to anyone who has replaced top strut isolators

[Jonn]

Did you have low pitched banging over uneven pavement? Didd new isolators stop the noise?
I cant for the life of me get mine to stop minimal clunking over uneven pavement. I have checked bushings from bottom up, sway bar, A arm, ball joint, spring seat bearing, and isolators, and still i have the bump-bump-bump going on. I dont want to buy new isolators if they arent they problem, they look good, i even took them out and put a layer of rubber under them, also between the rubber and metal part inside the isolator, just trying to change the noise so i can pin point whats causing it, nothing changes no matter what i do.. Makes no sense to me.. Have messed with it several times now and still it goes bump in the night.
Trying to determine if it "bumps" on compression or extension of the strut, but its not easy, seems like when you hit a small pot hole, it doesnt bump on strut extension, but does on compression. But it happens so fast really hard to tell.
I wouldnt think there would be anyway for the strut cartridge to make noise?
I have pried and poked everywhere and cant find a thing loose. ANy body have a similar experience with these cars?
Oh, rack is new, installed by me, i know its tight too, frame bolts are tight and bushings are good as well. Car drives straight and true too.
Just getting very annoying..

[paulfischer]

What year car do you have? I replaced my front this past summer on my 99 LTZ, and after I installed them and torqued them, there was a clunking also.. I retorqued them and than some and clunk went away..
I did not replaced the bushings, they didnt look worn.
Hope this helps

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by paulfischer

What year car do you have? I replaced my front this past summer on my 99 LTZ, and after I installed them and torqued them, there was a clunking also.. I retorqued them and than some and clunk went away..
I did not replaced the bushings, they didnt look worn.
Hope this helps

My car is a 91, there isnt really any way anything can be wrong as far as torqueing, not ssure about yours, but mine has a one large, one piece rubber bushing, about 3 inches wide, 2 inches high that has a metal insert washer in it, and sits down in a matching hole in the car body, the strut end comes up thru it and the nut is tightened, no bearing or anything up there on a 91. I tried a rubber washer cut from a corded conveyer belt about 1/4" inch thick under it, over it, still rattles no matter what, has me puzzled, least adding that you would think i could change the noise least enough to verify that is was indeed those bushings, but it dont.... Guess ill keep messing with it, have to find it sooner or later, i hope!

[kehi]

John,

did you ever find a fix for this problem?

[jeffcoslacker]

You don't feel it down by your feet, in the floor do you?

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by kehi

John,

did you ever find a fix for this problem?

No, havent fixed it yet, been to busy with other things so far, and no i dont feel it at my feet, i had frame dropped for replacement of the rack, so i know frame bushings are good, there also is no frame rust there.
Sway bushings are ok too.
I have to get back to it soon though cause it drives you crazy, only update i can give is now it 'bumps' on a lot smaller bumps, so if its the top isolaters, they are getting worse, right now main concern is a rear wheel bearing starting to get a little loose. Finding out which rotor is warped, and finally after 217K miles, replacing pass. side front axle

[jeffcoslacker]

This might prove helpful?

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d800edf7c.jsp

I found out something I didn't know.

[Manny_boy]

I had the same problem you do when I replaced my front cartridges. I work on w-bodies quite a bit so I bought the shock removal kit from autozone - the one that includes the spanner wrench with extension.

I checked and rechecked everything. Still rattled.

The problem is, there is no real way to get the jounce nut tight enough to stop the rattle by hand power. Yeah I used the tool to hold the top of the shock piston still while I used what looks like a deep well crow's foot socket (24mm) to tighten the jounce nut. Still not tight enough. I ended up buying a 24mm impact socket for my 1/2 gun, and fired that sucker up. No more rattles since.

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

This might prove helpful?

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d800edf7c.jsp

I found out something I didn't know.

What part of all that didnt you know?

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by Manny_boy

I had the same problem you do when I replaced my front cartridges. I work on w-bodies quite a bit so I bought the shock removal kit from autozone - the one that includes the spanner wrench with extension.

I checked and rechecked everything. Still rattled.

The problem is, there is no real way to get the jounce nut tight enough to stop the rattle by hand power. Yeah I used the tool to hold the top of the shock piston still while I used what looks like a deep well crow's foot socket (24mm) to tighten the jounce nut. Still not tight enough. I ended up buying a 24mm impact socket for my 1/2 gun, and fired that sucker up. No more rattles since.

Well i cant say that is my cars problem since i need to replace the worn out bushings before anything, but ill let ya know when i do, right now to much going on with other things on this car, also have a Z24 i am replacing the engine in, and also need to put a new head on a 96 , 4 cyl Metro. Then there is yard clean up, grass to start cutting, wife has me painting near every room in our house, need i say more? LOL

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Jonn

What part of all that didnt you know?

Actually, I've never replaced a strut on the front of a Lumina (or any model similar) Didn't realize the cartridge comes out the top without removing the whole spring/strut assembly like most...Kinda cool.

We didn't do a lot of struts at our shop. The ones I've done were pretty textbook.

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

Actually, I've never replaced a strut on the front of a Lumina (or any model similar) Didn't realize the cartridge comes out the top without removing the whole spring/strut assembly like most...Kinda cool.

We didn't do a lot of struts at our shop. The ones I've done were pretty textbook.

I am getting aggrivated now, i went out yesterday and took the thing apart, as a temp fix just to see what was "banging" i wrapped the ioslater in dust tape, so tight i could barely get it back into the hole in the body, i also put a 1/8" inch homemade rubber washer the diameter of the isolater under it, and one on top of it, i know you may think it still could bang, but if you saw it wou would agree it should be impossibe just as i thin, anyway.... The banging never changed at all! hmmmm, and what is weird, i mean i could see a bang now and then over hard bumps with it this way, but hard up and down , it doesnt bang at all !! When it does, it does it on mostly flat road, but road that are secondary type roads and lots of little unevens in them, and the 'bang' is what i would call a very very loose, but close fitting "rattle" The sound just doesnt fit a loose isolater sound. I again went thru sway bars bushings, ball joint, brake caliper, spring seat, rack,frame mounts, looking for anything worn or loose and can find NOTHING!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I have no idea what the H is making the noise, and really i dont think it is the isolater..About to the point of just turning the radio up loud. But i cant never let something on a car outsmart me, i have to find it, sheeesh, why cant i be like some and not give a rats a$$.

[chuck66]

Hey John! I dont know if you ever fixed your problem,but I have a 1996 lumina with a cluncking like you descibe.If you haven't checked yet try opening the trunk and look at the top of your stuts there.There are some knid of rubber dampeners there and half of one of mine is gone,thats where the clunking is from.You can push up and down on the car while your looking and see the metal too metal contact.Hope this solves your problem.P.S.They were known for this problem with the rear stut.Good Luck!!!!

[corning_d3]

You didn't mention what shape your control arm bushings are in. These could cause a noise. Also, what shape are your spring isolators in? Another thing to check is the tightness of the subframe bolts.

[Jonn]

Originally Posted by corning_d3

You didn't mention what shape your control arm bushings are in. These could cause a noise. Also, what shape are your spring isolators in? Another thing to check is the tightness of the subframe bolts.

Hi again, not spending much time here or on the Lumina, going to park it soon and run the Z24, but...
yeah still rattles, sub frame and control arms are ok, i cut a top iso apart and i see it has 2 metal pieces inside seperated by thin rubber, i think this is where the rattle comes from, from the worn compressed rubber, anyway.... not going to fix it for now, let it rattle along till she is parked, now up to 222,000 miles and still runs when asked to, and you know what happens when you start fixing things, cars will get back at you by developing a new problem, so i can live with this problem if i need to run it. Its been a good car, way better than most older lumi's from what i see on this board. But a lot of that is due to the fact i dont have a 3.1 or 3.4 My 2.5 has never had anything but oil and plugs in 222k. Except for Ign stuff that i dont classify as part of the engine. 3 spd auto tranny still working great, its original. Have worn out front axles and rear whl bearings, but thats to be expected. Now turning my attention to the Z24, experiences should be similar, except now throwing the 3.1 eninge problems into the mix.Oh well, we all cant have a Toyota LOL