I have a clunking noise coming from my front suspension, when I rasied the front I can lift up on the drivers fender well and there is about 2 inches of play up and down on that strut and this is the source of the clunk. This is a fairly new Bilstein insert, any ideas

Neal

has the cartridge retaining nut on the strut tube backed off? how old are the ball joints? what happens when you shake the assem back and forth as opposed to up and down.

kevin

the nut on top is tight, when you shake back and forth it's tight, has new Turbo Tie rods, Monty at Redmond European said the front end seemed ok for a pretty old suspension

"SEEMS OK FOR AN OLD SUSPENSION"? oops caps off. that's a little open ended. wag, ball joint or upper strut support. is this a new noise, like out of the blue? i hope i was clear. not the nut on the shaft. the closing one (round) that holds the strut in the tube. lots of old stuff there.

kevin

Neal,

Did you use the Bistein 'tool' to tighten down the shock in the strut tube ??

It sounds like a loose shock to me... or worn out ball joint.


B

Goof point, answer - one of them was done that way the other I did with out the tool. new noise I suspected a loose cartridge.
Is there a way to tighten without the tool or do I have to remove and take to a shop to be tightened ?

Neal

If you bought the shocks.. they come with the tool.. If you bought them thru a shop.. they kept the tool. Get it back from them.

You cannot tighten Bilstien shocks in a Boge tube without the tool. You either damage the shock trying or it comes loose later on.

I say go to the shop and ask for the tool back. I keep several laying around from all the installs I have done.

Honestly.. you cant tighten the shock properly with it off the car.

I pull the shock down and slide the tool over it.. then place the top of the shock into the upper mount and tighten the shock retaining collar. This gives me some stability and I dont have to hold the shock while tightening the retaining collar.


B

I bought them from Pelican and there was no friggen tool, that pisses me off.
I don't have time for this kind of shit it's my daily driver.
Thanks Brad for your reponse very appreciated.
Neal

Every single un opened box of Bilstein shocks comes with the tool. If they open them and repackage them.. you dont get the tool. Did the new shocks come in a Bilstein box ??

The drop shipper may have re-boxed them and left the tool out. PP might have had nothing to do with it.

It wont hurt anything to drive the car.. it will make noise. I just wouldnt drive it very long very far (like a day or so and less than 40-50 miles). Its will screw up the shock as it sits in the strut.


B

They came in a Pelican box..ie Plain cardboard. I will have to have this done soon as it's been making this noise for about a week and only when I go over a bump the unloads the suspension like a speed bump. I sound like i'm driving Jed Clampetts rig.

Neal

Just had the cartridge tightened at Redmond European, the cost was a 3 shot with whipcream and a double tall Americano
total price $4.95, Monty (owner) Brandon (hired gun) did the work, I love this shop.
P.S
Car feels like new !

Neal

It's nice to read GOOD customer service stuff for a change