Just installed new suspension (springs and struts) and completed 4 wheel alignmnet on 04 rolla. Now getting a "CLUNK" from the left front when slowly pulling into driveways (especially when making a right turn into driveway), and sometimes under slow braking. Did this before suspension swap as well, and was even worse than now. Sounds like something is loose, but don't know what it could be...
I just posted in another forum, mostly just my findings checking my own car out, the clunk is usually from the spring binding as its turning, their is a bearing between the spring seat and the top mount, I had installed one of my bearings upside down, which allowed the spring seat to compress more and bind with the top strut mount. It was easier for the spring to move than the plate to turn, to see if this is what your hearing, you can try jacking up the car on one side, (brace with jack stand) and then try manually turning the tire through its rotation, I did this and watched the spring bind and make the sound as I manually turned the wheel.
Someone else may have more experience, but I keep reading these, and we all seem to have the same starting statement, "Just changed my springs, or just lowered my car by changing my springs" and "now have a clunking sound from the front while turning at slow speeds"
Thanks for the tip. I'll have to give that a try... Just have to find somewhere else to work on my car, though - my H.O.A. kyboshed my auto repairs in the parking lot after my suspension swap .
Did you pop the wheel off after jacking it up?
Do you mean the spring is actually twisting inside the strut? Must be just the top only, cuz isn't the bottom locked into the crease in the lower seat? Could this be do to the top nut not being tight enough??
I didn't know the bearings came out of the mounts??
I left the tire on for leverage. Yes, the bottom of the spring is in a groove, this is what forces it to turn. If you dont have a spring plate and bearing (it's just mounted into the strut mount) the spring has to to do 1 of 2 things, compress as its turning, or actually turn against the strut mount. I had to convert my 93 serviceable struts to 95 with the bearings up top, as the serviceable struts have the bearing in the bottom where you are talking about the spring hitting the lip. our new tokico's have a fixed lower strut plate connected to the strut, so the movement has to be allowed or compensated for at the top mount. The units I took off, had NO bearing, the spring seated on the bottom and on the top, so when turing left it had to be compressing the spring on the passenger side, Im sure someone took advantage of the 82 year oid man single owner that I bought the car from, this is why the monroe quick struts can be advantageous to some, everything is new and included. I find that the easiest way to see both strut assemblies is to follow the stickie in the gen3 for the lexus 300 (93) as the lexus has the bearing up top, and then look at the diagram for the 92-94 sticky for the gen3 and see it with the bearing in the lower spring mount.
Anyways, didnt mean to ramble on, but I did damage to my top mount and bearing, and went to rock auto, here I noticed that KYB has a complete top mount, bearing, spring plate, and rubber insolator as a "kit", it was much cheaper than the toyota dealers 55.00 per spring plate, and 30 dollar insolator, I DIDNT PAY the 130 for the top mount as I found that on ebay, and at 25.00 per side, but for attempt #2 I went with Rock auto and spicer bearing/top mount.
Hope that helps, anyone with any more idea's please chime in, as I think there are 3 or 4 different people asking the same question in different ways.
I think you may be on to it - It seems like the spring is twisting & binding under breaking,steering & bumps (all at low speed 0-7mph).... I bet it's got something to do with the crappy way (off center) the spring and upper seat joined up. I think something up there is slipped or twisted off center and isn't lining up correctly. And, when I put a torque wrench on the top nut of the strut and give it a slight pull, (less than 20-25lbs or so), I can see and hear the spring twist and slip about 1/8" to 1/4" and make the CLUNK"?????
The top mounts did swivel pretty well on the completed assembly while out of the car. The bearings were'nt frozen or sticky at all when the top nut was all the way tight. Doesn't seem like that would cause the spring to slip...
Maybe the mounts are dead??? I dunno.... And I really have no place and no time and no $$ to take it all apart again
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