Long time suspension knock sound finally ID'd and fixed. Thanx RKA!
09-22-2003, 08:36 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Long time suspension knock sound finally ID'd and fixed. Thanx RKA!
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/44415/shock_mount.jpg"></center><p>There were many posts about a light "hollow wood" knocking sound or clunking sound comming from the front suspension that no one could figure out what it was. Seems it only happeded at low speeds over slightly uneven/lumpy surfaces. But you didn't hear at thing at hwy speeds. Out of all my posts and responses, I got a post response from RKA on 2003-07-21 that sound like it made the most sense and I went for it.
He said to make sure the the nut in the center of the shock bushing wasn't loose. Turns out that was it, and it was very loose. When I pulled the shock out of the housing, you could see thin metal shavings from the plate rubbing up against the threads on top of the shock. It got that way from not compressing the spring enough before I torqed down the nut in the middle of the shock bushing. And you have to keep the spindle in the middle from moving with a hex key to keep it from spinning while you torqe the nut around it (PIA!). I was able to do it with a 18mm socket over the nut, a hex key going through the socket to the bolt, and a pair of vise grips (crude but effective). After I recompressed the spring, torqed it down again, and reinstalled it - No more clunking! (Thanx RKA!)
So if you've tried everything and haven't looked at this yet, it may be your answer. Here's a pic of the shock mount with the nut in the middle above.
He said to make sure the the nut in the center of the shock bushing wasn't loose. Turns out that was it, and it was very loose. When I pulled the shock out of the housing, you could see thin metal shavings from the plate rubbing up against the threads on top of the shock. It got that way from not compressing the spring enough before I torqed down the nut in the middle of the shock bushing. And you have to keep the spindle in the middle from moving with a hex key to keep it from spinning while you torqe the nut around it (PIA!). I was able to do it with a 18mm socket over the nut, a hex key going through the socket to the bolt, and a pair of vise grips (crude but effective). After I recompressed the spring, torqed it down again, and reinstalled it - No more clunking! (Thanx RKA!)
So if you've tried everything and haven't looked at this yet, it may be your answer. Here's a pic of the shock mount with the nut in the middle above.
