Just installed KYB shocks, still have clunking in front

S

Scott Long

Registered User
I am not happy right now. I just spent the last 4.5 hours replacing all 4 shocks and put in the springs I cut. I take the car out for a drive and hit some bumps in the road and it's still clunking in the front just as it was before. On a smooth road the car rides nicer than before but going into my apt. complex the speed bump makes the clunking sound and it sounds like the car is going to fall apart. I torqued all the bolts perfectly and nothing that I could see was loose.

I know I need to replace my upper control arms because the ball joints have some play and I'm going to do those next week before I get it aligned, but I doubt that would make the car sound like it is going to fall apart. The strut rod bushings are good, and the lower ball joints and tie rod ends have absolutely no play. What else can I check? Does the subframe have bushings?
 
Hey Scott, I have some ideas. One is the front subframe bolts might be loose. They're a funky head, but a normal socket will fit. The other thing is the steering rack. I had the same issue with mine, bought a cheap Pep Boys reman rack and it's been worse since. With the car on stands, push directly up and down on the tie rods. Mine clunks inside the rack. I think the reman companies are reusing the bushings on now 18 year old racks. I bought a 70k mile rack out of a 97 for mine. It's still sitting on the floor, but I'm hoping it takes the 'front end falling out of the car' rattling away. On smooth roads, it's fine. Over light rumble type bumps, you'd think it was falling apart.

Later,
Steve
 
The front subframe does not have any sort of bushings. I would of guessed the strut tension rod bushings, but sounds like you already checked though. Possibly a front swaybar mount is broken?

Thomas
 
as had been mentioned sometimes the subframe bolts get loose or the nut thats welded on cracks off..So check em

Your upper arms can be making bad noises though
 
I'll check the rack today when I get under it to change the drivers side sway bar link. I bent the threads on it trying to tap it out of the spindle with a hammer. I bought a new one last night but it was too late to change it. I can get the nut on a little but then it gets stuck and the whole threaded rod just spins in the link. I could tell the sway bar was making a little noise when turning or changing elevation, but it isn't the clunk I'm hearing.

I thought maybe the subframe was the culprit because I've seen plenty of mid 90's dodge intrepids and eagle visions that came into our shop where you could jack up the car and the subframe drops about 2" because the mount buhsings are rotted out. I wasn't sure if the SC had those or not.

I'm going to change my control arms next week probably thursday.

If it's the rack can you get bushings for it or do you have to improvise?
 
Oh by the way the car has 250,8xx miles on it and as far as I know it's still on the original rack.

I know it could use some motor mounts as well but I don't think the engine moving up and down is causing this noise.

I bought new shocks because the ride was terrible, I know the old shocks were worn out since they were original and I thought the noise was coming from them. So you can imagine how upset I was when I heard the clunking again.

It's really disheartening to love a car that you know has flaws and you try to fix them slowly but surely as you have the money and time to, but the thing just keeps making me mad. I am half tempted to find another SC and pull my engine/trans, rear end, shocks, and then put some of the stuff on the newer SC and hope it won't have any problems. But this car and I go way back and I'd love to keep it and restomod it.
 
It may not be the suspension

Scott,

Don't only focus on the suspension. There may be other problems such as a loose front end that you can not see when driving. Check all around the front end looking for loose components. You never know, it could be something in the engine bay also. Give everything a good grab and see what is loose.

Jester
 
Check your ball joints. If you have a pulling problem under light breaking as well, they are the suspect.

Chris
 
Lower ball joints are only like a year old. There is no play up and down or in and out or top to bottom of the wheel. When I really push in at the top the upper ball joints move in a little and the boots are torn. When I had the spindle loosened yesterday the upper ball joints were very loose. I'm changing the upper control arms next week however I doubt they are causing this noise.
 
Scott I feel your pain as I have tried everything on my 93 to get the just ran over a board sound on bumps out of my car. So far I have spent about$700.00 on just the front end and it still sounds like a beater on bumps but it handles real nice. Here is the list, Upper and lower CA`s both tierod ends, Inner and outer strutarm bushings + end links, new struts, rear shocks and springs, new wheel bearings. I have spent more time on this car then my wife.
No bad motor mounts, nothing loose. All thats left is the rack and it has no play. Here is what happends on bumps.
It feels like the wheel or wheels are bouncing up and down and there is a non metalic sound like tripple thud noise and my steering wheel shakes up and down ever so slightly. ITS DRIVING ME INSANE but next will be the rack and I hope this dose it or the car is going. Has anyone replaced the rack and got rind of this problem because its another $100 I dont have. Mark
 
It sounds like the wheel is bouncing off the road but I know damn well it isn't. It's not a metal on metal clunk. The car handles nice, but I hate to drive it. It was so bad out in Chicago last weekend I thought it was gonna fall apart going down the Dan Ryan Expy.
 
I;d still check the kmember bolts..Easy enough..Also jack up car and wiggle the wheels.>See if anything comes up
 
Scott I know why it made so much noise. The Dan Ryan is closed dude you must have been off roading. Well just parts are closed. My wheels have no wiggle no nothing as I was kicking them with the car off the ground and the K member bolts are tight as can be. Can a rack make noise?
 
My bad it was I-55 (Stevenson?) heading into the city from the southside that was so bad. I took I-94 home though and it wasn't much better.

I just changed the sway bar link on the drivers side and that side seems to be better. I am going to change the passenger side one next week when I get my check so I hope that will help. It's almost all coming from the passenger side.

I checked the rack and it feels tight however the bushings are very soft, I could poke into them with a flat head screwdriver. Are they supposed to be that soft? I didn't notice any movement at the rack, but then again the car has more force than I do pushing up on it.

Another thing that has me puzzled is that the car sits about a half inch lower on the drivers side. I thought it was the old springs that maybe sagged. I put in some lower mile SC springs that I cut 1.5 coils off the front and 1 in the rear. The drivers side is lower front and rear than the passenger side. It's got about 1 finger fender gap up front on the drivers side and 2 fingers on the passenger side. I don't want to cut more off the passenger side spring, actually I think that side sits perfectly. The right rear is the higest point on the car, I might cut another 1/4 coil off the back right to lower it down a bit. The back left has about 2 finger gap.
 
Last edited:
Cut the back its a lot easyer. Mine sits higher in the front now but I have regular 16 inch full size tires on it . Im going to try and replace the rack but dose anyone know what brand is the best for the buck as far a rebuilt one?
 
suspension noises

First, you would be amazed at the amount of scary noises come from some of the most unlikely compnents. The sounds reverberate through the car something fierce and sound inside WAY worse than they ever do when you're under the car checking them. My first impression from your description was the sway/stabilizer links. a simple 1/32" play can sound like there is something seriously wrong when driving it. Easiest way I found to isolate them is to see if you hear the noise while cornering. The link is under load and won't make noise when cornering, but isn't under load as you are going straight, excuse me, forward; never go straight! LOL!

Don't overlook the rears also, even though you are sure the noise is coming from the front!!

Anyway, the other thing that can sound really nasty are the bushing/bearing plates that hold the spring to the strut. Although I assume you would have noticed any play in that when changing the struts, it never hurts to add another set of eyes.

Hope this helps.
 
The more I read the more I think it is your radius arm to lower control arm bushings. IF the sway bar end links dont fix it, that would be MY next plan of attack. As far as the springs go, I have cut mine, and they all were the same height (fender to tire clearance). Now...if you used old springs, I would get a different one and cut the same amount off. You no doubt have one that is weaker than the other.

Chris
 
What I found bad with mine but I still have noises are the swaybar end links they made a poping sound and had very little movement. The inner stut arm bushings looked ok but when I removed them the metal tube was rotted out but the rubber was fine. Im going to try to get a sound clip for you guys. You should try that too Scott so we can compare noises.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top