I just replaced both front struts, mounts, and bellow. now the passenger side has a clicking sound as a bad mount makes. I heard it takes time for things to settle, but it has been almost a week. Would you think I have a defective mount? I'm 98% sure I installed everything correctly. Any suggestions?

And a quick second question....whenever I go over bumps it makes a knocking sound which is more pronounced when the car moves side to side (ie. going over a speed bumps diagnally. Balljoints ? (integrated w/ control arm? wtf)

i appreciate any advice! Thanks is advance.

 

Define "clicking sound." Like, when you turn the wheel? When you hit a bump? Click-click-click as you're driving?

Check sway bar end links for the knocking, one or both are probably shot/broken.

 

The "bad strut mount sound" is a clicking that occurs when turning the wheel left to right (or what have you). I also do not have to be rolling for this to happen, and yes it's a click-click-click as i continue to turn the wheel. I'd hate for the mount to be defective.

Sway bar endlinks? I'll check for looseness/play or cracking on the bushings later. Thanks for the suggestion. Any others anyone?

 

Most likely the strut bearing. Check inner tie rods as well.

 

No. A bad strut mount tends to have a knocking sound under loading and unloading conditions (section of lightly uneven road). The strut bearing will tend to make a crunk-crunk-crunk type sound as you turn the wheel side to side if it is dried out or if it was improperly loaded after the initial installation.

Actual clicking would point to the CV joints or damaged steering components. Get the car in the air and try to replicate the sound.

 

The wheels aren't rotating enough to produce clicking from the CVs when just turning the wheel left to right when the car's stationary. It is most likely the strut bearings which I think he is lumping together with the mounts.

 

Thanks for the replies. It's definitely not the CV as it makes the sound when not rolling. It has to be the bearing. Where is the strut mount bearing? I thought it was in the mount itself?

Also- the knocking sound doesnt appear to be the stabilizer bar, yet it could very well be the tierods. There seems to be very very little play when trying to move the wheel left to right (shaking it).

 

Between the upper spring seat and the mount itself. It allows you to steer the wheels without trying to rotate the top of the spring against the mount, which is fixed to the chassis by three bolts and cannot rotate at all.

OE strut bearings are usually cheap plastic thingies, and they do make a bit of noise as you steer when they go bad, probably as a result of "stick-slip" loss of smooth operation. Don't forget, these little things are carrying the whole weight of that corner of the car (minus the wheels and the rest of the things beneath them), so they are under quite a lot of load all of the time. Sometimes the noise seems to only happen under certain circumstances.


Norm

 

Bro, I replaced my entire suspension 6 months ago - the issue is definitely your upper strut mount - it needs to be torqued with an air gun - more than once.
To check it - open your hood - then put your weight on the front of the car and make it bobble up and down, if you see the upper end of the strut bolt move (and likely replicate your noise) you know that side needs a new upper mount. its a $58 part OE - or you can buy KYB for a bit less - i don't recommend the NAPA brand - as that's what i initially put on - I've already had to replace one side, now the other one is clunking..

 

No wonder I didn't recognize this thread - it's been over three years.

But since it's open, there is no good reason for blasting away at strut mount fasteners with an air impact.

A torque wrench is all you need, with maybe a little medium-strength threadlocker if you're having trouble keeping it from loosening.

And I'm hoping that your trouble with nuts loosening is NOT because you've yielded the bolts/studs.


Norm