Advice on tightening coilover top nut

[Thirteen13]

Howdy,

I have a set of Ceika coilovers. They are very nicely made and the time ive had them in the car they feel really great, turns a boaty celica into something bit more solid.
However an issue im having it seems is there is some savage knocking and clunking sound when i hit bumps. Small and light bumps dont effect it, but a sudden shock or decent bump will create a very loud clonk.
My coilovers consist of camber plate, pillowball mount, main spring, helper spring.

I went to my mechanics and we worked on it for a bit, after taking him for a drive he said they shouldnt clonk like they do. My mate has the same coilovers and his dont clonk my mechanic works on his car too and has never heard this noise.

So with the time we spent on it we has possibly recreated the noise, by getting 2 people on the side of the car and rocking it from side to side and looking at the top nut/shock abosrber, it seems to jump about .5-1mm. And creats a defined clonk. With the struts completely out of the car they are solid, there is no free play in the pillowball mounts, no creaks, nothing that appears out of the ordinary.

I am putting my finger on the top nut being a bit to loose. However when tightening the top nut, it spins the strut. The manufacter of my strut said this turn of the strut is fine, but it means i cant loosen or tighten the top nut. With the coils pulled apart down to the shock only, we have vice clamped, vice gripped, help the strut shaft any way possible and just tighten that nut any further as its spinning the strut. We have been using a rattle gun, manual tools anything we can grab that top nut with

There is no allan key fitting inside the strut shaft, and i cant see any flat point that allows for a spanner to lock on, every part is rounded.
The manufacter of the strut suggested worst case scenario to bite in tightly right at the top of the shaft to grip it, so it wont run the risk of damaging the seal. I dont like this approach as i dont want to destroy something to fix something else.

Anyone got any ideas or suggestions ? Sorry if i havent provided enough info, if anything else needs to be known i can update more.

Thanks for the long read!

[SilverRA23]

Is the top nut a nylock style nut, or some other locking nut? Should be.

Best way I have found to tighten them is to do it on the car, with a rattle gun. So once it is all assembled and in, using a socket and probably an extension bar, rattle them up tight.

I have had clunks from the strut insert moving inside the housing. Is the top strut housing nut tight and holding the insert inside it tight?

[Thirteen13]

Thanks for the reply mate.

Yep have hit it with the rattle gun inside the car and it wouldnt go any tighten, just spins the shock. Bear in mind i only tried tightening, not loosening.
Looking at the nut itself, doesnt appear to be nylock, just looks like its been fastened down tightly on the washer.

With the strut out of the there is no movement, so it needs the force of the car to move it. With the side of the car jacked up and lifting the wheel it does make the clonk again slightly. Seems like the pillow ball mount jumps up and the shock moves up. Thats wat makes me think the top nut isnt tight enough.

I dont have a rattle gun at home, but i might go buy a cordless one, and re-attempt.
In the mean time any other suggests is really great help

[thechuckster]

Is the spherical bearing carrier holding the bearing firmly? If the strut is firmly captive inside the bearing, then look at the bearing itself.

edit: is there a spacer between the spherical bearing and the top spring hat?

[Thirteen13]

It appears to be the top spring perch, bearing, pillow ball, mount, top nut

[andrew_mx83]

if a rattle gun is still turning the shock then the nut is probably not going to travel any further. take it off, check/clean both threads and inspect WHY it stops.

if all else fails add washer and retighten to take up the 1mm slop you are talking about.


depending how much thread you have sticking out past the nut you could also file a couple of flats onto it to hold the strut with a spanner while you tighten the nut with another one.

[Thirteen13]

if a rattle gun is still turning the shock then the nut is probably not going to travel any further. take it off, check/clean both threads and inspect WHY it stops.

if all else fails add washer and retighten to take up the 1mm slop you are talking about.


depending how much thread you have sticking out past the nut you could also file a couple of flats onto it to hold the strut with a spanner while you tighten the nut with another one.

Good thinking, i havent reversed the nut yet, but tomorrow ill go in get a cordless rattle gun and start sussing it out. There is only literlly 1 tiny thread out the top, so i got no purchase there either! I wanna pull the bearing out and inspect it tho. They have about 500km's on them absolute max so i highly doubt unless they are DOA that thats the issues. I think needs more tight, but who knows

[andrew_mx83]

cordless rattle gun FTW, i use mine nearly everyday. worth every cent.

[Thirteen13]

cordless rattle gun FTW, i use mine nearly everyday. worth every cent.

Yeah i muck around with my car so much, i need to stop being cheap and save myself all the BS hassle and get one. What brand you got... Where is best place to get one from ?

[andrew_mx83]

mine is hitachi, i just bought the naked tool as i already had 2 batteries and a charger. gives 220nm of torque in a very compact package, it gets 90% of things undone without having to reach for the breaker bar. you can get them upto around 450nm but they become very heavy and bulky, i like that i can swing mine around the engine bay and also you can do up small shit without worrying about stripping threads as long as you dont sit there rattling the crap out of it.

my favorite tool for sure.

[SHEPPO3930]

i tighten the top lock nut on my struts by holding the shaft of the shocker with a pair of multigrips with a thick rag wrapped in between. You have to access the shaft through the spring tho, so it can be a little tricky! there is enough grip to allow the nut to be rattled on (+1 on cordless rattle guns). Once the nut is home and tight, the shaft will spin in the rag. never had any issues with this method.

[Thirteen13]

Shep: Yep thats wat ive been doing, but the rag and vice grips and tightening the top nut is just spinning the strut. Ive got a feeling the top nut is at tight as it will go.

My only other thought is to pull the pillowball mount apart and check out the bearing and see if there is any issue there... Other than that.. im clueless, im 100% sure these should not clonk around as ive been in other cars with the same brand and they are tight and silent.
I took both coilovers out and left 1 tensioned up and 1 loose and neither of them have any play in the top end.

Anything else i could check.

[Thirteen13]

K bought a strip of nice soft rubber which was super gripy and planted it on the vice grips. Done up MEGA tight on the strut shaft, impact wrench on top. That nut aint moving. It wont loosen or tighten. Im convinced its bascialyl forged on there.

[domma_aw11]

Id almost put money on the pillow mount been stuffed, thats what hapen with my old struts...

[andrew_mx83]

need a bigger rattle gun

or try big ass breaker bar while you grip it with the rubber etc