Blavatsky

I recently got 4 brand new OEM shocks put on my 99 LS, along w/ rear shock mounts. I had bought some front bushings; I'm not sure which ones, they are about 35$ from carson toyota and look like they go in the control arms. My mechanic said he did not have the tools he needed to put them on though.

I was already getting that nasty "clunk" from the front wheel wells when I hit bumps and dips, but it's almost like the new shocks being stiffer and all are causing that clunk to happen way too often. I'm getting concerned from a safety viewpoint that something is gonna break down there, but I need to know what to ask at a shop. There is some rear clunking too that probably is bushings too.

What should I expect to pay in labor, if I already have those bushings? Do I need other parts in advance? Sound familiar?

Blavatsky

bump for bushing info:

CUSHION, STRUT BAR

48674-40051

Seems to be for the lower control arm.

Blavatsky

car goes back to the shop thursday...so I'll be waiting to hear if its the upper or lower control arms, could be ball joints or tie rods too I guess (?).

Hopefully its the bushings i have above, and I'm just screwed on labor and not more parts

Blavatsky

nobody? bumping

steveski

While I may be the only one that says this, I had clunking long ago and when I replaced lower ball joints the clunking went away. Normally lower ball joints are replaced B4 100k miles. Maybe my clunk was a different clunk. All I know is when I hit dips and bumps I heard it and felt it in the passenger floor. Normally folks here attribute the clunk to strut rod bushings - let us know how it turns out bro.

Blavatsky

Thanks man....yeah I'm hoping its the bushings (since I have the parts), but could be ball joints; noise is a very similar to yours, front passenger side clunk on dips and bumps, and was made twice as noticeable with new shocks.

steveski

It is pretty aggravating - when I had the clunk I took it to a few shops and all of them said we cannot find anything wrong. They put the vehicle on a lift and said everything seemed tight. Eventually one shop found the lower ball joints to be bad and the clunking stopped for me. When your mechanic gets the strut rod off he will be able to tell quickly if the bushing is damaged though.

Blavatsky

Still no word from the shop, but I called up Luis at Carson toyota (very nice guy).

He seems to think its going to be my strut rods, so maybe its not the lower control arms. The separate bushings I got (for LCA) I must've gotten from Sewell, he said they don't sell those. So crossing my fingers that i just need strut rods now.

Blavatsky

well my f'ing luck as usual: 2 of the brand new OEM KYB shocks, and they are leaking bad. I got them through irontoad.com, already emailed them to tell them. I really hope they have good customer service, because that is absolute BS for new parts.

steveski

So the clunking was the shock bottoming out on the bump stop?

McSwine

I took mine in yesterday and they replaced the strut bars. It's better, but it is still making noise (do they not drive the &+*#@ car when they get done?). Thanks for the tip.

Blavatsky

I'm still not convinced that is the only sound, but the 2 shocks are def. bad (leaked in driveway). Mechanic has told me several times everything else down there is fine, even when I offered suggestions of strut bar, ball joints, LCA parts.

I feel the same way...if they'd driven the car at all they would have caught this.
I don't know if this will solve my noise, but after paying labor again its all I can afford to do for now.

Blavatsky

Good news is...irontoad.com backs up their parts, I talked to a guy who was very helpful and is sending me two new shocks, I just have to return the leaking ones.


Weird thing is....why would 2 of the 4 new shocks I put on be leaking???? They had no idea, all I can think of is they sat in a cold warehouse for 8 years and rotted the seals. They don't cover labor (of course), but now I"m paranoid all 4 were bad and just didn't show yet. Crossed fingers that this works.

steveski

That's crazy the struts blew out. You may be right they sat for a long time and the seal dried up - I have heard of lowered cars not having bumpstops at all or they were too short which caused damage to the strut. Good luck.

Blavatsky

New shocks put in (all 4 brand new now)....rides smoother, still getting that nasty clunk. Mechanic *really* doesn't think its ball joints or bushings, which he described as "tight", so I'm running out of ideas to offer him.

He wants me to bring it back again for another look, but I just don't know. He knows his stuff really well but what else could it be, or what can I test to see?