[Lukemc]

Every moderate to large bump that I hit with my front passenger wheel results in a loud BANG and I feel like my car has no shock absorbers.

When I bought the car last year the shocks were just replaced all around so I dont think thats the issue. What else could it be? My Sway bar end links have also been replaced in the last 6 months with nice MOOG ones.

Before I take it to a shop, any ideas?

 

[Highball116]

Try tightening the three nuts at the strut tower under the hood. Maybe some slack developed in there.

Toby

 

[Lukemc]

Try tightening the three nuts at the strut tower under the hood. Maybe some slack developed in there.

Toby

Thats a great place to start! Thanks Ill do that as soon as I get home today.

 

[sailor]

Center nut there as well while you're checking, though that should give more noises on any bumps.

Gotta ask the silly one for up here, all the ice out of the wheel well? I've been getting bangs & rubs as the severe icing starts breaking up now that we've had a few days without a lot of fresh sheet on the road each day.

I'll toss this in the Suspension area for you for a better "fit".

 

[rambleon84]

Gotta ask the silly one for up here, all the ice out of the wheel well? I've been getting bangs & rubs as the severe icing starts breaking up now that we've had a few days without a lot of fresh sheet on the road each day.

Ive had this lately, one day of wet snow and then sub freezing temperatures. Lower car means i am not really able to get in there easily to break it up...waiting for sping []

 

[Lukemc]

Yeah all the ice is cleared out and its been doing this for almost a month now. I only started noticing it more because I started taking a really bad pot holey road to work when the highways backed up. I think the wheel bearing is going bad because when I turn left (putting weight on the right wheel) I hear a "rurrrurururur" coming from that wheel well. The PO told me the bearing would need to be done at some point and Im getting it done this weekend but I dont think that will fix the jolting bangs

 

[emsvitil]

Might be the motor mount on the passenger side......

 

[Lukemc]

Replaced the motor mount with a brand new OEM one this fall so that's not it. Just checked all the strut bolts and they're tight. Now that I'm thinking about it more a few weeks back I slid on some ice and tapped a curb with that wheel pretty good. I still track straight and I almost forgot about it. I wish it was 0 degrees and I could do the work myself. Any other ideas?

 

[Lukemc]

SOLVED! sort of...

took it to a shop and had them replace my wheel bearing that I knew needed to be done. Lo and behold apparently my bearing was so bad that it was the thing banging over bumps.

The problem is 99% better and i can at least drive on the pothole collection that my town calls roads but it still seems that when i hit a really bad bump with my right wheel it *thumps* harder than my left.

 

[Highball116]

Has your exhaust come loose? Mine was swinging around making a banging noise and I just had to put another hanger on. The one on the back of the muffler had rusted off.

Toby

 

[Lukemc]

No its not the exhaust and it is most definitely coming from the suspension. Its 99% fixed though and maybe the remaining 1% is just in my head

 

[Lukemc]

Okay so its still not right. I have a speed bump at my appartments that i hit every day. If i hit it too fast the front driver side feels fine and absorbs it but the passenger side just gives a loud "THUMP" or "BANG" and the car feels like it jolts on that side. It honestly feels like its hitting the bump stops. Ive tried pushing on hood over the tire and seeing if the suspension bounces like the strut is bad but it feels the same as the other side

 

[emsvitil]

Does it happen when the strut is in compression or rebound?


I get a thud if I go quickly over speed bumps, but it's a rebound thud (struts top out)

 

[sleepyboy]

It's your upper strut mounts, they are compressed and probably blown. Mine did the same thing.

 

[Lukemc]

It's your upper strut mounts, they are compressed and probably blown. Mine did the same thing.

Thats what Im thinking too. Is there a way to confirm this before I take it all apart?

 

[sleepyboy]

Not really, when I removed mine it was clear they were crushed and offering no cushioning as the rubber was compressed and my strut bearings were almost oval and I was dropping out the ball bearings out of them. It would act as if I had blown struts on certain kinds of bumps, but I replaced everything new a year before. I used KYB everything, but went back with OEM mounts. It feels brand new again and no more crashing on some bumps.

 

[Lukemc]

Yeah that sounds like exactly my issue. Its feel totally fine until i hit a bump hard and then it crashes hard. Do you have a part number for that?

 

[sleepyboy]

No I don't, I just got them from the dealership. Any strut mount for a 00-04 will fit, but you'll just be telling them what year car anyways when you get one. Shop around to find the best deal though.