The suspension clunk that won't die. UPDATE: FIXED!!!!

[Superhatch]

FIXED!!! See text at bottom of this post.

8/18/14
Car was picked up in May 2012, I currently have almost 60k on the chassis. About 5k ago I started getting a clunk in the front right of the car. At the time I had Eibach Pro-kit springs and stock struts. I had Koni yellows on previously, but removed them when I saw the B8's. While selling the Koni's and saving for a good suspension upgrade I put the stock shocks back on. Shortly after...the clunk reared it's head.

"No worries" I thought. I figured replacing all the suspension bits down below would solve whatever issue I had.

The day came and I replaced the struts with Bilstein B8s, Perrin end-links and the Whiteline roll correction kit were also added:



I had both sides of the front suspension off and verified tightness on every bolt I could reach. I then installed the new suspension goodies, torqued everything to spec and lowered the car back down. Drove out of the garage and onto the street...*clunk*. I was rather disheartened.

Today I read through a variety of "clunk" related threads and nothing really helped. I took the right and left wheels off again, removed the bottom covers, raised and lowered the suspension with a separate jack, tried hard to pull, push wobble every suspension part I could get my hand on and -everything- is tight.

I checked the top nut of the strut, end link nuts, LCA bushing nut, tie rod end nut, brake bolts, hub bolts, sway bar bolt and nut, steering rack bolts, strut housing bolts/nuts, misc brace nuts, LCA frame bolts/nut. ETC.

Here is a video I just took which somewhat helps in describing the clunk. It sounds like something is very loose...but I can't figure out what it is!! This video was taken with the front metal and plastic underpanels removed.

You can see that it doesn't happen for every bump, just most bumps. The only thing I haven't changed in this suspenion is the upper pillow ball mount.

I'm on the verge of taking it into a shop, but I haven't had a shop work on a car in a decade, and I really don't want to pay someone to fix this if it was something simple all along.

Edit: Moved the hood latch, hood full open, stood on right shock mount and bounced it up and down. Couldn't reproduce clunk.


---------------------------------------------------------
9/6/14

Today was an inspection of every nut and bolt that involved the suspension, engine or transmission. All torques were verified. I found nothing in the wheel wells, engine bay, or trans tunnel that was loose.

I moved to the top of the engine bay, double checked torque on the 12mm strut nuts and then looked at the firewall-strut tower brace. I've never touched these nuts (3) and bolt (1) since owning the car. I looked up torque specs (11.8 ft/lb) and adjusted the torque wrench to 12 and the first one was looseish...about hand tight. Ummm....ok. The second nut on the strut tower was not even finger tight. WTF. I torqued all 3 nuts and the single bolt and moved to the drivers side. Not as bad, but still not tight.

I couldn't believe that this was the problem all along so I kept checking but eventually couldn't find anything else. Those nuts and bolt were the only things that I tightened (that wasn't already at it's correct torque spec). I pulled out of the driveway...no clunk. I drove down my bumpy road...no clunk. Final test, I off cambered into a parking lot...no clunk.

F me in the goat A. So there it is, my clunk fixed. Some nuts and bolts that I've never touched before on the car were loose, and they were shifting the engine bay support bars.

(Not my engine bay)

[celica73]

You haven't changed the "pillow ball" mount, yet you do not mention any after market camber plates.

Are they pillow ball or stock? Regardless, swap them left to right and see if the noise persists.

Do you hear the noise of you ride the brakes? If the noise goes away with the brakes on, then it's likely a wheel bearing or loose caliper.

[celica73]

Disconnect a sway bar end link, that removes the sway bar from the equation.

Do you have an aftermarket over pipe?

[Superhatch]

No aftermarket overpipe.

Sorry, been up for a while, no pillow ball. Oem upper strut mount on B8. I'd heard those can wear due to having bearings vs just a rubber bushing?

I haven't fully disconnected the sway bar...worth a shot, thanks.

[Fastbrew]

Celica is right - there is not much clearance for the OP as is. Check the paint underneath in that area and see if you can see any areas that have been marred. While you are at it - check to see that the end links haven't left a mark on the frame as well.

GL

[Calum]

That sounds like a strut mount to me. I'd start there.

[Superhatch]

Just got done completely removing Strano sway bar and Perrin end links. Clunk still present.

I've had wheel bearings go bad, and I usually get a sound that increases frequency with speed. I don't have that here. Is it possible for a bearing to fail in another way?

I'll also note that the clunk doesn't every happen above...30mph. Or if so, it's very muted, at lower speeds its far more prevalent and pronounced.

So can this piece (in hand, pic via Hotchkis) be causing a clunk?:

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Superhatch

Just got done completely removing Strano sway bar and Perrin end links. Clunk still present.

I've had wheel bearings go bad, and I usually get a sound that increases frequency with speed. I don't have that here. Is it possible for a bearing to fail in another way?

I'll also note that the clunk doesn't every happen above...30mph. Or if so, it's very muted, at lower speeds its far more prevalent and pronounced.

So can this piece (in hand, pic via Hotchkis) be causing a clunk?:

Originally Posted by Calum

That sounds like a strut mount to me. I'd start there.

Yes, the strut could make that sound.

[Superhatch]

So the bushing in the upper strut mount is bad.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Whiteline-Subaru-Offset-Assembly-Camber/dp/B00D83MPY0"]Amazon.com: Whiteline Subaru Brz 2013 Front Strut Mount Offset Assembly Camber/Caster: Automotive[/ame]

I guess it's the only thing I haven't yet replaced.

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Superhatch

So the bushing in the upper strut mount is bad.

Amazon.com: Whiteline Subaru Brz 2013 Front Strut Mount Offset Assembly Camber/Caster: Automotive

I guess it's the only thing I haven't yet replaced.

I would search on here about those mounts before buying them.

The earlier version (same as WRX) didn't last well at all on these cars. Not sure if they're released a revised version that actually holds up, but previous revisions didn't help.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Superhatch

So the bushing in the upper strut mount is bad.

Amazon.com: Whiteline Subaru Brz 2013 Front Strut Mount Offset Assembly Camber/Caster: Automotive

I guess it's the only thing I haven't yet replaced.

Some people have gone through three or four sets of those, and whiteline pulled them from their site. You may want to get group N mounts from RCE.

[Superhatch]

Update bump.

[Jesse36m3]

Ha. Makes you kind of think that there's a bit of body/chassis flex in the front, which tells you that those bars are actually being effective. Nice.

[Superhatch]

Originally Posted by Jesse36m3

Ha. Makes you kind of think that there's a bit of body/chassis flex in the front, which tells you that those bars are actually being effective. Nice.

I have almost 60K on the car now, so it makes sense that they might loosen up over time if they are absorbing some flex.