DOES YOUR CAMARO CLUNK?

[FuelInjected22]

I normally surf these forums, but seldom post. I would like to start this thread by first suggesting all appropriate avenues of service, starting with your own visual inspection of the problem area, followed by a scheduled trip to the dealership. If you have an experience like mine, and you dont have your issue resolved, then hear this.

ISSUE: Under all speed conditions (particularly when turning) you find yourself hearing a clunk of protest out of the front end of your vehicle. It may be driver or passenger side, and can even be "felt" in the floor, steering wheel, and/or seat of your pants! (depending of severity of impact)

CAUSE: IN MY PARTICULAR CASE* and upon furthur inspection following dealership installation of new struts, swaybar end links, and strut mounts... I found that the rubber edged steel "caps" on the strut towers, in the engine bay, bolted to the spindle of the struts had significant spacing, or "gap" between the base of the tower (still in the engine bay, not to be confused with the bottom side in the wheel well) and the cap itself. Im talking about 1/8" of fresh air between where the cap SHOULD be seated, and where it was found to be "floating". My best educated guess was a combination of normal wear to the rubber bushing that edges the steel cap, as well as potential contracting of the rubber due to changes in tempurature and normal strut/ spring settling. (symptoms didnt surface for 20,000 miles)

WHY WASNT THIS NOTICED: You cant see this gap unless you are at eye level with the towers themselves. On a lift, the fenders sit higher than the towers, so its impossible to see from that angle as well. you are going to have to squat down at the nose of your Camaro to inspect these caps. Not necessarily 3 feet off the front bumper, but at a reasonable distance to inspect your strut towers.

FIX IT: In my scenario, I used Stinger Road Kill quiet mat. Normally used by sound guys to cut down on vibration caused by speakers.

With your car ON THE GROUND

-Remove the Caps (23mm I believe)
-Cut the sound mat to the size of the caps
-Cut a hole in the center of the material you just sized for the caps. make sure they are large enough to fit over the strut spindle
-Install the Mat Material you have made to fit the towers.
-Install the Cap
-Install the retaining nut to the correct torque spec.
-Test, and weep tears of joy

NOTE:

You may need to double or triple up the layers of mat you use to compensate for your "gap". Snug is what we are going for between the mat (your new base) and the OEM rubber trim around the cap. Make sure you dont comprmise the installation of the retaining nut by smashing the material between the base nut on the spindle and the cap retaining nut.
If you have a better suited alternative for the Mat, go ahead and use it. This way just happened to work for me.

I really hope this will work for you guys like it did for me.

[Rcfiddy1]

[christianmotox]

Pics please!!!

[CFD]

Originally Posted by FuelInjected22

I normally surf these forums, but seldom post. I would like to start this thread by first suggesting all appropriate avenues of service, starting with your own visual inspection of the problem area, followed by a scheduled trip to the dealership. If you have an experience like mine, and you dont have your issue resolved, then hear this.

ISSUE: Under all speed conditions (particularly when turning) you find yourself hearing a clunk of protest out of the front end of your vehicle. It may be driver or passenger side, and can even be "felt" in the floor, steering wheel, and/or seat of your pants! (depending of severity of impact)

CAUSE: IN MY PARTICULAR CASE* and upon furthur inspection following dealership installation of new struts, swaybar end links, and strut mounts... I found that the rubber edged steel "caps" on the strut towers, in the engine bay, bolted to the spindle of the struts had significant spacing, or "gap" between the base of the tower (still in the engine bay, not to be confused with the bottom side in the wheel well) and the cap itself. Im talking about 1/8" of fresh air between where the cap SHOULD be seated, and where it was found to be "floating". My best educated guess was a combination of normal wear to the rubber bushing that edges the steel cap, as well as potential contracting of the rubber due to changes in tempurature and normal strut/ spring settling. (symptoms didnt surface for 20,000 miles)

WHY WASNT THIS NOTICED: You cant see this gap unless you are at eye level with the towers themselves. On a lift, the fenders sit higher than the towers, so its impossible to see from that angle as well. you are going to have to squat down at the nose of your Camaro to inspect these caps. Not necessarily 3 feet off the front bumper, but at a reasonable distance to inspect your strut towers.

FIX IT: In my scenario, I used Stinger Road Kill quiet mat. Normally used by sound guys to cut down on vibration caused by speakers.

With your car ON THE GROUND

-Remove the Caps (23mm I believe)
-Cut the sound mat to the size of the caps
-Cut a hole in the center of the material you just sized for the caps. make sure they are large enough to fit over the strut spindle
-Install the Mat Material you have made to fit the towers.
-Install the Cap
-Install the retaining nut to the correct torque spec.
-Test, and weep tears of joy

NOTE:

You may need to double or triple up the layers of mat you use to compensate for your "gap". Snug is what we are going for between the mat (your new base) and the OEM rubber trim around the cap. Make sure you dont comprmise the installation of the retaining nut by smashing the material between the base nut on the spindle and the cap retaining nut.
If you have a better suited alternative for the Mat, go ahead and use it. This way just happened to work for me.

I really hope this will work for you guys like it did for me.

I don't think it's that it wasn't noticed, the gap is normal. I'm not saying it didn't cure your clunking just saying the gap is normal.

[christianmotox]

Still waiting for pics...

[fsrtwo]

Are your front seats adjusted back as far as they can go? Had the same problem, drove me nuts. Moved my seats up a 1/2" or so, problem solved.

[TommyTheCat]

Originally Posted by CFD

I don't think it's that it wasn't noticed, the gap is normal. I'm not saying it didn't cure your clunking just saying the gap is normal.

+1 Gap is normal

My Camaro never clunks

[Destructo09]

Mine has always had some clunkiness in the front right corner. It seemed that it was pretty much normal from doing research and nobody ever found a solution. I just ignore it, but perhaps what you found is the source of the noise. However like everybody else said that gap is normal which might be why there was never a solution.

[Avenging Orange]

Every car I have owned has had a clunk, clank, rattle, thump. Its an automobile with lots of moving parts.

[Destructo09]

Originally Posted by Avenging Orange

Every car I have owned has had a clunk, clank, rattle, thump. Its an automobile with lots of moving parts.

Yep, as i've gotten more years behind the wheels of more and more cars I have started to realize this lol. Nothing is broken on my car so I don't pay it any mind anymore.

[Kleeeb]

When I put my car in park, let it sit for a short minute, and then put it in drive and start moving it will make a clunking noise. Not a conventional drivetrain clunk, but like... it sounds like something falling out from under the car. Sometimes does it once, sometimes twice when initially accelerating... Just like a pop underneath the car. I don't know what it is...

[Chrome4Me]

I had a similar clunking when going over bumps or speed bumps. turned out to be the struts.

Tom

[DarKnightZ]

Mine also has this clunking noise.. its mainly around the passenger rear area.. :/

[SneakyBlue]

I lowered my Camaro a few weeks ago and just began noticing the clunk noise on the front driver's side. I saw that the rubber bushings were partially not seated properly under the top strut mount cap. Since re-adjusting it again, I also noticed that the convex shaped washer sitting below the rubber cap was flipped upside down. Once we adjusted them around and added two new caps for the worn out ones, the rubbing and clunk noises disappeared.