hey guys for the last 4 months or so I have been hearing a clunking sound comming from passenger rear strut. Only when I go over bumps. The strut has be replaced before and I am certain that it is not bad. Only has maybe 20, 000 miles on it? I have checked all of the mounting bolts up top, and they are tight. WTF? I dont have any tools now because I moved away from home temporary. I jacked my car up with a roomates jack then used my spare jack to jack up strut assembly. It seems that the plate that caps the spring might be what is causing the clunking sound when I go over bumps (it is hitting the car where the strut bolts up?) Why is this happening? am I missing something? did something wear out? Everything seems tight.

91 max 214,000miles and running like a beast!
all stock

 

Have you checked the ball joints?

tierod ends?

control arm bushings?

All these items can cause a clunk over bumps when they are worn.

 

these are all front end suspension parts if im not mistaken REAR STRUT

btw lower balljoints, and outer tierod ends are good replaced already; lower arm bushings have been replaced once apon a time (they are going again)

 

Oh..haha.. ic now you said the rear..lol

 

but anyhoo

replace the rear strut mount on that side..

 

Could bad parallel link bushing cause a clunk Mr. Wayne?

 

Maybe check to see if your brake pads are in snug, maybe you need new brake hardware. I have this same sort of sound from the back and I haven't gotten around to looking, but if I am braking while I go over a speed bump then it doesn't clunk. I think when the rear pads got changed the shims (isn't that what they're called) maybe got taken out and not replaced. Anyways, just a guess.

 

I had the same situation with my 92 se. It the most nerve racking thing cause I could't figure out what it was. Finally my brother sat on my trunk playing around while I was under the car. I heard the noise inside the paralell link the rubber bushing was shot.

 

bad sway bar links or bad way bar bushings will also cause a clunk.

 

I came in here to post this.

 

I think that this is going to be my best bet.



Spacer or strut mounting insulator?

come to think of it I think when I did the other side, I bought a new "strut cap" as they called it, and didnt on this side. dammit thats prob it

Thanks for all of the input guys.

doesnt have to do with the brakes, although the rear shoes need replacing IM certain as well. the beast doesnt stop as well as she used too, and Im pretty sure the shoes are original, I have never replaced them, I dont recall seeing anypaper work from previous owner where they were.

parallel link may also be culprit.

 

The strut mount insulator...

And yes definitely look at the link bushings for obvious signs of wear.

 

Tighten the nut at the top of the casing where you put the new strut cartridge (not the nut at the end of the piston), the "clunk" sound is due a loose cartridge in the casing. (sorry i don't speak english very well)....

 

well you sure fooled me. it's hella better than most 'english speaking' people that learn it as a 2nd language.

 

agreed thanks for the input. I might get a chance to check over thanksgiving if I get a chance to get off my motor cycle.

 

O'k folks, only i want to add that it's a little bit more hard to do the rear strut. There are a bunch of stuck nuts, and take care with the spring compressor.

-----------------------------
From Tijuana, Mex.

 

Its not too bad, I just re did both of mine this weekend cuz they turned out to be bad during a drum to disc swap.

if you got a 7/8 wrench and socket, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm, spring compressor, pipe/monkey wrench, long pipes for leverage and a hammer you should be fine

 

Just a little heads up Yaqui, you can edit your signature under the "User CP" link at the top left of your screen to where you always have a footer like most of us have pics of our cars. Makes it nice so you don't have to put it every time...

 

lol, my car it's like "Pimp my Ride" cars...but before "Pimp"..
this is the reason what i visit this site, i tray to fix my max myself

 

neta? solo ponle rines cromados y un systema bien chido

 

jajaja, i'm going to practice my english: about the rims, it's posible to put a 17x7 rims to my 1990SE MAXIMA, and what is the correct size of tire to don't affect my speedometer? if you don't understand only say: Whatttt??????????

 

closest to stock is 215/50R17
if you want you can use 225/50R17 or 235/45R17

but there is a separate part of this forum called "wheel and tire" or something like that. Your question is better to go there, but I know it has been asked and answered in that forum already, so you can probably find it pretty quickly just by looking at anything that may mention a 3rd gen maxima.

 

O'k, thanks a lot Raza!!..."raza" is like "everybody"..."all the people"