strut question

[mescalito]

OK!

I get a big clunk (and a bit of a rattle) out of the rear when going over sharp bumps...I am wondering if, more realistically, it's the mounts that are worn which causes the noise rather than the strut itself.

i have searched/read on it, but would like to hear answers specific to my car, and not someone else's.

word

[steve97]

When my strut mounts (front) were worn out, they made sort of a groaning, creaking noise.

Your description might be a loose mount, or a loose sway bar (see end links) or worn sway bar bearing.

Get up under your car and pull on suspension pieces and see if yiou can pin point the source of your noise.

[ASG14]

When my front left strut mount broke the handling went south a little. Also, when I hit a bump or pothole it would make, like you descrobed, a clunk noise and it also sometimes creaked.

[sjkhiker]

I just fixed the same type of problem on my 95 camry. Check the sway bar busings inside the rear wheels, located up and mounted on the frame. Crawl under the car and hit the sway bar with your hand. If it makes the clunk and rattle (like mine did when I was driving) you need new sway bar busings, or you can do what I did. Remove the U-shaped brackets holding the bushings and sway bar (2 bolts for each bracket) and remove the bushing (it's split). Clean the sway bar and grease it with silicone grease (no other type). I used duck tape inside the U-bracket (2 layers) to tighten up the bushing's fit inside the U-bracket and bolted them back into place. The car rides like it did when it was new. Mine was making the noise for at least 40XXX miles, I just didn't have time to check it out until today... I originally thought it was a failing strut. Thankfully, it wasn't!! Good luck tracking your problem down. By the way, the sway bar is the curved bar that connects the suspensions of the two wheels, immediately behind the floorboards of the back seats... The reason I didn't buy new bushings is that Autozone wanted $16 and change for each bushing...

sjkhiker

[mescalito]

hey guys, thanks for the responses

some rear suspension things have been checked/changed, the sway bar bushings have been replaced and a new control arm was put in...I've taken the seats out and checked the tightness of the bolts at the top of the strut, all fine.

it just really sounds loose, the car doesnt corner horrible, it just a lound clunk when it hits sharp bumps so i'm stumped

[tntang]

Hi,
I have that problem also. Replaced the struts but the noise is still there. I have noticed that in really wet road conditions there is no knocking noise in the back. When it's dry the noise comes back. Anyone experience this?

[mescalito]

i don't even know how thats possible that wet/dry road conditions can affect your suspension