popping in front end when I hit a bump

[Rogan]

Ok so when I rented the V6 and heard this noise I thought it was someone who rented it just beat on the car hard. This is a common problem. Ok so I should be looking at a different car. The problem hasn't be acknowledged by GM. Well this kind of sux.

[Rogan]

Originally Posted by caperss

After installing the front sway bar it ripped off the frame after hitting a bump. It ripped the front stud on the swaybar cap right out of the frame. I ground it flat and welded a new stud in and put it all back together and guess what. NO POPPING noise from the front end. That stud must have been loose from day one and the sway bar was bouncing up and down just enough to hear it through the subframe. The car is now dead quiet on uneven roads and it feels so much tighter now. Everyone with this noise check the swaybar studs for being loose in the frame. I could not believe this happened to a new car but that noise has been with me since day one and now I am sop happy to have it gone. Check it out people and let me know if anyone else has this problem.

This is good news. I better test drive the one I'm think of getting again....if I decide to make the move. The Mustang GT has better reviews handling wise, so GM just possibly lost a buyer.

[Brolik10]

I know this has been hashed to death but, I Just got word from my dealer that everything appears normal! They have checked bolts and bushing. However, they can hear the clunk but GM doesnt have a fix as of yet.

[Flow_Motion]

Hmmm. I've been reading/lurking these forums for the past couple months. I was actually looking at the Camaro reviews on Edmunds website where someone referred to this site, with all the people with the same problems. Needless to say, I'm going to wait on purchasing a Camaro for now. I'll use that 30 grand I have and maybe buy myself a used Lexus or something. We'll see...
Just hope GM fixes the problems, ASAP!

[JusticePete]

Lets just say on the VERY conservative side there are ONLY 100,000 Camaro owners. There are 48,000 members in this forum. There are now, including this post, 508 posts in this thread. Most of those that have posted in this thread have posted numerous times, but lets just say there are 508 posts from 508 Camaro owners. Do the math and tell me there is a reaspon not to buy a Camaro based on this thread.

As a Camaro enthusiast and a Camaro owner I can tell you mine did not make any noise except for a wicked exhaust note created by headers, a blower, 568 RWHP and cut outs. Not a single suspension noise. Not one.

The driving experience in a bone stock Camaro is excellant. If there were a defective part in the front suspension I would already be making a replacement and selling it on this forum. There is no defect, so there are no replacement parts to correct the noise.

Go drive a Camaro SS at your local Chevy Dealer. Make your own decision based on what you feel, see and hear. For what it is worth, I have my ZL1 on order. It will be my second 5th Gen. I don't expect it to make any noise in the front suspension. Now with my LPE pulley and tune I do expect a nasty exhuast note and 600 at the wheels.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by caperss

After installing the front sway bar it ripped off the frame after hitting a bump. It ripped the front stud on the swaybar cap right out of the frame. I ground it flat and welded a new stud in and put it all back together and guess what. NO POPPING noise from the front end. That stud must have been loose from day one and the sway bar was bouncing up and down just enough to hear it through the subframe. The car is now dead quiet on uneven roads and it feels so much tighter now. Everyone with this noise check the swaybar studs for being loose in the frame. I could not believe this happened to a new car but that noise has been with me since day one and now I am sop happy to have it gone. Check it out people and let me know if anyone else has this problem.

Excuse me. Was this an aftermarket bar you installed?

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by FFPM73

I had the same noise, worse after I installed the Eibach Pro-Kit. I tried everything too fix it and couldn't quite put my finger on the noise. I tightened the top of the strut cap with an impact gun and then re-installed the strut in the car. Then I put the top strut cap on and tightened the top nut with an impact gun. After that, I checked and re-torqued all suspension/steering components including the new sway bars/end links. Put the car back on the ground and drove on the bumpiest road I could find......end result noise GONE. That was well over 3000 miles ago and still no problem. A lot of guys and technicians will tell you not to tighten strut mount with impact when in fact I still believe the clunking noise is from the strut not being secured inside the strut tower and the clunking noise is the strut hitting the strut mount on the underside. It worked for me maybe you will get lucky as well, just a thought.....

What you did is exactly spot on correct. With the nut already 'tight' the impact gun did not spin the shaft. It put another half turn or so on the nut. Strut nuts, endlink nuts and radius arm nuts and bolts are the primary cuase of noise in the ZETA II 5th Gen. The secondary group would include th ball joints at the knuckle (LCA, RA and Tie Rod) and the sway bar bracket studs and nuts. When these are all tight, there is no noise.

[rolnslo]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

... If there were a defective part in the front suspension I would already be making a replacement and selling it on this forum. There is no defect, so there are no replacement parts to correct the noise.
...

So those of us with this "non-defective problem" are all just crazy? Just because you haven't heard it in your car or the ones you've worked on, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. C'mon, even GM knows there's a problem here, they just opted to stick their heads in the sand and say..."if you can reproduce the issue using a new car on the lot, then that's the way it is supposed to be".... BS!



Next time you are in Houston, let me know. We'll go for a ride in my Camaro and you can sit there and listen to the clunk when I go over speed bumps and uneven pavement joints.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by rolnslo

So those of us with this "non-defective problem" are all just crazy? Just because you haven't heard it in your car or the ones you've worked on, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. C'mon, even GM knows there's a problem here, they just opted to stick their heads in the sand and say..."if you can reproduce the issue using a new car on the lot, then that's the way it is supposed to be".... BS!



Next time you are in Houston, let me know. We'll go for a ride in my Camaro and you can sit there and listen to the clunk when I go over speed bumps and uneven pavement joints.

I do understand that some Camaros have a noise in the front end. There was a change in the upper insulator. The original was a flat rubber washer. The new improved part is a stamped steel and urethane part. Having written that, when we install Pedders coilovers we through those in the garbage. Yes we throw away both the flat old original rubber and new urethane and stamped steel upper insulator and have no one complain about the noise. We have replaced some flat rubbers to with the new improved part to isolate the cabin from an internal strut hydraulic flutter. The flutter noise is not a bang or clunk and it does not in any way impact the performance of the vehicle. The flutter was found in the early months of production and has been addressed. I don't consider either of these to be a defect or a real problem with a part. They are minor evolutionary changes that I would expect from a manufacturing company. Neither one would account for the types of noises being reported here.

With the exception of a handful of early production vehicles (upper insulator change out) the rest have been fixed on the spot with an impact gun and some grunt behind a couple of wrenches. If you can make the trip out here, I'll meet you at my Fredericksburg Pedders Dealer. We'll go over your front end and make your noise go away by making everything tight to my standards. I have posted a checklist for this. It just takes some time to work through. You can watch the process, take pictures and or video. It ain't a rocket science fix. I'll pay for the shop time. We just need to get you here to Heath's shop during the week.

NOTE: There are a large number of C6 members that have posted in this thread with noises AND aftermarket parts. Installing aftermarket parts requires the disassembly of the OE parts. Those with aftermarket parts should be in a separate thread or make it abundantly clear in their posts.

Camaro Front End Noise Correction

Inspection -- Determine if the upper spring insulator is black rubber or beige urethane.

Inspection -- If it is black rubber and partially displaced, replace it with the updated steel and urethane insulator.

Inspection -- Is there any damage to any of the front end components.

Inspection -- If available test drive with chassis ears in place to identify the source. If chassis ears are not available complete the 9 Steps listed here.

1. With the weight of the car on the wheels, remove the strut retaining nut and plate.
2. Burp the exposed strut assembly nut tight with the biggest baddest air gun in the shop. TQ is the key. We need a sudden acceleration of the nut to make it tight.
3. Reinstall the strut retaining plate and strut retaining nut. Tighten with the same over kill air gun for the same reasons.
4. Hit the strut clevis bolts with the same gun.
5. Hit the endlink nuts with the same monster gun. Don't do it by hand. Crank them down.
6. Get a wrench and all three ball joint nuts. Make them mechanic tight.
7. Crank down the radius arm nut and bolt to the same standard. Mechanic tight.
8. Get a socket on the sway bar strap nuts and make them mechanic tight.
9. Hit all four steering rack bolts and make them mechanic tight.

The 5th Gen Camaro is a ZETA II front end. We have seen issues with the G8 in the USA and the Commodore in AU. Chevrolet addressed those issues with large more robust ball joints and studs. Pontiac has addressed them with a TSB to replace the LCA and radius arms. There is NO issue with those components on the Camaro. Replacing the arms on G8s does not eliminate the noise because there were additional sources. Those sources are what appear to be tight to spec nuts on ball joints, endlinks, steering rack mounts, clevis bolts and strut mounting hardware. (The Camaro strut mount is different from the G8, but similar in that it has two nuts one below and one above the strut mount). Tightening the bolts is the key to resolving front end noises. What makes it tough for the DYI is lack of access to a high volume high pressure air supply to power a rattle gun.

[garcmol]

Pete you and I have talked about this before. i get kind of a creaking, if you will, when I go over a speed bump in the front end of the car. You informed me of 'burping' the top strut bolt. The problem I have is the nut seems buried in there and I can't get a good grip with the socket. What to do...what to do...

[JusticePete]

24mm deeep well socket.

[garcmol]

I know that, lol. No, I mean I don't see but just a bit of the side of the nut. Like it's buried in the rubber insulator. I see your steps above and guess this is a problem point you guys are replacing.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by garcmol

I know that, lol. No, I mean I don't see but just a bit of the side of the nut. Like it's buried in the rubber insulator. I see your steps above and guess this is a problem point you guys are replacing.

Please post a picture of the assembly with the retaining plate removed.

[garcmol]

got my stuff at work.....so what's 20 minutes, right? Here you go! Both were loose. Tightened "mechanic" tight. Will have to wait to bump them with the impact.