GT Nate

I swapped out the rusty struts on my 2010 with new kits from RockAuto. These were full units and just bolt in.

Car drives fine, but the passenger side spring is binding in the strut on slow hard turns. The driver's side is fine.

Is the spring supposed to turn with the strut or does it stay stationary? When my wife turns the wheels from side to side, the passenger side spring turns a little then "poing!" is snaps back to position...

I verified the notch at the top of the strut is correct, and the torque specs are verified.

Wonder if I got a bad strut and should request a new one for that side?

Or do struts just take a few days to settle in and this noise may be normal??

Thoughts?

Thanks guys!

gthig13

gthig13

proeagles

No way the spring should move. Something is not tight or the strut is defective. It is possible but unlikely that the upper mount was not fully tightened down to the shock compressing the spring all the way. If you have an impact gun, just hit that center nut a couple of licks and see what happens. In some cases the shock is supposed to be captured while the nut is tightened to prevent it from spinning which is why a couple of licks with the impact gun with the weight of the car on the spring will work. Don't just keep hammering it however.

GT Nate

Well the spring doesn't "move" necessarily, it rides in its holder and the strut assembly turns with the wheel, while the upper bearing plate top stays positioned.

It's not a bushing, I'm wondering if the upper bearing is defective and not turning under the weight of the car, or doesn't turn THEN BOING! The spring forces it to turn. The bolts are torqued to 148 ft/lb and the upper 4 nuts to 28 ft/lb.

It's really hard to mess up the install.

I will give the both a few good turns tonight to see if that tightens it up. I don't have an impact gun, but I've a breaker bar. 2 turns no more and we'll see if that does it. If not RockAuto can send a free replacement.

proeagles

The upper strut mount has a bearing and therefore the whole assembly under it should turn freely as you turn the wheel. If the spring is actually popping back into place or moving out of its perch, then there is clearly something not tight or the upper mount is defective. That upper nut will turn with a breaker bar because the shock will be turning with it unless you can capture the top of the shock to keep it from spinning. Can you see the spring actually move when you hear the boing sound? Make sure the sway bar is also tight because it will make a popping noise under load if not tight.

GT Nate

it's not the sway bar. I didn't touch that.
the spring is supposed to turn but it seems the upper plate isn't.

I'm not sure tightening it is the answer, it may be TOO tight and binding, while a maybe 1.5 turns to loosen it may unbind it some.

GT Nate

tonight I'll loose the 4 upper bolts and drop it down, to see if that upper bearing turns freely.

Derf00

Could be the bearing strut mount is bad in the one you are having issues with as GTNATE mentioned.

Also, when you tighten everything up, you should have the suspension loaded. Obviously you can't tighten the lower strut mount bolts with the car sitting on the ground but, you can get your jack under control arm and compress the suspension.

Then tighten the struts lower bolts to 148 ft/lbs.

That reminds me what are you torquing the struts (top and bottom to)? Top nuts are 26 ft/lbs, lower bolts are 148 ft/lbs

GT Nate

Problem's fixed.
I went to Advance Auto, bought an exact replacement, put it in. Torqued to 148 and 28 and everything's peachy. Suspension was loaded. To get the sway bar end link back on I had to jack up the lower control arm, so the suspension was at just about level, so all good!

Rock Auto is issuing a refund on the one from them. That upper mount was so tight you cannot turn it at all... and I could loosen it, but I suspect all the driving I did on it wore it out enough to not be safe in my mind.

All good amigos!