I've only disassembled XT6 air suspension.

 

I think it's 3, 5/6 parts that I need. Basically, whatever includes the bearings.

 

These were new struts (very few miles) attached to a parts car. I removed the hood and put a mangled hood on it and they were exposed, which rusted those bearings and is causing my issue now that I installed it on my car.