legacycentral bbs

on my rear passengers side i get a funny hollow clunking sort of noise, it is hard to describe ,when I hit moderate size bumps or dance on an array of potholes i hear it most it is only on that one wheel. Is there something going bad that i should replace, i know the description of the sound isnt th best but it is heard to put into words.

konrad

check if your rear strut mount is broken, or if a bolt is loose. The problem is probably there. It could be an endlink, but i doubt it.

The strut mount is the top rubber thing that holds the spring on the strut. If you have a sedan, you have to take out the back seat. If you have a wagon, im not really sure what you do, but rumor is that it's easier.

Just pop off the plastic speaker cover if it's a wagon. If you can spin the strut nut easily (the big one in the middle) then it's likely a broken strut. End links are also common and are easily noticeable if you look at the bushings. If you still haven't found it, check the tightness of all the suspension bolts.

Steve

my strut was broken.... a trip to the junkyard, 3 hours and $25 later and it quit clunking

i wish i knew how a broken one and a working one looks.... lol I've learned alot working on the car myself but im still pretty lost when it comes to suspension. I guess it comes wth experience... too bad one of you guys arent available one weekend.... id buy ya dinner for some help istalling struts and checking out the car If someone lives in new york id offer jetblue standby passes, i get them every quarter i called up a local subaru repair shop they told me about 250 to install new struts and they charge 90 dolasr to look at the car.... damn suspension is so expensive i check the price of rhe gr-2s for a few other models of cars and there all like 60 dollars a peice where as the cheapest ive found for my sedan is 108 for rear and 78 for front i belive... or the other way around..
Then theres the question of replacing the springs or not...

if you are looking for struts (maybe even agx's) try;

Sam Harris
Turbometrics
http://www.turbometrics.com/store/
sam@turbometrics.com
585-746-2322

he's done some great deals for our local subaru club, so he should be able to get you some struts/springs for a good price

The thing about suspension work. . . it's not too difficult once you have a basic understanding of it. . . it's just time-consuming, which makes it expensive to have a shop do it for you.

Cool thing is, the tools and the work itself, save a few things like compressing springs, etc are very straight-forward. Most of these tools are just going to be wrenchs, ratchets, and sockets. Throw in a pair of pliers or two, a floorjack and jackstands . . . and you're 99% there for working on most suspension projects.

Oh yeah. . . and you have to want to get dirty. . . you ARE working under your car, after all.

I'd be more than willing to help out if i was in new york. i can throw together diagrams, a tool list and instructions for replacing struts if you decide to undertake this yourself.

Im starting to think more and more its the strut mount by the way it sounds and after reading more about what makes up our suspension... then again it could be the nut at the top came off/looose... or would that lead to more drastic problems?
Whatever it is it has been sounding worse every day and i hope i am not putting myself at too much of a danger driving around.
I may be forced to dish out the money but then i might as well do the whole things struts, springs mounts... and for our cars i noticed they arent the cheapest.
I wish i had more money available right now but with this stalling problem also i may just give in and get the altima that im being offered by my wifes father.. i just hate to give up the subaru it really grew on me.

i spent $600 on springs/struts and it's the best $600 i've ever spent

i think i will cave and do it.. theres no need to throw away a good car.. ill keep the altima in the garage for later. Just one question i got price quotes from subaruparts.com..
im only buying the mounts and coils from subaru and gr-2 struts
do these descriptions sound correct

20331AA020 P1280593 Coil Spr F
20331AA030 P1280593 Coil Spr F
20381AA600 Coil Spring R 2wd 2x i guess the rear two are the same?

20320AA100 Pt187589 Strut Mtg C i dont know ath the hell this is but they included it..

20370AA021 Strut Mt Cp 2wd
20370AA031 Strut Mt 2wd Lh anyone know the part number for the Rh one? or is 21 for the right? they are the same price.

the descriptions are confusing to me... if anyone knows the part numbers help me out
its a 91 MT FWD sedan btw...
What i am looking for exactly is the 4 springs and mounts, though i did see KYB front mounts ( are the left and right the same?) at the tire rack which are better? I will probably end up getting the gr-2's at tirerack since they are the cheapest i have found... unless someone knows a better place.

I just cut some (4) 2"x3" pieces of an old tire and slipped them inside the housing in the rear deck (while jacked up). No more bumping at least. Then again, I'm thrifty (cheap)

It could be the rear diff clunking. Without an interior, I notice that much more than I used to.