EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Guys,

Just purchased an 05 evo. It has lowering springs tein's but all other suspension is stock. When driving over bumps or driving on uneven (wavy) roads its a noticeable thumping/clunking noise...not super loud, but noticeable in the cabin. It's only only the driver side. On the way bringing the car back, I stopped at a tuner shop for a quick look, they said the suspension is fine and can be loose thing rattling. So they tighten everything. But the whole 12 hours ride home, I can hear it. From searching, the only thing I came across is the springs not placed correctly? Would there be anything else?

Additional information: it does this whether I'm turning or not. There isn't a clicking noise when turning. There is NO vibration of any sort whether accelerating or braking. Alignment is perfect. The tires are old to the point where the color is faded, but still have some tread left. Again, this could be going over bumps or when the road is wavey/uneven (like most roads).

elim0

+1 i have been dealing with teh clunking noise for the whole time i've had this car. came with coilovers, been over all the suspension work, it comes and goes, gets worse n gets better. re done front shocks, swaybarlinks, lubed..

i just leave it now but +1 to what anyone has to say.

i think mine is something to do with tophat/top nut/ spring hitting the top now n possibly need to look into some washers/ spring rubbers..

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

Both you guys need to check your strut mounts (i.e. strut top hats), they either lost their lubrication (ie should be packed with grease) or they're toast... All these "clicking" sounds you guys are describing would lead to the strut mounts up front.

Also to the OP, TEIN springs are notorious for blowing the stock struts. They just compress the dampener way out of its efficiency range aka blown out..

Search "TEIN lowering springs" and you will see similar results..

EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Hey, thanks for the info. The mechanic believes the stock struts are good and suggested the strut mounts. Would there be more symptoms if it was the struts? Can I drive on the bad mount?

Thanks!

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

If the struts were "blown" they would have an oil residue around the seals aka leaking

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

By seals, I mean the dust seals that protect the shaft (that moves up & down) from dirt and debri.

elim0

update for mine

yesterday i greased up top nut strut, checked swaybar for movement, tightened evferything up and then it still remamined.
today i went ahead and tightened the top strut nuts. the right one was about half a turn with a rachet til it was tight, the left one i tightened for about 30seconds and seemed to keep going, dont know if its threaded or the whole shock is spinning with it, either way the car has stopped clunking/knocking .. i will update if it returns or is gone completely !

EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Forgive me, but I'm a noob. Is the "top nut" the single nut on the strut mount that you can access over under the hood and pretty greased up? do I just get a wrench and see if it budges? does this have to be on the lift? Finally, do you know the size of the bolt?
Thanks!

VR4Babe13

iTrader: (1)

Did you check rear control arm bushings? Or do you notice it strictly in the front?

EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Strictly in the front driver side. It seems louder/frequent when going like 30 or under. You can hear it when cutting wheel to left, but not to the right. Again its a thumping/clunk and not click.

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

Thump or clunk may be a drivetrain issue. Have you checked your cv joints? Also your drivetrain fluid level (ie tranny or trans).. One way to tell, drivetrain issue wise, the sound will be exacerbated or get worse as the rpm's climb.

I also still feel like you have a blown strut (directed towards OP)... Especially if you have been running the TEIN springs on the stock strut. Please confirm they aren't before you blame other things

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

Elim0, the strut shaft nut WILL spin when tightening. That's why there is a special tool. Or you can be crafty and hold the shaft with something while tightening.

Also the strut mount bolts, are studs and are stationary. You should be able to tightened all three to spec or you have an issue. If yours was loose, it would make a clunk sound for sure.

Refer to evomoto.com's spring install, it has great cliff notes and has the torque specs

EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Broke down and went to an actual mitsu dealer. They checked everything and determine it is the cv joint for the driver side. According to them, it wasn't the mount plate because it makes the noise on a complete smooth surface. They also confirm it isn't a blown strut with looking at it and test riding, however, just from googling, I have seen many stuff about TEIN springs and stock strut. So...I can either spend the money on stock springs which seems expensive from what the dealer shown me or get a cheap set of coilovers such as Megan or ISC...or should I just leave the TEIN and let nature take its course?

BEKevo

iTrader: (2)

I'm sorry to hear that man. If it was the cv joint, I said a sound that matchs rpm fluctuations.. That was the answer I gave. But,

Stock struts are great (ie bilstein's or KYB) with Swift or GTWORX springs. You can get the bilsteins revalved for any spring/ spring rate. The price is comparable to the CO's. The springs i listed before take care of that (unless your an engineer, id leave the guess work out..) and are matched specifically for our cars on stock struts. Yes Megan coil overs are cheap, but they're quality is questionable and to get the most, you would need to corner balanced, have a proper aggressive alignment etc... Most people forget about that, and they try to dial it in themselves. They are the ones that go " my coil overs suck, I want my money back..." lol

EvoIXPilot

iTrader: (10)

Yeah, you hit jackpot with the cv joint. I'll probably stick with the tein for now since I'm sinking money into this car and pray nothing else (including the struts) goes wrong!