I don't think he could change the bar in 20 min.
How much play should there be in the right, (belt side), mount? Using a block of wood and a 12" pry bar, I can move mine less than 1/2". It seems fairly solid. Also, there's no clunk when hitting the gas from a stop or excessive vibration @ idle. I just replaced struts, mounts and bearigs, so that's not it. I've alresdy done the sway bar end links. Tie rod ends seem fine. I cannot duplicate the clunk in any method I've tried with the front end off the ground. I'm thinking of replacing the sway bar bushings because they're inexpensive. If that doesn't do, I dunno.

 

I might just replace the end links/bushings and the bar bushings. All of that would be less than $100. However, the auto store near me is showing like 4 sizes of ES bushings for the bar. Which one do I need?

 

Measure it.

 

Ease up on the caps homie.


Depends on if you have SE or GLE/GXE. SE has a 23mm bar, GXE/GLE has a 22mm. Get the ES ones, they're all I use.

 

Well I have been haveing a clunk from the fron of my car too. I checked the motor mounts and they are all good(I have 140K miles on the car and I got it a few months back and dont know what all has been done) I noticed that the passinger side strut bolt on the top moves all around when I turn the wheel. Anyone have a exploded veiw of the strut assambly? Also when the car is stopped and I push the front up and down I get a loud clunk from the axle and tranny???( I belive thats wher its comeing from) Do I need a new axle. I checked the to see af anything moved in the front end while I had my neighbor push on the tire(well ke kicked it) and nothing moved, so I am guessing that the bushing in the front are good. Any help would be greatly appeciated

 

I have new bushings and end links coming in tomorrow so we'll see if that fixes my issue.

My strut tower DIDN'T move as far as I could tell.

 

Replaced my passenger side sway bar end link. Driver side will be done either today or some other day this week.

My suspension knock has seemed to died down considerably. The old end link was completely dry inside and rusted out.

 

My right side front end clunk is gone!!
In a last ditch effort to resolve this problem b4 either giving up or paying for a diagnostic, I ordered a new right side engine mount. I installed it last night, (a bit of a bish to do), and wala - clunk is no more.
Many thanks to those members who advised this fix, I just didn't feel that the mount was faulty. Even when I took the old one out, it didn't look too bad. Small tear starting @ the centre where the mount bolts goes, but other than that it seemed fine.
Then, when installing the new one I realized that the mount point was much higher than the old - like @ least 1/2". I had to jack the engine up and get up on the fender and bounce on it while I pushed the mount bolt in. Then the bolt hit the other mount bracket and all the bouncing I could muster would not line it up. Finally had to get a crowbar,(hook end), under the mount and pry up while I looked @ the inspection mirror I had propped up in there. I was able to get the mount bolt home and torque everything down. It was late when I finished, so I put all my tools away and went to bed.
This morning I took her for a spin over many of the bumps that made her go clunk and am pleased to report that I heard nary a one.

 

I had suspected it was the mount. Just didn't think it was it so I assumed it was something else. Thanks for the valuable contribution. Off to the internet store....

 

my clunk noise was the passenger motor mount too. looking at it from the outside it looked ok, but once I took it out. WOW.... I narrowed it down to this after doing end links, strut mounts, strut bearings, front and rear motor mounts.

Easy test that I have not read on the org to do to determine this: instead of pushing the car up and down and trying to hear the noise. push on the manifold in short bursts and put the other hand around the mount, if you get a slight clunk or vibration, no more guessing.

 

Thanks for posting the findings, and the fix.

Good stuff.... i gotta go after that muthafukka now!!

gr

**Maxima112: where'd you buy the replacement motor mount(s)?? And how much did you pay?**

 

Good info on the diagnostic proceedure. I changed a lot of the parts you did plus struts, (although the suspension wasn't solely for the clunk).
My mount didn't look any where near as bad as yours, but it was definitley the culprit.

 

I have been having a clunking problem too and have constantly referred back to this site/forum for help.

I have replaced struts, strut mounts, wheel bearings, axles and tires. This weekend I plan on doing the motor mounts and poly sway bar bushings. Right now the clunk is here and it happens when I steer the car left and right, when I enter/climb a driveway at an angle and when I'm driving straight on a smooth road. At high speeds I don't hear anything. It really drives me nuts because it's so random and sometimes it stops for half a day!

With the car on the ground, and I lay on my back and pull the car down to me, I can feel the clunk (or something binding up) when I put my hand on the sway bar. I can also feel it in the end link. If I put my hand on the control arm, no clunk. It I put my hand on the strut, no clunk. No clunk when my hand is on the spring. The end links are new, Moog end links. Now I am no master mechanic, but replacing these should be pretty straightforward. I put grease in them before installing, some gushed out when putting them on, but not all of it. My question is: did I not install these right and now they are making metal to metal contact in the ball socket? Or could it be, since these are new, now my old sway bar bushings are expiring that much faster because they are taking the forces of the new end links? The only thing I can think of is the new endlinks are doing their job and sway bar bushings are starting to wear out faster. When I hit an incline at an angle would the sway bar slide inside the worn bushing and then subsequently be making the "clunk" noise because it doesn't center itself back into position? Putting unecessary/uneven pressure on it.

I will almost have a whole new front end after this weekend. The only thing left is control arms and ball joints.

 

well my front and rear's are ES bushings. that fixed the noise for about 3 days. The passenger side mount i bought on ebay. I got mine from this place called abc parts for 30 bucks. one thing though is the fitment wasn't as good as OEM, even they say 100% oem specs. I got it to fit, just to had to reassemble differently since there are about 6 screws to line up correctly.

its been a few weeks now and all the areas where I know I hear the sound (i'm sure you have those places too) I've driven over many time and its 100% gone.

 

Check your engine motor mounts-that what my problem was.

 

Well my strut bearing finally died compleatly yesterday.So I think I found where my noise was comeing from

 

Strut bearing won't cause a clunk.

 

mabe your ball joints did you get them replace or check out just a guess

 

Dont tell me that. Im just about to order all my strut stuff and was hopeing that it would fix everything

 

I had the same noise you are describing for quite a while, I didn't do anything about it until I was installing a new clutch and noticed my rear motor mount was bad. I replaced the mount and no more noise.

 

I am telling you exactly that. If your strut bearing is shot the only thing you'd feel is grinding/clicking/popping when you steer the wheel, not when going over bumps. Strut bearing is there for turning purposes only.

 

WEll While I am at it I will go ahead and replace the motor mounts. I guess I am off to napa to get some ordered. Thanks. I would have been upset to have just replaced the struts and bearing and still have the noise

 

Might as well get some dustboots/bumpstops while you're at it (if yours are in poor condition).

 

Those are on the list. I was just about to order all my stuff to get my car back to perfect and my wifes motor mounts, tranny mount and cv shafts have to be replaced NOW as he car has just become nondrivable at the moment, Never fails So Hopefully within the next month or two I will be able to take care of mine before it become a hazzard(and cost me even more money)

 

Looked through other threads and all im reading is "front end clunk" or "Rattling while driving". well im rattling from the back when ever im going slow over rough roads or bumps it rattles like its loose. Im guessing strut mounts, but the thing is the sound started after I got subwoofers, could it be all I need to do is reach in and tighten the bolts cause the bass is making them come undone or are the mounts going out all together, sound is getting worse btw.

 

I HIGHLY doubt your bass is rattling your strut bolts loose. It's likely your strut or mounts. More likely the struts rather than the mounts.

 

Ok I guess I'll join the clunking club. This has been for awhile now and I just can't stand it anymore. My car is lowered and with new spring and strut but everything else is old. Ever since I lowered the car, I have this clunk coming from both sides of the front car that happens at very low speed at uneven road, even at the backing down from the driveway to the street. I tighthen the strut bolt to the spec and didn't help. Tighten the 3 strunt mounts bolt and didn't do anything. Looked underneath, everything is tight. I Did both CV axle few weeks back and now I have a"thud" when turning lock to lock at any sloping driveway from my passenger side. This "thud' sounds like something is binding and get released, but look underneath, eveything is tight. The Thud noise never happens at flat road and car corners just fine at high speed. I can't figure out why new CV axle would cause a thud, I didn't even take the strut off this time since I didn't need it to clear the CV axle out.

Ball joint looks good, motor mounts look good except the back one since I can't see it. For the clunk, it is probably strut mount like what everyone else is saying. I'm still puzzled about the"thud".

Any suggestion?

 

My front end clunks a bit on larger bumps and pot holes which I try to avoid. I think it has something to do with it being lowered on low pro's. It's not so bad when I put the stock rims and tires on. I'm not real worried about it.

 

I have no sympton on larger bump unless I go 5-10mph, then I can hear the clunk

 

It's one of three things:
1. sway bar end links
2. strut mounts
3. motor mounts

If #1 - You'll see the movement under the car while someone else pushes up/down on the fender.
If #2 - Push the car up and down and look for movement in the center nut. This is why I recommend changing strut mounts every time a spring/strut job is done. Go with Moog. Part # K90655.
If #3 - Even if it looks ok, there still might be cracks in the rubber. I'd concentrate on the passenger mount.

 

Appriciated the lead, we'll check and update. I know I should've done the strut mount, I was running out of time and cheap and regretted ever since.

 

Ok,

Checked # 1 and no visible movement.
Checked # 2 The center nut didn't move but can hear the soft thud.
Also when I lock the steering wheel ( all the way to left and right), I can hear like the spring is popping a little at the very end of the turn. This happens all the time on passenger side only. Car sitting in incline made it worse. Could it be broken spring? but I tried to wiggle it and didn't move.

http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com...=MOOG%2DK90655

left black metal part is the mount. The silver plastic round shape is the bearing, correct? Wondering what the price different is between this and the OEM, if it's not much I'd get OEM.

Thanks

 

Sounds like the spring isn't sitting right or something is misaligned.

Are you sure your spring is seated on the strut perch properly? Isolators are installed on the spring properly? Are you sure the "OUT" stamp on the upper spring perch is indeed facing out? A broken spring is unlikely and you'd know right away if it broke.

Correct on your parts, but I doubt it's the bearing and there's no need to go OEM. FWIW OEM mounts are about $45-$50 and bearings are in the $15 range. But again, Moog mount is sufficient (unless it's defective).

 

Hey whats up. have you checked that the spring isolators were installed properly on the top and bottom of each spring? when i installed new struts on my max i still get a slight clucking noise. that noise is the ends of the spring moving on the surface of the strut, making that metal to metal type of sound. check to make sure that the, i want to say platic or rubber pieces that slide onto the to and bottom of the spring are installed properly. if not the spring is going to have to be compressed on a machine and properly on the ends of the spring. hope this helps.

 

This didn't happens before and it's been a year. It happened after I replaced the CV axle and did the alligment. The camber was OK but it was toed it, but they were able to correct it.

 

Did you replace the axle or did you have a shop do it? The only reason I'm asking is because they might have changed something in the strut configuration when they did.

 

I did it my self a month or so ago. It was straight forward changed I think and I did the driver side before that too. The CV axle was a remanufactured from Autozone. The only thing that I did differently when I chande this driver side axle was I didn't take the strut assy out, only took the 2 bottom bolts that conect to the hub/knuckle. I'll probably take the strut off and re-assemble it and see if that helps.

 

Yea just make sure everything is aligned correctly. It sounds like a binding spring.

 

Installed new struts and lowering springs. Clunk Noise was still present. Did ES sway bar bushings and moog end links....wow what a difference! Definitely worth doing if haven't done so in the past.

 

I spoke too soon after the sway bar end links. Noise is still there. Going to try passenger engine mount as I noticed play by the right mount (transmission was in drive, reving engine while foot is on the brake).