Need help with Strut noise

[FFPM73]

So here is my question. I have seen all the posts reguarding the Camaro front end noise. With that said, I just installed the Eibach Pro-Kit with 1.0 inch lowering springs and front/rear sway bars. My question is, is the noise coming from under the hood (top strut washer/nut) or from underneath? I noticed especially after installing the front springs, there is about a 1/2-3/4 inch gap between the frame of strut tower and the bottom of the washer. Will it hurt anything to install the top strut mount washer upside down (seems to fit better anyway)? To me there is a rubber gasket on top and bottom of washer, with it upside down, the rubber gasket sits against the strut house better and I would think it will eliminate any noise coming from the strut. The noise seems to be in my mind the upper strut hitting against the upper strut housing attached to the body of the car. Flipping the washer with support the strut so that movement is minimal. Am I wrong and am I going to do more harm than good?

[PQ]

Holy crap. I was googling this same thing and it brought me here. I have the same gap. unacceptable imo.

I'll not be driving mine until I get to the bottom of this. Turning the top retainer around will only eventually bend it and create more problems.

[Rod10269]

I installed the Eibach spring kit and had no issues or noises...could be you do not have the top of the strut in the correct position to seat properly with the body...should not be a gap.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Rod10269

I installed the Eibach spring kit and had no issues or noises...could be you do not have the top of the strut in the correct position to seat properly with the body...should not be a gap.

But how could it seat too high? If there were a seating position to match up, there the strut would sit too low.

[Jarhead]

Not sure if this is the same thing. I noticed a klunk sound coming from the right front wheel when moving in 1st gear at an idle. every bump I could hear a distinct klunk. I took it to the dealer where the mechanic discovered the front sway bar bolts were lock tighted, but never tightened down. Once he tightened them all was good. His opinion was break time started. He then checked every front end mounting point/bolt and found a few others that were not up to spec. "His words" I suspect that it was just a lazy worker or possibly a new employee, Ooops, wait that's right they just layed off a bunch of workers. must be an old time union worker that had to work for a living again!!!!

[BMR guy]

Originally Posted by FFPM73

So here is my question. I have seen all the posts reguarding the Camaro front end noise. With that said, I just installed the Eibach Pro-Kit with 1.0 inch lowering springs and front/rear sway bars. My question is, is the noise coming from under the hood (top strut washer/nut) or from underneath? I noticed especially after installing the front springs, there is about a 1/2-3/4 inch gap between the frame of strut tower and the bottom of the washer. Will it hurt anything to install the top strut mount washer upside down (seems to fit better anyway)? To me there is a rubber gasket on top and bottom of washer, with it upside down, the rubber gasket sits against the strut house better and I would think it will eliminate any noise coming from the strut. The noise seems to be in my mind the upper strut hitting against the upper strut housing attached to the body of the car. Flipping the washer with support the strut so that movement is minimal. Am I wrong and am I going to do more harm than good?

Some gap is required but 1/2"-3/4" is excessive. It should be more like 1/4"-3/8". This gap is necessary as the upper washer "rocks" side-to-side when the wheels turn. I suspect the noise is elsewhere and would probably check the sway bar end links too. Sometimes the shaft turns in the end link making it difficult to properly tighten them....

Hope this helps!

[PQ]

Originally Posted by BMR guy

Some gap is required but 1/2"-3/4" is excessive. It should be more like 1/4"-3/8". This gap is necessary as the upper washer "rocks" side-to-side when the wheels turn. I suspect the noise is elsewhere and would probably check the sway bar end links too. Sometimes the shaft turns in the end link making it difficult to properly tighten them....

Hope this helps!

Apperently you are correct sir.

[camaro5grey]

i have new sway bars w/ my lowering springs and have a rattling noise in the front ened when i go over a bumpy road at 1-35 mph? sounds like the sway bar is loose but when i lifted the car to make sure everything is tight. well it was!
do you really have to use lock tight on the nuts forthe front sway bar?

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by FFPM73

So here is my question. I have seen all the posts reguarding the Camaro front end noise. With that said, I just installed the Eibach Pro-Kit with 1.0 inch lowering springs and front/rear sway bars. My question is, is the noise coming from under the hood (top strut washer/nut) or from underneath? I noticed especially after installing the front springs, there is about a 1/2-3/4 inch gap between the frame of strut tower and the bottom of the washer. Will it hurt anything to install the top strut mount washer upside down (seems to fit better anyway)? To me there is a rubber gasket on top and bottom of washer, with it upside down, the rubber gasket sits against the strut house better and I would think it will eliminate any noise coming from the strut. The noise seems to be in my mind the upper strut hitting against the upper strut housing attached to the body of the car. Flipping the washer with support the strut so that movement is minimal. Am I wrong and am I going to do more harm than good?

Yes you will do more harm than good.

If the jam nut is loose it will change the height of the assembly. With the weight of the car on the wheels, remove the strut retaining nut and cap. Tighten the now exposed jam nut. Make certain it is tight. Reinstall the retaining plate and nut.

Take a test drive. If the noise is still there, double check the endlink nuts. Even though they appear tight, if they are not torqued to spec, which I think is 30 pounds, they can make noise.

Take a test drive. If it is still there it may be flutter in the OE strut. There is a noise in the OE strut caused by the fluid inside the strut under certain conditions. Call it hydraulic turbulence or a flutter. Chevrolet has revised the strut to make it quieter or more refined. It is possible that is what you hear, but having just altered the assembly I would lean towards an error in assembly which can range from a loose nut to improper assembly. Try tightening things up and let us know what you find.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by camaro5grey

i have new sway bars w/ my lowering springs and have a rattling noise in the front ened when i go over a bumpy road at 1-35 mph? sounds like the sway bar is loose but when i lifted the car to make sure everything is tight. well it was!
do you really have to use lock tight on the nuts forthe front sway bar?

Nope. Check the torque on those endlinks nuts and make certain they are to spec. It is also possible that one of your endlink ball joints has failed. Larger bars can cause endlink failure. Any chance you installed shperical endlinks with your new bars?

[TankMorph]

I found this old thread when I searched for info on Eibach spring squeak and noise. So here's my update:

I had some noises in my front springs (when moving slowly, turning, going over small bumps) after installing the Eibach Pro Kit. I found that the clear rubber tubing on the spring itself needs to be slid around the spring until it is as high up as possible. Under compression, the top several coils actually make contact with each other. That's what the tubing is for.

To accomplish this, just jack up the front and place jack stands in appropriate positions to support the vehicle. Now slide the tubing up as high on the spring as you can. While you're in there, make sure the spring is twisted in the proper position to seat itself in the notch on the bottom support.

This solved my issue, at least. YMMV!

[BMR guy]

Originally Posted by TankMorph

I found this old thread when I searched for info on Eibach spring squeak and noise. So here's my update:

I had some noises in my front springs (when moving slowly, turning, going over small bumps) after installing the Eibach Pro Kit. I found that the clear rubber tubing on the spring itself needs to be slid around the spring until it is as high up as possible. Under compression, the top several coils actually make contact with each other. That's what the tubing is for.

To accomplish this, just jack up the front and place jack stands in appropriate positions to support the vehicle. Now slide the tubing up as high on the spring as you can. While you're in there, make sure the spring is twisted in the proper position to seat itself in the notch on the bottom support.

This solved my issue, at least. YMMV!

Thanks for the update. Sharing solutions to common issues like this are what this forum is all about!

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by TankMorph

I found this old thread when I searched for info on Eibach spring squeak and noise. So here's my update:

I had some noises in my front springs (when moving slowly, turning, going over small bumps) after installing the Eibach Pro Kit. I found that the clear rubber tubing on the spring itself needs to be slid around the spring until it is as high up as possible. Under compression, the top several coils actually make contact with each other. That's what the tubing is for.

To accomplish this, just jack up the front and place jack stands in appropriate positions to support the vehicle. Now slide the tubing up as high on the spring as you can. While you're in there, make sure the spring is twisted in the proper position to seat itself in the notch on the bottom support.

This solved my issue, at least. YMMV!

The tubing is called coil wrap and is used on aftermarket and OE coils. When two coils touch each other they are referred to as dead coils or stacked coils. They do nothing but take up space when the car is on all four wheels, but expand to keep the coil trapped when the car is lifted. The down side to stacker coils is they can ping or squeak. To prevent this, coil wrap is used.

Nice work.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by TankMorph

I found this old thread when I searched for info on Eibach spring squeak and noise. So here's my update:

I had some noises in my front springs (when moving slowly, turning, going over small bumps) after installing the Eibach Pro Kit. I found that the clear rubber tubing on the spring itself needs to be slid around the spring until it is as high up as possible. Under compression, the top several coils actually make contact with each other. That's what the tubing is for.

To accomplish this, just jack up the front and place jack stands in appropriate positions to support the vehicle. Now slide the tubing up as high on the spring as you can. While you're in there, make sure the spring is twisted in the proper position to seat itself in the notch on the bottom support.

This solved my issue, at least. YMMV!

The tubing is called coil wrap and is used on aftermarket and OE coils. When two coils touch each other they are referred to as dead coils or stacked coils. They do nothing but take up space when the car is on all four wheels, but expand to keep the coil trapped when the car is lifted. The down side to stacker coils is they can ping or squeak. To prevent this, coil wrap is used.

Very nice work TankMorph