Problems With Front Suspension Lift

[arcano]

Some background info first: About 6 months ago I installed OME coils (HD up front) and Rancho struts and shocks. I got about 1.75" of rear lift and 1.5" of lift up front. After installing the lift I was getting some loud noises from the front passenger side when going over large bumps. It sounded a lot like the passenger side strut was topping out, and I attributed it to the HD coils and the lack of weight up front. A couple of months ago I installed a Warn combo bar and winch. At about the same time I replaced the strut mounts and bearings, but had to use KYB stuff because the dealer did not have the OEM parts in stock. I also installed Warn manual hubs. At that point the noises stopped completely! Maybe it was the extra weight up front, or the new strut mounts and bearings, or both, but I was really happy. I did loose about 0.5" of lift up front due to the extra weight. With 31" tires I was getting minor rubbing with the steering fully turned, only on the driver's side. I was sure the rubbing would go away once I leveled the truck with some small strut spacers, but I kept wondering why it was rubbing only on one side.

 

So, I got some custom aluminum 3/4" strut spacers about a week ago (many thanks to Tyler). Yesterday I dropped the car off at a local suspension shop and had them take the strut assembly apart, press the old bolts out of the topper plate, and install the spacers with new grade-8 hardware. It only took them a couple of hours. Everything went smooth, and the truck now sits almost perfectly level and doesn't rub at all! Looks good and rides awesome. BUT, the noises when going over bumps have come back!!! It sound different than before, not like struts topping out, but as if something was loose in the strut assembly itself. Going over any big bump produces a peculiar "clunk clank clunk". Both sides seem to be doing it, but the passenger side does it more often and is much louder.

 

This morning I checked that the bolts that hold the mount to the frame and the bolt that holds the strut to the mount were tight, and they were. While doing so I noticed that the strut mounts seem to have stretched, as if the inner/lower part of both strut mounts has been pulled down by the tension of the coil and strut. It’s hard to describe, but when looking at the strut mounts from inside the engine bay, the inner/lower part, where the strut actually bolts to, now sits much lower than before. Also, when I rock the truck up and down there is a lot more play in the mount. In other words, when rocking the truck the outer/upper part of the mount moves with the frame, as expected, but the inner/lower part, where the strut is bolted to, moves up a down A LOT in relationship with the rest of the mount. I remember it moving a little bit before, just not this much. If I rock the passenger side up and down really hard I can even get it to start making the noise I mentioned before. It’s hard to tell if the noise is coming from the mount, the strut, or some other part of the strut assembly.

 

So, what to do next? The coils, struts, strut mounts and bearing are all relatively new. Also, I don't think there is anything wrong with the spacers. Those things where beautifully made and fit perfectly. Of course I could take everything apart and check the way it was all assembled, but it does not look like they did anything wrong at the shop. I think one possibility is that the KYB strut mounts, although only a couple of months old, are just not up to the task, and have stretched under the additional pressure from the HD coils and the spacers. When new they looked almost identical to the original mounts, but maybe the quality is not the same as the OEM stuff. Another possibility is that the struts are going bad from all the topping out they did before I put the winch on, but the mechanic told me both struts were fine. Finally, the fact that when the wheels are fully turned the driver's side rubs a bit but the passenger's side doesn't makes me wonder if some other suspension part could be bent or damaged, causing all the problems I have been having with the passenger side.

 

I'll try to post some pictures. Any ideas in the meantime?

Edited May 20, 2007 by arcano

[88pathoffroad]

Check your swaybar bolts and mounts too. Could still be struts topping out, I dunno. We need good pics!

[FUELER]

interesting........