Chasing The Mystery Clunk - Little Help

[ausdrift]

So last weekend I decided to heighten the front coilovers a bit as it turned out the tyres would rub the underside of the guards on certain occasions. So I took them out, raised them up 5mm and bam; problem solved. After doing a test drive I noticed a variety of clunks and occasional noises and now I'm unsure if they have been there all along and I didn't notice as I always run the stereo, or is it to do with the work I just did. I don't believe it to be related to the past weekend work as it was a simple enough process and I put it all back together tightly.

Even more confusing is that most of the suspension related parts are in good condition or relatively new. A quick run down...

coilovers - around 15,000kms

front sway bar - aftermarket, new polyurethane bushes 700kms ago

swaybar links- 1300kms old

tension rods - solid, 8,000kms

steering ends - solid, 8,000kms

LCA - standard

tower brace

I know that a set up like this is conducive to NVH but this is something else.

The clunks seem to happen at lower speeds and usually when I'm just minding my business going in a straight line. Its not set off by any specific road conditions or driver inputs. The vibration of the clunk I can even sense through my feet, but I think its coming from both sides. Also there is one from the right rear of the car sometimes too.

I did jack each corner of the car up and did a basic check to see if there was any play in the ball joints, but they seem ok. I did notice about an inch of sideways play in the front wheels, equally on both sides, and put this down to normal play in the L/R motion of the steering system (would that be right?)

So yeah, I'm kinda concerned as I feel like I have the obvious stuff covered, but that said I don't have much confidence in tracking down these clunks. Has this happened to you? What was it? or what have I overlooked?

Thanks!

[ausdrift]

any ideas?

[89CAL]

It could be anything really. I have a clunk that only appears in the wet and its from the Diff bushes. I noticed it after I did all 4 diff bushes and we got a bit of rain, it disappears when it dries out

I know its not much help but just shows it could be anything, even if you have replaced it with something new. Because you think its not a new problem since the coilovers it makes it a bit harder. The Coilover bolts/nuts are all done up nice and tight? coilover bottom mounts on the right way? (They do only go one way, but usually they wont fit the other anyway)

Sorry its not much help

[Mick]

i get a few clunks when i change height settings on my tein suspension, its just the springs bedding in again, if its just this it should go away after a while

[Ben C34]

Same here. Couple of days the springs shut up!

[ausdrift]

yeah, other threads seem to suggest a variety of things. I guess if it moves, it can make noise. Im wondering if it could be the swaybar touching the control arm, but that's a long shot too. Im hoping for a magic bullet solution, but don't think I'll find one.

[ARTZ]

have you checked your ashtray for earings??

I have a clunk in my ute...drove me nuts for a few days I thought something was seriously broken in my suspension or something...

well as it turns out

the cable has come off my guard side indicator and it the plug knocks against firewall as i drive...i can feel it through my footwell and it sounds horrible ,clunk clunk, clunk, but now I know its nothing...I ignore it

[89CAL]

I chased a noise for ages, had a weird noise from the front of the car. Checked everything and couldnt find a thing

Then one day with the car over a pit, I noticed that for some reason there is a bracket on each front hub that holds the brake line and both had no bolt in them. These had been hitting against the hub. Funny how I never noticed it the first time I looked

[ausdrift]

ha ha, yeah I guess I better keep a look out for the unexpected.

[89CAL]

Do you have access to a pit? Put it over there and carefully try and take off with the handbrake/brake on to try and put some load on everything while someone stands under the car and looks/listens for noises

Be careful obviously

[ausdrift]

UPDATE

So I got the front end on stands and got in there to see what I could find. I was half way through fitting standard front suspension as a test when I noticed some movement in the swaybar. it turns out that the swaybar links I bought were a combination of a little loose and a little ill-fitting. I taped the thread (for where it goes through the hole in the swaybar so as to eliminate any play), and also added a washer to all connecting points with a nut, then tightened them all up solid.

I also noticed a little more play than I would like with the tie rod ends where they link up with the knuckle, so I tightened this up a bit more too.

Then went for a test drive and, yey, clunking noises are gone!!

Just an occasional clunk at the rear to follow up. Some other day.

[533 RYC]

Good to hear you found something.

Sway bar links are a common culprit, usually noticed going in & out of driveways.

Was going to say an inch of sideways play in steering is no good, there should be zero play. That much play will chew out tyres big time!

[ausdrift]

Yeah, im going to keep an eye on it all though. Tyres are fine, and I put it down to also being off the ground when I checked.

In other news, I was looking at the many underbody pics I took yesterday while there and noticed a turbo dump pipe bolt hanging on right at the end of the thread. Great I saw it and can act on it before it falls right off, but sucks as it means I gotta get out and under the damn car again today...

[ausdrift]

Unsurprisingly, got under the back of the car and the driver side rear swaybar link has a bit of a creak in it when you move it about (same location as the noise when I drive) so that might well be the cause of that noise too.

[89CAL]

Anti sieze the dump pipe bolts. Youll thank me later

[533 RYC]

^+1 but don't over tighten them, as anti seize has very good lubricating properties, & gives a false indication of torque. Do them up very firm, but not mega tight.

[ausdrift]

Done and Done. Not sure how I forgot to do that in the first place..