Strut Knocking Sound, In the rear Options

[jordisonjr]

I've recently changed out my struts with KYB Gr2's and also replaced the strut mounts all around

(mounts looked like this, but ordered kyb http://www.ebay.ca/itm/OEM-Replacement-Fro...=item2c5f3c522c )

However, in the rear, I am still getting a knocking sound in the rear, as if the struts are blown but everything is all new.
Everythings been put in correctly.
Is there another part that needs to be replaced when replacing the strut mounts as well?

Or could there be something else causing this sound?

I tried searching but nothing came up.

[Spider77]

The only knocking sound Ive had in the rear was my sway bar bushings, they were pretty much shot and over bumps would make a slight knock sound. I pretty much narrowed it down to those when I had my car jacked up and moved the bar around by hand. Replaced them recently and knocking sound went away.

[jordisonjr]

Are those the ones that wrap completely around the bar?
Ill give that a look, because it seems to only knock when I hit a bump thats not even. If I hit a crack that goes right across the road and botch wheels hit at the same time it doesn't knowck, but if they hit unevenly it does knock, so Ill have a look at that.

[jordisonjr]

Bump, Any other suggestions?

[toyotatech3]

check the sway bar links

[Redmann813]

I have the same symptoms too but i thought it was strut mounts. My suspension technique sway bar also moves side to side when jacked up, thought that was normal. My end links are new though.

[mkernz22]

it's the sway bar bushings. I have the same problem with my car. if your struts were bad, the bad end would be really loose and bounce around over bumps.

[jordisonjr]

Yea struts and moutns are new, as well as the endlinks are relatively new as well.
However there was some various parts in the strut mount, such as bearings and a couple other small parts that didn't get replaced when changing the mounts so I thought maybe that had something to do with it.

Ill have to have a look at the sway bar bushings this weekend though when I got a chance since more than one person is leaning on that.

[mkernz22]

You can't really tell anything from just looking at them because they look normal. Just from being so old they have loosened up a bit and don't hold as well anymore

[jordisonjr]

Is there anything else it could possibly be either than the sway bar bushings?

[199celica]

not to steal your thread man but i just put in the same set up but my sound is coming from the front did you have any problems with the front knocking?

[jordisonjr]

No, you probably didn't line the mounts up with the arrow to the outisde.
And I know thats not my issue cause I had to take them both out in the rear to re allign the strut moutns cause they were wrong the first time.

[bruiseboy2]

I recently did the struts on my car as well and had a similar noise. What it ended up being on my car, which is a coupe not a hatchback, was that the hinge for the trunk was slightly loose, and whenever you went over a bump or pothole, the trunk would make that similar blown strut knock sound. Hope this helps, ended up just throwing some white lithium grease on the bracket and tightened up the bolts.

[jordisonjr]

Never thought of that. Ill take a look at that as well.
Would be an easy thing to over look and would save some cash as well haha.
Thanks.

[199celica]

thanks jordisonjr i forgot they had to be pointed a certain way my cv boot tore on me when i removed it so i had to rush around thanks man.

[jordisonjr]

No problem.

[Galcobar]

The sway bar bushings are a cheap and easy item to fix or replace. Given the age of the car, you're likely to damage them when you remove them anyway, even if they weren't damaged before. When you do replace them, I suggest a little non-petroleum based oil to help get them into place. I found vegetable oil worked well.

That said, the dreaded rear-end clunk has another common suspect: the suspension arm bushings. The suspension arms are the slender rods which run in pairs, two arms to each wheel, from the centre of the chassis. It's not at all uncommon for the bushings to fail enough for the arm to produce a clunk as it works up and down. Typically, it's the inboard bushing of the No. 2 arms, which are the rearmost of each pair. Get the car up in the air, and work the arms. I could produce a clunk simply by hitting my fist on the arm with the faulty bushing.

[jordisonjr]

Did you have similar issues with only cluncking when hitting bumps unevenly with the wheels?

Ill have to take a look at those trailings arms as well, but I'm hoping those are not the issues. Thanks for the input.

[mkernz22]

Well I know for a fact that my clunking was because of my sway bar bushings. I was replacing my endlinks and moved the sway bar around and it made the same clunking that I would hear while I drive. I'm probably going to replace them in the summer when I drop the gas tank, and I might even just get ST sway bars if I have everything off.

[jordisonjr]

I took a look yesturday at my sway bar bushings.
They were a little cracked, but not too bad, and there was also a little bit of space between the sway bar and the hole in the bushing, maybe a mm or 2.
Also, I tried to pry the sway bar and wiggle the bar to recreate the sound, and couldn't get it. Also stood in the trunk on one side, and tried to bounce teh car up and down while someone below listened for the sound, and also couldn't reproduce the sound.

Endlinkswere tight as well as the three top nuts on the strut mounts were tight as well, so those can be ruled out.

[MidnightCelica20...]

Did you use new nuts for the strut mounts? And I mean the center nut with the threaded nylon that attach the top mount to the strut. If you re-use them, they can loosen over time. Have someone zap it quick with an impact and make sure its actually tight.

[mkernz22]

YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME. IT'S YOUR SWAY BAR BUSHINGS!
I noticed a gap in mine as well (between the bar and the bushing).
Once I detached one of my end links, I could move the sway bar around, just enough, to create the same sound that I would hear while driving.
I don't know why, but you can't recreate the sound by just moving the back end up and down.

[jordisonjr]

Midnight: Ill check that out, pretty sure I used the new nuts but ill give it a check anyways.

mkernz: gunna order these bushings this week and hopefully that solves the issue. Im just gunna go ahead and and try it out, even if it doesn't solve the problem, its a cheap upgrade anyways.

ANother point, when I replaced the strut mounts, there was a bearing that I had to re use from the old strut mounts, because the new oens didn't come with any, could this cause it as well?

[jordisonjr]

My rear bushings say 16mm. (On a 95 GTS)
Did some reading ina previous thread and most people bought the 16mm but said they should have gone with the 17mm.

Should I order 16 or 17mm?

[hatchy_gt-s]

My rear bushings say 16mm. (On a 95 GTS)
Did some reading ina previous thread and most people bought the 16mm but said they should have gone with the 17mm.

Should I order 16 or 17mm?

Go with 16 you want a tight fitting.

To your strut bearing Q that an easy check just jack up that wheel and lift up and down, forward and back (like checking a bearing) if it knocks from up top its that bearing. If it knocks from your wheel its your wheel bearing.

Also if you pull left and right on the wheel thats how you can check the trailing arms.

[jordisonjr]

Thanks man!
Gunna order the bushings tonight and hopefully it solves the problem.
If not, i got a cheap upgrade lol and then ill look into the other possibilities.

[jordisonjr]

Got the bushings in today, just gotta find some time between all my exams to put them in. hopefully by the end of this week

[Redmann813]

sweet let us know

[jordisonjr]

Got the rear sway bar bushings in and it has solved the problem.
Stoked!

[Galcobar]

Always nice when it's the cheap and easy fix.

[Redmann813]

hell yea