Hi Folks. I have a problem with noise coming from the front end and I'm pretty sure it's the suspension. First, here's a little background:

-Close to a couple months ago, installed RL rear sway, RL front strut bar, RL front and rear end links.
-During strut bar install, one of the bolts on the driver side closest to the windshield got stripped.
-Bolt is not completely loose but still cannot fully tighten. Need to remove strut to re-thread. Haven't done this yet.
-All the other bolts are fully tight.

So, up until last night, everything was fine, bumps big and small on the road was normal and no noise. Handling was good because of the stiffen rear sway but nothing wrong. Suddenly, last night, there was a loud and constant thumping from the front whenever going over bumps or a less than smooth road. I'm talking about paved city streets, not gravel or pot hole roads. Very normal street.

The noise is like a thumping, solid knocking. It is not focused on left or right. Sometime it sounds like it's coming from right or left but mostly sounds like from center. I can almost feel the knocking at my feet. This is at normal speeds and on straight road. The noise is constant when the road surface is not completely smooth but once the road surface is smooth, the noise is gone.

This is not a loose metal type of noise. It's a definite solid knocking/thumping. The best I can was checked the strut bolts. All good except for the one in question as usual. I didn't lift up the car but with a flashlight and peeking through the wheel spokes I can see the front sway bar with the endlinks. It "looks" solid with no indication of loose bolts. Remember,this is only a visual inspection without the car being on a lift.

Any ideas? Should I be worried and stop driving the car immediately? I can bring it to a mechanic but not until in a day or two because of work.

Thanks for any tips!

Bolt is not completely loose but still cannot fully tighten. Need to remove strut to re-thread. Haven't done this yet.
-All the other bolts are fully tight.

Well, thats your problem right there

wade001 wrote:Bolt is not completely loose but still cannot fully tighten. Need to remove strut to re-thread. Haven't done this yet.
-All the other bolts are fully tight.

Well, thats your problem right there

Yeah, I figure as much. Just wanted to check with all you experts

My main concern is that can I drive it for a couple of days until I can get to my mechanic? How about driving it for a week until next weekend? Since they have to take out the struct to re-thread/tap (whatever it's called), it won't be a drive in/drive out job. I have work M-F so weekend is my best bet.

So OK to drive for a week?

i wouldnt recomend doing that. play it safe and get it fixed asap

I have one more thing to add. If it is the left strut (one loose bolt), why is the noise so loud and why does it sound like the nose comes from center and right side as well? The strut attaches to the chassis with 4 bolts, right? So with 3 good bolts and 1 not so good, is the impact that significant?

Sorry for the ignorance... I'm not a mechanic but trying to understand the concept.

You sure you didn't run over a dog at the time?

johnnir3volution wrote:You sure you didn't run over a dog at the time?

I don't know whether to laugh or waive my fist at you.... HAHA And no I didn't! A cat maybe but not a dog.

This is a serious matter... to drive it or not? I need to get to work weekdays and not sure if I really should. Of course it's not recommended but how bad are we talking here.

if you have to drive do it conservatively. and yes. it will make a loud thunking noise, was in a truck that had a loss bolt, tightened it and the noise went away.

Hmm....
Since you still got a couple of hrs left of Sunday, I'd try messing with it today and hopefully get it fixed asap. Maybe try reinstalling it?

hmm i had the same problem when i went over speed bumps. but i had a recall on my struts, and after they fixed whatever the problem was and replaced my struts it stopped making that noise

Oh no... Struts were never touched. Only replaced end links and installed strut bar. This problem only started last night after a month of problem free driving after the install.

give yourself maybe 15-20 extra minutes for driving to work if possible and drive s...l...o...w... and cautious

UPDATE.....
I brought my car in to my mechanic last night and got a call this AM. It turns out that the strut was not the issue. It was the RL front endlinks. I didn't quite understand what he was telling me but the general explanation was where the endlinks connect to the sway bar. It was either too tight or something. The rubber spacers were too compressed and it was rubbing against the sway bar? Anyways, I'll be picking up my car tonight to test and report back if there are any significant updates.

Thank you all who responded and made suggestions.

5497 wrote:UPDATE.....
I brought my car in to my mechanic last night and got a call this AM. It turns out that the strut was not the issue. It was the RL front endlinks. I didn't quite understand what he was telling me but the general explanation was where the endlinks connect to the sway bar. It was either too tight or something. The rubber spacers were too compressed and it was rubbing against the sway bar? Anyways, I'll be picking up my car tonight to test and report back if there are any significant updates.

Thank you all who responded and made suggestions.

I had the same issue, although it's not a "knocking" sound, more like kind of an annoying rubbing sound. It's those stock bushings on there that can't hold up. Although it's nothing that will cause you to crash, it will just be more of an annoyance than anything.

My rear sway bar was squeaking like crazy, I had to reinstall them with new lube.