Help Me Diagnose this Clunk

Sky Render

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I'm getting a Clunk from the front right when that wheel goes over a sharp bump (like a manhole cover). The left side sounds fine.

I checked the end link on that side; the bolts are tight. The end links look to be in fine condition.

Here's a video:



Details on the car:
2011 GT
BMR sway bar
Whiteline end links
Koni Yellows
Steeda Ultralite Springs
Maximum Motorsports Caster/Camber plates (the ones that reuse part of the stock strut mounts)

What do you think? To me, it sounds like a loose end link, but I already checked that. Could the strut mount be bad? The hydro bushing on the LCA? Could the end link have actually failed?

What else should I check?
 

Bingo

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I can't view the video at work, but I've actually had strut mount nuts work their way lose and cause a clunk, but I feel like that would be too obvious for you to have missed.
 

Sky Render

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I can't view the video at work, but I've actually had strut mount nuts work their way lose and cause a clunk, but I feel like that would be too obvious for you to have missed.

You mean the 4 bolts at the top of the strut?
 

travelers

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I would do a process of elimination and take the sway bar end links off and check it that way. You can leave the link off and go drive it and see what happens and go from there.

And yes the bolts at the top of the struts.
 

Sky Render

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I checked the top bolts; they're snug.

Good idea about removing the end link. Think I can just remove that side, or should I take both off and zip tie the bar out of the way?
 

travelers

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If your sway bar is loose I would also check the bushing to make sure the sway bar isn't moving back and forth and hitting a sliding stop against the bushing clamp
 

86GT351

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Sway bar links always go bad. The pressure you create by pushing to check the end link is not anywhere near the amount of pressure created when the system compresses driving down the road.
 

Gabe

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Are the swaybar bushings stock?
I know it says BMR swaybar up there, but wasn't sure if that meant new bushings too, and how long ago they might've been replaced.

I replaced the front swaybar bushings in the wife's '08 about a year ago, they were starting to make some noise, installed BMR/Energy Suspension bushings, they're nice and quiet so far.
 

Sky Render

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Sway bar links always go bad. The pressure you create by pushing to check the end link is not anywhere near the amount of pressure created when the system compresses driving down the road.

Yeah, I'm going to try removing the passenger-side end link tonight and see if the noise goes away. I really hope it's just an end link. That's a cheap and easy fix. I just thought I'd get more than 40k miles out of a Whiteline end link.

Are the swaybar bushings stock?
I know it says BMR swaybar up there, but wasn't sure if that meant new bushings too, and how long ago they might've been replaced.

I replaced the front swaybar bushings in the wife's '08 about a year ago, they were starting to make some noise, installed BMR/Energy Suspension bushings, they're nice and quiet so far.

No, the sway bar bushings are the red Energy Suspension ones that came with the BMR bar. They're only about a year old. I will re-check the torque on the bushing saddle bolts, though.

I appreciate all the input! I'm super-busy with a ton of life crap right now, so I only have about an hour or so a night I can work on this. My plan of attack for tonight is:

  1. Verify torque on bushing saddle bolts
  2. Remove passenger-side end link
  3. Test drive to see if noise changes.
Sound like a good plan?
 

46addict

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It wouldn't hurt to go over the lower strut bolts. The ones that tie the strut to spindle. They need to be torqued to 148 ft-lbs.
 

oldVOR

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I would double check the end-link torque. I've noted that they can appear tight but not be fully torqued and still make noise over bumps and/or road irregularities.
 

AnotherS197GT

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I would put some washers on the end links if you don't have any on there right now. I think that really helps with clunky aftermarket end links. If you look at the stock links, they have a lot more surface area where they contact the strut, to help prevent them from sliding around. You should also check the jam nuts and make sure those are tight. A little wiggle in there can make a big noise. Just an FYI, if the end link is loose on the strut, it can oblong the hole and make it damn near impossible to silence. You can swap struts from side to side and use the other hole that's on the end link bracket.

I'd be willing to bet that it is an end link issue though. Most front end clunks usually are.

It wouldn't hurt to go over the lower strut bolts. The ones that tie the strut to spindle. They need to be torqued to 148 ft-lbs.

166 on the 11+ IIRC.
 

travelers

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That's a plan that will have to work for your situation, if you have time let us know how you make out.
 

Sky Render

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Checked all bolts for tightness; they all checked out.

I removed the end link from the passenger side and went for a drive. The noise is STILL THERE.

At this point, I'm wondering if it's the strut mount? Is there anything else I should check before I drop coin on new CC plates?
 

AnotherS197GT

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Check the bushings and ball joints.

The camber plates could also be clunking, so you may want to remove them and check the bearings. How long have you had them on the car for?
 

Sky Render

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Check the bushings and ball joints.

The camber plates could also be clunking, so you may want to remove them and check the bearings. How long have you had them on the car for?

The control arm bushings, ball joints, and tie rod ends looked OK to me.

There were TSBs for the hydro bushings on those arms, but the noises described in the TSB seemed different from what I'm experiencing. (They said a squeak or groan, as opposed to a Clunk.)

Those CC plates have almost 50k on them, they've been driven hard, and they use the bearings and bottom part of the stock GT strut mount. Can a bad strut mount cause this type of noise?

Maybe tomorrow I should try to pinpoint the source using my Chassis Ear.
 

Sky Render

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Since I eliminated the sway bar as a problem, I'm left with two possible sources of the noise, right?

  • Strut assembly
  • Lower control arm assembly

Tonight, I figure I'll put my Chassis Ear on the top of the strut tower and listen on the head phones while I drive over some bumps. If the noise is loud, then the problem is in the strut assembly. If it's not loud, the source of the noise is the LCA.

Does that sound like a good plan?
 

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