Hey all, My car seems to have developed a strange knocking noise coming from the front right driver's side strut assembly. It makes the noise when driving over bumps, into driveways over small bumps in the road. However i cannot see anything wrong with it upon close inspection. Even pushing down/rocking the car when stationary it doesn't make a noise. I cannot work out where it is coming from. Nothing major has change and i have only just noticed this happening in the last few days. I have Bilstein shock inserts in the front, Dobisport Superlow springs, new (not repro'd) nolathane lower arms (inlcuding ball joints), Sabre 30mm sway bar and noltathane bushes throughout - everything is less that 12 months old. So from what i can tell it shouldn't just be something thats worn or fallen apart. Anyways any suggestions would be very helpful! Thanks in advance, Jason

What do the strut tops look like?

Quote: Originally Posted by jordy What do the strut tops look like? Oh yea i forgot - i also have Noltec strut tops... urethane with a pillow bearing arrangement... about 1 & 1/2 years old but the look fine.

Im thinking strut tops too... Check your coil is sitting properly in the strut..

Quote: Originally Posted by Hingo Im thinking strut tops too... Check your coil is sitting properly in the strut.. Coil still looks to be sitting sweet, I'm not sure about the strut tops - i'm not convinced as the Noltec items are usually pretty good. I will go and double check though. Keep up the suggestions guys. Thanks Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

It could be the big gland nut which holds the strut insert in...sometimes they come loose and can be hard to do up tight if you don't have the proper Bilstein tool.

Quote: Originally Posted by vhr32 It could be the big gland nut which holds the strut insert in...sometimes they come loose and can be hard to do up tight if you don't have the proper Bilstein tool. I never thought of that. I will check it out. Thanks, J

Did you replace the balljoints and tie-rod ends as well?? Also check that your wheel bearings aren't loose. They can make knocking sounds to.

Check wheel nuts and nuts that bolt the strut to the strut tower if they are tight. I've heard these noises are usually strut top related most of the time

Hey all, A quick update... Still can't find the noise but i'm quite sure it's strut related. If i push the car it doesn't make the noise but if i bounce it up and down... pulling it up on the rebound it makes the noise. The gland nut seems tight - seems the same amount of thread showing as the other side which isn't making the noise. All wheel nuts and strut top nuts (including the centre nut) are all tight and there is no movement. Ball joints and tierod ends all replaced when i did the rest of suspension. I'm thinking it's definitely something to do with the shock insert... maybe the shock is fcuked... i dunno. Thanks again everyone.

did u put a bit of oil back in the strut when u replaced the insert. also dont be sure they are done up tight by looking at the thread as thats not gonna come close. you really gotts swing off them with a big pair of stilsons if you dont got the tool

Quote: Originally Posted by Benny01 did u put a bit of oil back in the strut when u replaced the insert. also dont be sure they are done up tight by looking at the thread as thats not gonna come close. you really gotts swing off them with a big pair of stilsons if you dont got the tool I didn't put any oil in the strut... it had some in it when i took the old inserts out and swapped them over but i didn't put more in, i didn't think it was that crucial. In fact i never really heard of anyone mention it as a vital step. Anyways, i didn't just go by thread count, i also checked with my hand and it seemed tight - i didn't have time to give it a full going over this arvo - I need to drive it to work tomorrow so hopefully it isn't anything important that's about to fall apart. I did the mad visual check though and i can't see anything obvious. Oh and when i put the Bilstein's in i tightened up the gland nut really tight using a C-Spanner - I believe that is the correct tool to use... well if it's not it worked well!! I guess it may have worked loose... I guess i will try to find the time tomorrow to get the suspension shop to give it a quick l looksy - i guess it could even be a farked shock - i'll be well pissed off if it is... Catch ya till the moro, J

Ok this will be wonderful if we can figure it out. I'm getting by all accounts the same noise. Very similiar suspension set up. I've checked Gland nut and it is on tight, checked spring sits right. Shock is a good idea. I had the springs replaced from SL to just lows and it started then. Other than taking it all apart is there any other way to check if the shock sits in the strut with fluid??? Hope i got that right. It is a really annoying noise. Thanks for any help

put enough oil in so it comes up about 3/4 of the new strut

Quote: Originally Posted by Benny01 put enough oil in so it comes up about 3/4 of the new strut What's the deal with that? Does it stop the insert rubbing/wearing on the inside of the housing (strut) or something? Is there a specific type of oil i should use or just engine oil or something similar? I am waiting to get hold of the Bilstein gland nut tightening wrench so i can see if that is the problem. Hopefully i will get one tomorrow - I will check the oil level then. Cheers

I've got almost the same set up, and it sounds like the same noise. On Thursday I'm getting it checked by the guys that well created the noise I guess. Only thing that has changed on my set up is the springs were replaced and now I have a noise. (should have done it myself). Will let all know if they fix it.

it just takes up the space that the insert doesnt fill. the insert in some circumstances can move a bit and give a knocking sound. that bit of oil just stops it. any oil is good

wtf, u dont fill the strut up with oil to fill the space, if your insert ever moves you never did it tight enough. i use big 600mm stilsens to tighten mine if you have oil in the strut the inserts ****ed and been leaking. it sounds like a loose valve inside the insert to me

Quote: Originally Posted by theVLguy wtf, u dont fill the strut up with oil to fill the space, if your insert ever moves you never did it tight enough. i use big 600mm stilsens to tighten mine if you have oil in the strut the inserts ****ed and been leaking. it sounds like a loose valve inside the insert to me and what are you basing that on

Quote: Originally Posted by theVLguy wtf, u dont fill the strut up with oil to fill the space, if your insert ever moves you never did it tight enough. i use big 600mm stilsens to tighten mine if you have oil in the strut the inserts ****ed and been leaking. it sounds like a loose valve inside the insert to me Hmmm... I thought oil in the strut meant fcuked/leaking shocks too, but i'm no expert. I'm quite sure the inserts were quite a snug fit from memory anyways so i don't think they'll be much movement. I'm not convinced stilsons will work with the Bilstein locknut - it isn't a hex nut it is circular with a 2 grooves out of the sides. I don't have a picture of the nut but the tool used to screw it down looks like this: You can see the tool beneath that shock. You can kinda see the nut on the shock but not very clearly! As for this loose valve inside the insert - what's that all about? Does the shock just need repairing or replacing? What causes that to happen? Cheers Guys Some original photos have not been recovered yet.