I have a 2001 LHS which I have replaced all four struts with Monroe Quick Struts. I am now on my third pair of fronts due to the clunking noises that are definitly coming from the bearing plate area. Rockauto sent me the second pair under warranty .... no change , Monroe sent me the third pair ..... no change again. I've replaced every thing on the front end of this car IE: inner and outer tie rod ends , lower control arms , sway bar links. all 4 cradle mounts, the works. Also when cornering it feels as if the car wants to wander as if the struts are swaying. I never had this problem with the old worn out struts just a lot of bounce . ANYBODY HAVE ANY CLUES THAT COULD HELP !!!!
Front strut mount bearing plate clunking noise
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You are probably going to need Mopar OEM struts and mounts and they cost a fortune. I have heard that the quick struts on some models of cars can be noisy, especially on rougher roads , dips, speedbumps, humps, etc. Is that what you are getting or is it occurring on fairly smooth roads?. Apparently the manufacturing dimension tolerance (geometry) is very tight and the aftermarket units sometimes have an issue.
On my older 96 G Voyager, I got some clunking when I switched to Monroe Quick struts. I also changed a few things with no improvement including swapping one of the older mount/bearing plates from the original to the Monroe without success. When I put the complete old units on for a test, the problem went away.
BTW, I bought a 3 year alignment package and used it a few times with this project. Currently I am living with the occasional clunk that occurs on those sudden road dips, but it actually has improved a bit over time. Keep us posted on how this works out
On my older 96 G Voyager, I got some clunking when I switched to Monroe Quick struts. I also changed a few things with no improvement including swapping one of the older mount/bearing plates from the original to the Monroe without success. When I put the complete old units on for a test, the problem went away.
BTW, I bought a 3 year alignment package and used it a few times with this project. Currently I am living with the occasional clunk that occurs on those sudden road dips, but it actually has improved a bit over time. Keep us posted on how this works out
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The clunking noises are not caused by the struts themselves. They are caused by a worn top bearing and bearing plate. Did you replace those parts of the strut assembly, or just the strut cartridge? The bearing and bearing plate should always be changed with the strut - everything in the strut assembly except the spring, essentially.
He used Quick Struts which is the entire assembly. A quick Google search will indicate a few problems that have showed up on certain models where the OEM assemblies were replaced with Monroe Quick struts.
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I can tell you, Gabriel is FAR worse. Never will buy anything of theirs again.
Try tightening the strut shaft nut - the main nut on the top of the strut.
I replaced all 4 on my 95 Intrepid a year ago - the front end got much noisier after but the kids drove the car mostly in the summer so I did not fuss with it. Now that I am driving it again daily it started to bother me again. My tension strut rod bushings were in rough shape so I changed them last weekend - that took a bunch of noises out but I could still hear the top of the struts poping and clunking and when you turned the steering wheel lock to lock you could see and feel the tops shift around. I contacted MOnroe by email - they replied to phone - but before I got to that I thought let me try tightening the strut shaft nuts. Manual says 70 ft lbs. I tightened them just a bit maybe 1/2 turn - the passenger one was notably looser than the drivers and it had been more noisy. I did that Wednesday night - its been quiet ever since - and it was predictable before that so I think that solved it. I broke two 1/4 extensions tightening them though... the nut on mine is 13/16 or 21 mm and I used a spark plug socket on the nut with a wrench on teh hex top of the socket and with a 1/4 extension on a 10mm socket through the top of the 13/16 socket to hold the shaft. They moved some with a 1/4 drive ratchet - but then I put a 3/8 on it with an adaptor - went a little more and that is when the extensions gave out. You have to hold the shaft while tightening or it will just spin.
I replaced all 4 on my 95 Intrepid a year ago - the front end got much noisier after but the kids drove the car mostly in the summer so I did not fuss with it. Now that I am driving it again daily it started to bother me again. My tension strut rod bushings were in rough shape so I changed them last weekend - that took a bunch of noises out but I could still hear the top of the struts poping and clunking and when you turned the steering wheel lock to lock you could see and feel the tops shift around. I contacted MOnroe by email - they replied to phone - but before I got to that I thought let me try tightening the strut shaft nuts. Manual says 70 ft lbs. I tightened them just a bit maybe 1/2 turn - the passenger one was notably looser than the drivers and it had been more noisy. I did that Wednesday night - its been quiet ever since - and it was predictable before that so I think that solved it. I broke two 1/4 extensions tightening them though... the nut on mine is 13/16 or 21 mm and I used a spark plug socket on the nut with a wrench on teh hex top of the socket and with a 1/4 extension on a 10mm socket through the top of the 13/16 socket to hold the shaft. They moved some with a 1/4 drive ratchet - but then I put a 3/8 on it with an adaptor - went a little more and that is when the extensions gave out. You have to hold the shaft while tightening or it will just spin.
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If you can bounce the front end of the car and get the noise with the hood up, feel around for the noise source. This would help diagnosis by actually confirming your suspicions of which component is making it.
Clunking top strut mounts will sound like they are at mid to upper dashboard level.
Noises like sway bar bushings that can sound similar, would sound like they are under the floorpan in front of your feet.
If the clunk needs a rapid up/down suspension movement to make it happen, then bouncing the front end in person may not produce it.
Clunking top strut mounts will sound like they are at mid to upper dashboard level.
Noises like sway bar bushings that can sound similar, would sound like they are under the floorpan in front of your feet.
If the clunk needs a rapid up/down suspension movement to make it happen, then bouncing the front end in person may not produce it.
I have seen a lot of posts from people with 300M's (very similar to your LHS) and for almost everyone, if they replaced OEM struts with quick struts, most everyone had the same problem you are describing and after they replaced the upper mounting plate things are good again. I'm getting ready to do this job on my 300M and while I don't want to spend any more money than I have to, I'd rather spend a bit more up front than spend more later and tear into things again at a later date to replace something that should've been replace in the beginning. According to what I've read online, this is only a problem with the front upper mounting plates, the backs are usually ok.
If no success with any of the above tips then check the steering rack mounts. I beleive the steering rack mounts to the body rather than the frame on these LH cars and the rack mount bushings are known to go bad and get loose. I suspect loose mounts would make a similar clunking noise and could explain the wandering.
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