Author Topic: Suspension noise? (Read 2956 times)

WHITEM42 · « **on:** August 10, 2006, 04:58:04 PM »

Hi all:
My car is running with stock suspension, recently the front end
of the car makes a loud 'clunk' whenever it go over the joint on
the road. It sounded like metal hitting metal.

The sound is way louder when the car is cold and not as loud
after the car warm-ups. The exhaust was replaced last year,
will it be the exhaust system? I check the entire exhaust and
nothing seems to rub.

I check the front end and everything seens tight, any suggestion?

Thanks.

asubimmer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2006, 05:48:03 PM »

sway bushings?

D. Clay · « **Reply #2 on:** August 10, 2006, 06:27:19 PM »

Toyoto Camry's were notorious for this. The front strut mounts go bad. When it's cold the shocks are stiff. As they warm up it gets better. The service guy at the Toyoto dealership told me that the first cold morning after a warm spell, there would be about 6-8 Camry's come in with a banging in the front end. All the ball joints, tie rods, etc. would check out OK. At first it would go away as it got warmer but gradually they got to where they did it all the time.
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Or it could be sway bushings or.....

Zoso · « **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2006, 06:55:50 AM »

I've never heard of a strut mount failing in an E30 to the point where it makes a clunking... but it definitely sounds plausible. I've also never heard of a sway bar mount bushing failing. Mine were like new when I replaced them.

What it could be is the bracket that holds the sway bar bushing (and consequently the sway bar) to the front subframe. The rear facing side of the mount attaches to a thin tab. Mine bent and that allowed the front side to pop out... and it would clunk over bumps. The solution was to weld in a thick washer to the tab to reinforce it. A shop did it for $25 because I don't have a welder.

Also check the sway bar link ends (connects the sway bar to the control arm).

Try lifting it on jacks and having a friend use something to push/pry up the wheels to simulate a bump in the road. Then poke your head around looking for the noise.

Jtuner · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2006, 04:24:48 PM »

Check your front sway bar links as well.. my IX did this and they were shot.. just grab your links and shake them a bit,, if you have more than a 1/4" of travel, they're bad.. Good luck bro