laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 So as the title says, I have a clunking noise in my front drivers side strut when I go over bumps...I had my dad push the side of the truck to rock it and identified that the clunk is coming from the upper strut mount assembly. I checked the torque on the three bolts bolting it to the truck and they were all tight. I do have a 1" spacer located between the lower and upper plates in the assembly. My only guess is the strut bearing? Any other opinions would be greatly appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Most likely the strut mount itself. The strut bearing wouldn't make a clunking noise, as far as I know, you'd get a sound when turning, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Yes, if it were the bearing, you'd get a whump whump whump sound while turning, as opposed to a clunking sound. (Don't ask how I know...) If you're getting a clunk, it's going to be either the TOP nut on the strut itself (NOT the three that hold the mount to the strut tower, but the nut that holds the strut to the mount), or the strut mount itself. First thing you should check is that top nut (it's going to be under a little rubber cover in the center of the strut mount). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks guys, I didnt even think about checking the nut on the strut rod, so I will check that tomorrow when I can get my hands on a socket at work...my little rubber things never stay on so I tossed them a while ago... Just in case, what should I look for in the mount itself to be bad? Would it be warped or something? The strut will be off this weekend to put the old strut/spring combo back on to try and sell it but the clunking isn't good for test drives... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 The strut rod could be off center, or when compressing, you could see some movement that you don't see on the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks for the info guys, I hope it is just the strut rod nut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks for the info guys, I hope it is just the strut rod nut... I had a similar clunk that i could never diagnose. I torqued everything, gave it a thorough inspection, and eventually resigned to let it continue till it made it's identity more evident. Well, it did. Somehow, the drivers side strut bearing tore apart a couple of weeks ago. It was a kyb with just over a year on it. I've since replaced it with the proper OEM and now the little clunk is gone. Review this thread carefully: http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?showto...mp;#entry345949 4x4 parts is selling the KYB strut mount for the earlier R50 up to 01' or something. After that, it's a new design. I'm not sure if that's the factor or it's KYB's build quality. I had to replace their bearings that came with the lift as well as they were crap. OEm all the way for me from now on when dealing with these components. Good luck. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks Pete, I have had the entire assembly apart twice so far for various reasons, and I noticed that the bearings on both seemed like they were starting to crack a little bit, so after I check the strut rod bolt I will have to check that when I get it apart... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Alright guys, it seems like the strut rod nut somehow got a little loose, so Dan is our official genius... I love cheap and easy fixes, though fitting a wrench under the bracket on the drivers side is a pain in the arse (the passenger is widdddde open for those of you that know what i am talking about) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Alright guys, it seems like the strut rod nut somehow got a little loose, so Dan is our official genius... I love cheap and easy fixes, though fitting a wrench under the bracket on the drivers side is a pain in the arse (the passenger is widdddde open for those of you that know what i am talking about) Yeah, it's a pita, i just undo one of the bolts and for that bracket and push it far enough out of the way till done, then pull it back and bolt up. congrats on the cheap fix. I'd be careful, check that nut for proper torque, it think its 29-40ft/pnds. I wonder if while i was trying to find my clunk i might have overtightened it and caused it to rip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 idk if i mright but my rear ones make a clunk noise and one needed a bushing/rubber thing that goes in the end of the strut and the other ones needed to be replaced so i just bought 2 new ones and the problem was solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Yeah, it's a pita, i just undo one of the bolts and for that bracket and push it far enough out of the way till done, then pull it back and bolt up. congrats on the cheap fix. I'd be careful, check that nut for proper torque, it think its 29-40ft/pnds. I wonder if while i was trying to find my clunk i might have overtightened it and caused it to rip. I only had a stubby ratchet, the strut rod nut is different then most, it pretty much stops at a point and feels like you will break it if you go any further whereas most of the others you can keep going....if ya know what i mean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Alright guys, it seems like the strut rod nut somehow got a little loose, so Dan is our official genius... I love cheap and easy fixes, though fitting a wrench under the bracket on the drivers side is a pain in the arse (the passenger is widdddde open for those of you that know what i am talking about) Genius...nah. Lucky guess. I have come across just about every noise imaginable in the R50 suspension though. Everything from creaks to squeaks, bangs to booms, and clunks to cracks. Some of them are rather unnerving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Genius...nah. Lucky guess. I have come across just about every noise imaginable in the R50 suspension though. Everything from creaks to squeaks, bangs to booms, and clunks to cracks. Some of them are rather unnerving. haha your description made me laugh...thanks for your help Dan, btw: why did you decide not to sell yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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