I know, another clunk thread...I installed Prodrive springs on stock 2005 WRX struts. After about 2 weeks, I started getting some clunk from the front. -noise is not from the sway bar -if i bounce the car, i can recreate the noise coming from spring area -generally occurs at lower speeds over bumps, turning or straight -all lugs and bolts are tight -springs are seated squarely in the perches I have yet to pull it apart completely, but plan to this weekend. How do I know if my struts are dead?
+1 for the strut being shot Those springs, from what I've heard/read, will blow your stock struts much quicker over stock springs.
I had my stock struts with prodrive springs for 10k and the struts felt good and no clunks when I swapped them out for AGX. When I installed my AGX's w/Prodrives I had a clunk up front on both struts and it was the top nut that was not tightened as tight as it should have been. Took them out, tightened it up all the way and the clunk be gone. Prodrive springs do wear out stock struts faster but i can't imagine 2 weeks fast. Unless they were shot before installing the springs and you just didn't know it. Good luck
When did you install the springs? Like said above, check every nut n bolt to make sure nothing came loose. If you take the spring off the strut, and you can move it up and down with ease, it's shot. If you can compress the strut (with the spring off) and it doesn't extend on it's own, it's shot.
My stock struts came off my car with 52k on them 10k of that was with the prodrives and testing my struts using the above method everything checks out fine. So I wouldn't think they'd be dead at 36k something must be loose or goofy somewhere. At least its only one, I had to take both my fronts off to tighten them a 2nd time. Oh and I had to do the rears twice as well because I forgot to swap the rubber seat thingy in the lower cup. I felt super awsome after I realized the above
I've had this problem on my 05 STi, but in the back. I had the struts replaced 2 times already and have an appointment for next week to get it back in for a potential third time. Not sure why stock struts, stock springs and daily driving has been such a problem. Is anyone else having this with their STi?
I too have this clunking sound. Now when you said tightened how tight is tight? Did you use a torque wrench?
Nope, didn't use a torque wrench on the top nut on the strut. Just tightened it until it stopped and was sure not to apply Hulk type force once I got there. When I took my struts off I realized that the top hat was spinning as it should but it also was tilting side to side a little, which of course is not how they should be. Results of attempting to tighten the top not while on the car, did not work for me. the nuts you have to be careful with are the strut mount nuts. The torque required for those if not very fairly light. Twisted one of them right off last year. That was also not a proud moment for me. But illegal2.3 came tot he rescue with a new top hat for me.
Grease the shaft every oil change and you won't have that issue. Tis the nature of inverted struts. I have no personal experience with spring installs but most the threads I read with people having noise issues seem to find the top nut not being tight enough like you said.
I believe that 95% of people with STi's experience the crappy clunking in the stock struts. I think that there are literally hundreds of threads on here talking about STi struts suckin butt. Aftermarket struts>stock STi struts
yeah, if you just installed them I'd vote for top hat nut loose or you put the helper in backwards....or spacer in wrong. prodrive on stock springs shuld last 20-60K..depending on your driving
So if everyone is having problems, what is a good solution? Chaning to aftermarket struts and/or springs, spenging more money that I have at this time on coilovers or what do most people do?
Is it worth having the dealership replace them again for free if they will and just wait until they won't anymore and then upgrade or drop the change now?
Take them if they are free. Grease the shaft every oil change and you shouldn't have that issue for a long time. Hell, I'd be if you greased up your current ones the noise would go away.
I found one of problems, though I can't fix it till this weekend. The washer should be above the upper spring seat and under the strut mount, mines under the spring seat. I'll report back once I get it corrected.
Also, the last thing I do after a strut/spring swap is once the car is on the ground again and everything is torqued down I run the impact hammer on center bolts on all the struts. Once I started doing that there were no more clunk issues. Well, at least not until I broke my swaybar.
The washer was installed in the wrong place. My strut mounts were locked solid. I put the struts back together properly, and the strut mount spins freely. And the clunk is still present. I found a helper to shake my car on flat ground, and I narrowed the noise down to the driver side spring/strut. I just don't know what it could be. The passenger side doesn't make noise and is put together identically to the noisy driver side.
top nut is 26ft lbs, lots of people ruin them by giving it as much torque as a lug nut... in the 70+ft lbs region :0
