i just installed SLP takeoff struts and springs off a camaro SS on the front of my car. it handles great but when i hit little bumps i have a knocking sound. at first i thought it was just one side but it's coming from both sides or somewhere in between.
it sounds like when your ball joints go bad but i can not feel it in the steering wheel i can only hear it.
i did break the bolt when unhooking the sway bar for the install so i bought new bushings and spacers and bolts from autozone.
could this be my sway bar making this noise or is it likely something with the strut/spring assembly?
i checked all bolts and such. i don't know what else to do????
any ideas?

thanks,
michael.

 

Mine does that too and it seems like the "floating brake calipers" haha - their floating now. I was going to get new caliper bolts, but instead will just upgrade to LS1 brakes since I also have a warped rotor.

 

you may have something different than my problem. with brake calipers being loose, i think that would bring a feeling to the steering wheel also and probably screw up braking.
all i know is my problem is making me mad cause it makes my car sound like a piece of crap!
thanks for the input by the way, i'm actually going to check my callipers to make sure i tightened them enough when putting them back on. those are the only bolts i haven't double checked.

 

Did you ever find out what the problem was? I have the same problem. I just ordered new Bilstein shocks/struts hoping to fix it. Now I'm a little skeptical that it might not help.

Mine is only on the front passenger side, and sounds like it's from the strut assembly. It's hard to tell. I can reproduce it though by pushing the front up and down very hard and quickly.

I hate driving though my neighborhood, because every small bump, I hear "tick"

Dan

 

yeah, one of the noises was the dust sheild on the strut...i forgot to put a little spacer on it. but the big clunk was from my strut mounts blowing out. they are the big rubber piece that goes on top of the strut under the wheel well. i guess they must have been weak and the stiffer springs took care of them. the cost was $75 for each side through GM (they retail for $90 a piece). advanced autoparts also has Dana brand mounts for $60 a piece and KYB sells them for like $75 a piece.
now it rides real nice and quiet over the bumps. i suggest replacing these parts when you change your springs/struts.
the ticking noise could be your ball joints starting to wear also. i replaced them on my 94 at about 90k mi. my 97 has 77k mi on it and i think they are just now starting to wear. that's a cheap fix if you can press them yourself.

 

Thanks for the info.

I was able to stick my head under the car the other day while I had someone make the noise again. Didn't sound like the ball joint.

How could you tell that the strut mount was bad? I'm changing to Bilsteins this month and want to know what to look for. It could be the strut mount.

Sorry to ask another question, but where is the dust shield on the strut? What sound was that making?

Thanks,
Dan

 

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