It has finally snowed here in Green Bay! And with the snow, comes a very interesting knocking sound from the front passenger side wheel of my 03 Cav sedan. It doesn't happen all the time, it only happens when you hit a bump or a deep pit in the road. It sounds like a really loud knocking. I have a vibrant front strut tower brace, and I thought the bolts might be loose, but when I checked them, they all seemed to be tight. So I stumped - any ideas? Thanks!
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sounds like a strut mount?
How severe is that and do you think that my strut brace is what caused it to go bad.
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Not too severe, a pain in the ars to change depending on your skill level. I doubt thats what caused it (may be wrong). But its a common problem with cavs
It seems like it, out of the 5 cavs that I have owned, only one didn't make any front end noise. Maybe because I only had it for winter beating. The car is still under warranty , but I am wondering if they will cover it still because I have the brace on there?
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Ever since I installed my front swaybar- I get a loud "clunk" if I hit a pothole or dip in the road w/ the passenger wheel...
I think its the sway bar hitting the tie-rod, but Im not sure... Maybe its the mount, i dunno.
The car is still under factory warranty, so if they tell me that it won't be covered becase of the strut brace, I am gonna go home, take it iff, and come back and tell them the same thing. If all else fails, then i will go to the other dealer across town to have it fixed. How long are the mounts good for anyway, or does it matter based on the way that you drive the car? Any other ideas at all.
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They should still cover the strut mounts if your under the 3 year Bumper to bumper warranty. They shouldnt really give you any trouble pending you torqued the nuts back to spec. I think it is 18 ft lbs. No tighter.
my 2 bits
I wrenched them on there as tight as they could go, and I have had the bar on there for about 2 months now and I have never had a problem with the bolts lossening at all, but I thought that having it on there might have caused the mount to go bad over time.
I am what I am and it is what it is.
I am the 2nd most untrusted person in the world next to a lawyer,welcome to our dealership, may I help you?
Check the swaybar endlinks and bushings.
Maybe the strut bar is hitting the hood...?
Agree with the endlink bushings. GM has a TSB on this issue. I replaced mine with Carquest brand on my 1993 Cavalier and the clunking noise went away for as long as I kept the car (for about another 4 years). They come as a kit and I think the price is about 20 bucks to do both sides with the long bolt, all rubber bushings and nuts, washers, etc. The Carquest rubber bushings were thicker than the OEM ones.
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Quote:
sounds like a strut mount?
BINGO!!! DING DING ding ding ding!!!! CORRECT.
Had to replace the strut mount, but the warranty covered it all even with the brace being on the car. The replaced both sides on top of that. So we are all good to go. Brand new again. Thanks for all the help and comments guys.
I am what I am and it is what it is.
I am the 2nd most untrusted person in the world next to a lawyer,welcome to our dealership, may I help you?