So, I am driving down the road, and I get an occasional "clunk" sound. It feels and sounds like it is in the forward section of the car. Sometimes it will happen on a turn, sometimes under braking, and sometimes on small bumps.

I jacked the front end of the car up today, and gave the front wheels the shake and spin test. Its not wheel bearings. Everything is very firm, and the wheels turn freely.

I have not looked for loose bolts yet, and might do that tomorrow.

Any ideas on what it might be?

Zach

I get the same thing. Small bumps in the road cause most of it. It feels like it is the steering linkage to the wheel.

Could be the lock ring on one of your struts. I had a similar problem here.

Maybe lower ball joint.

I recently developed a clunk and after investigation I found a loose lock ring on my strut

Do you have a front sway bar?

If so, the bar is really close to the bottom of the tank and depending on your install can hit the tank under load (they bend slightly when loaded).


It took me a while to figure that one out, but my tank had clear signs of the bar hitting it when i had it out.

A thin rubber or braided hose, cut open and slid over the bar will prevent the clunky noise.

You can also try to raise the tank a bit, but they tend to settle down again after a while.

Andy

Probably the flashlight I left in your car when I was up there. Take it out and see if the clunk goes away!

it's your trunk monkey telling you to slow down......

I had the same. Annoying ain't it. Easy fix.

Ha! Its in my emergency box now. tell ya what. Bring me more ribs, and I'll give it back. I can be bought, and thats my price!


Yes, I do have a front sway bar. Any way I can test for this w/o pulling the tank and looking? Maybe putting a jack under one of the wheels and raising it? Or would the action not be fast enough.


Easy enough to check for, I'll try and look tonight if I can.

My goal is to get this discovered before classes start again this Thursday.

Zach

I had that too... tightened up the strut and done...

you can try lifting/bouncing the car at the front corners to find which one is doing it...

bouncing my car did not recreate the clunk..

I agree. Loose strut securing nut.

Just found the same problem on mine friday. Tried to get a answer here on how much to tighten the lock ring, but got nothing. So I guess as tight as you can get it.

We have that on GreatPumpkin's car.

Just had an alignment done so we know that the suspension is tight.

Sway bar sounds like best explaination I have heard so far.

too bad we have to pull the gas tank to fix it, what a PIA that is...

you got it... the response I got was "as tight as a banjo string"

Okay, I lowered the suspecting shock, and did not see the lock ring where expected.

I only have about 45 minutes before I have to get cleaned up. Where is the lock ring supposed to be?


Is it the big yellow plated thing at the bottom of the rod?

Zach

Yes it is.

Thought so. It is very tight.

I guess next will be to check under the belly pan to make sure the steering is not knocking something, and then to eventually look under the gas tank to make sure the sway bar is not knocking it.

Zach

rear spring coming out or off of the perch ??????

Mine was sway bar bushings. BTW...how do you change out the shock absorber without taking out the strut (Vacca's last picture)?

Remove the top nut, compress the shock and pull it out like his is shown. It doesn't look like he even took the tire off. Not sure if he disconnected the tie rod.

No need to disconnect the tie rod.

If you have a front sway bar, you might have to disconnect the drop-link to get the wheel to drop down enough.

Andy

I had this same problem with mine and it turned out to be a loose nut on the front wheel bearing(passenger side)

SWEET!

Nope. Did not take off tires. Did not disconnect the tie rod. Did not disconnect the sway bar.

That said, I probably am going to take off the tire to make sure that the nut holding the wheel bearing is on tight. but my guess is that it is the sway bar hitting the gas tank, or something along the steering column.

The clunk is decidedly front end. It not the rear spring perches.

Zach

Ken....when you do that....watch the flexable brake line and don't pull it too tight when getting shock facing out of the wheel well.....

This piece-o-shit has brake lines?

OKay...
How do I get the strut top through the big rubber grommet so I can bolt it back into place. I can't get any purchase on it to push it the rest of the way though.

Zach

Drop the sway bar?

Heh. Thats on the wrong end. The top inch of the shock needs to go through a big assed grommet. Its a tight fit and I can't figure out how to pull or push it through.

Zach

Floorjack under the A-Arm and pump it up ...
Andy

Zach,

You need to gently raise it up. get it lined up and tweak the cover to get a little friction...

For the clunk...its most likely the sway bar...andy and I hunted the same issue for a while.
To check it...loosen the tank strap and while pulling the tank up 1/2 inch, push down the rubber blocks.
It will raise it up enough to shut up for a few days/weeks.
Eventually it will slide down again.

Two fixed...sliced garden hose on the sway bar, full length.
Second....glue the rubber blocks in place so they hold the tank up.

Rich

Saw something in a PP forum (I think) about using old throttle cable to fish the damn thing up through the hole...can't remember where, or how you actually attach it to the shock though.

I've got bilstein shocks and it pushed its self through. Maybe a little lube to help it slide through?

Drop a Viagra in there.

Old clutch cable end will screw into the end of the rod on a boge, not sure about the Bils. Figured that one out long time ago.

Followed andys advise and just put a Jack under the a arm. Not elegant but it worked. Now to pull the skid plate and check my steering just to eleminate that as the issue. I have to admit that I do not want to try and raise the tank right now. If the steering column is not the issue i will deal with the tank when it is a little more empty.

Did you sort it out?

If so, what was the answer?

If not, have you pulled the gas tank yet?

Nope. But I don't much get the clunk anymore either. Pretty sure its the sway bar flexing against the gas tank.
Zach

That's what mine was too. HI GUYS!!!

Twas just a dead hookers skeleton all is good now

Ken !!!

Oh how I have missed your pickle... ...

that just dosnt sound right. Welcome back !!!

Thanks, but I'm not back , just responding to a thread I'm still subscribed to. Pickle is in France. Right now I'm looking for a Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe with a 5 speed if you happen to run across one.

I believe you mean "tighter than you can get it". Use a BF pipe wrench, and crank on that puppy.

The Cap'n

Last night I unbolted the passenger side new Bilstein, pushed it down, and the ring nut was so loose, just like Dave, I hand-tightened it, then used the tool the struts came with and socked it up.

Clunk gone!

And we know it was tight when first installed. Also checked the driver side, but it was tight still.

I know that sound forever now.

John