Clunking / ticking suspension noise

[TurboRA28]

Hey all, i've been trying to help Toyt18 solve a problem with his front end suspension.

When you drive the car, or bounce it up and down there is a very noticable clunking/ticking kinda noise in the suspension.

We have had it in/out/apart so many times it is a joke trying to find it.

It really sounds like it is coming from the tein adjustable strut tops, so after inspecting these many times and not finding anything wrong we decided to try a brand new set of cusco tops. Same noise.

Tried putting rags over the springs to eliminate any noise of the springs tapping against the top hats.

The shock is very tight in the strut. Everything is tightened up.

One odd thing, is when you first bounce the car the first 10 bounces or so there is no noise, it is something that develops after that. Once it starts making it the most gentle movement up and down keeps the noise going.

It comes from both sides, same noise.

The spring doesn't touch the tower in anyway.

Been lying under the car and listening to the noise and definately sounds like the top of the shock somewhere. But if you run your hand over it all as it's making the noise you cannot feel or see any slack/movement etc.

The shocks are KYB AGX and rather new (under 1000km). All I can imagine is something in the adjustment mechanism inside the shock is tapping? Is that possible?

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Joel

[willwal98]

The fact that the noise isn't there all the time would suggest it's something in the shock, oil would be moving about for the first few bounces. Wonder if could be a bent shock or bent plates in there or something like that.

[LeeRoy]

I had a similar noise in my ae92. It has pillow ball adj strut tops (solid) and i thought it might have been them. Turned out to be rooted ball joints.

Any play when you grab the wheel?

[TurboRA28]

Should have mentioned that we have tried putting new balljoints in. No play in steering or wheel.

[YLD-16L]

A few of possibilities (easily tested with the shock out of the car):

Poor fitting glide-ring on shock piston. They can make a hell of a clunk for a very small amount of movement of the ring.

Unlikely but could be the piston is loose, generally though this won't happen for long because it usually separates and you lose all dampening.

Another one but I'm sure you've checked that the shock is not moving at all inside the strut tube? EDIT I reread and saw you have checked it.

Get the shocks onto a shock dyno then you can eliminate them as the source of the problem or determine they are the problem.

[TurboRA28]

Thanks all for the suggestions..
To check the glide-ring, does the shock need to be pulled apart?
Shock dyno eh.. Guessing Pedders or someone would have them?

[YLD-16L]

To check the glide-ring, does the shock need to be pulled apart?

Glide ring/piston/shim issues will show up on a shock dyno.

With the dampener out of the car you could probably pick up a glide ring/piston issue by simply holding the shock body carefully in a vice/clamp and using both hands to try and move the dampener shaft up and down as quick as you can. It'll feel like the shaft has a small amount of freeplay in its travel before any dampening begins to act.

You might need to go to a place that rebuilds shocks to find a shock dyno, I think most pedders only have the on-car shock dynos which probably won't be able to isolate the cause of the clunk.