strut assembly poppin noise? not axle

[zactastic]

Please let me know what you did to correct this noise or any suggestions. it makes the noise when ever i turn the wheel left or right...more noise when im making quicker tighter turns.

overview: i was hearing a noise i thought was the cv boot...but turns out it's the upper strut assembly popping. more details below. oh, and this is on the drivers side.

I took out the air ride in my car and replaced it with Bilstien HD's and HR race springs. all was good until i noticed the CV boot was ripped. It never made clicking and it was torn for a week or two.

I repaired the cv boot and then drove around with the new suspension BUT i now heard clicking or popping noises associated with what i thought was the CV boot.

I took the car to VW and they reported "cv boot and axle are great.... noise is coming from the upper strut assembly. lower plate and spring are moving making "popping" noise." COST: $736.12...

I took off the top plate as you can see in second picture. i turned the car on and turned the wheel back and forth to create the noise. it looks like that lower nut you see (which holds the spring compressed) rubs on the inside of the rubber strut mount. i sprayed wd-40 but that didnt do anything. if it's making the noise it's making, than maybe it's metal on metal...it sounds dual/muffled so that's why i was thinking it's that bolt or something on the rubber mount.

my options.
a) I take out the strut and spring completely and replace the top brace that's keeping the spring compressed? and put another new strut mount in the top assembly?

b) just replace the strut mount rubber....maybe i just need check and make sure the bottom bolt compressing the spring is tightened all the way...which i thought i initially did.




i can turn the wheel while looking at this and see the bolt catching one something. im not sure if its the bolt catching or the spring or spring mount.


it looks like the bold rubs on the inside of the rubber mount, gets caught up when turning and it pops around.

[OddJobb]

Maybe the strut mount bearing is going bad and binding up?

[Zach!]

Maybe you should have replaced the strut bearings like Caleb told you to when you bought the suspension.

Also you posted in the wrong forum.

Also you have the wrong nut installed in the strut bushing which is causing the popping.

[Shaniqua]

New strut mount bushings as well as correct hardware will fix your problem

[germancarnut51]

Besides the wrong lower strut nuts, the strut mounts are upside down, or the wrong ones. Look at how the rubber meets the inner fender, and doesn't come through the hole. The correct mount would come slightly through the hole.

[zactastic]

the popping went away after i made a slight adjustment and used a waxy lubricant on the upper assembly. all has been fine for two weeks. ill update if i need to make further changes. thanks for the input.

Maybe you should have replaced the strut bearings like Caleb told you to when you bought the suspension.

Also you posted in the wrong forum.

Also you have the wrong nut installed in the strut bushing which is causing the popping.

... the nut screwed on fine. i suppose i could look into getting a new upper screw if the sound comes back.
... i DID replace the strut bearings as advised. guess i didnt mention that above.
... sorry for not knowing where to post, im not keen on where to post seeing as i dont use this much. but thanks for the knowledge.

[germancarnut51]

the popping went away after i made a slight adjustment and used a waxy lubricant on the upper assembly. all has been fine for two weeks. ill update if i need to make further changes. thanks for the input.




... the nut screwed on fine. i suppose i could look into getting a new upper screw if the sound comes back.
... i DID replace the strut bearings as advised. guess i didnt mention that above.
... sorry for not knowing where to post, im not keen on where to post seeing as i dont use this much. but thanks for the knowledge.

The problem with the nut is not that it didn't have the right thread. The problem is that the correct nut has a different shape. The bottom of the lower nut is rounded (like some lug nuts and lugbolts), and the top hex shape is thin (like a jamnut) so the nut will not interfere with the strut mount.

[VT-MKJett]

I would buy the correct hardware. The nuts for both the VR6/2.0 are less then $5 a piece.

[zactastic]

[QUOTE=germancarnut51;79325821]The problem with the nut is not that it didn't have the right thread. The problem is that the correct nut has a different shape. The bottom of the lower nut is rounded (like some lug nuts and lugbolts), and the top hex shape is thin (like a jamnut) so the nut will not interfere with the strut mount.[/QUOTE.

everyone is talking about nut #4, right?

[germancarnut51]

yes

[zactastic]

... then i was given the wrong nut! guess i should have checked, but the guy confidently stated everything was set up fine. gotta love it.

[ConfesS4]

Good luck with that...

[VT-MKJett]

... then i was given the wrong nut! guess i should have checked, but the guy confidently stated everything was set up fine. gotta love it.

Awwwwww nuts!!!

[ConfesS4]

can anyone specify where the correct hardware be sourced along with a part#??

[Shaniqua]

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volks...Suspension/198