ssj2link

iTrader: (6)

have a question, i have a 2000 trans am convertible. i just swapped my stock suspension for some bilsteins with strano springs on all 4 corners. bought them used with less then 2000 miles on all of it. the ride is nice but when i hit a bump in the road there is a loud clunk in the front of the car, it wasn't there before the suspension upgrade. not sure whats up or if its "settling" or what not. what should i look into, car has 158k and from what i can tell its all original, i replaced tie rod ends and end links earlier in the year. bottom control arm bushings look cracked as do the tops but i dont wanna just start replacing everything if its normal or what ever. THANKS!

TheNutDriver

iTrader: (1)

I was told that its imperative that when putting springs on these cars, even if the top shock mount nut can physically be screwed onto the shocks thread without compressing the spring, the spring must be compressed so that the upper shock mount contacts the top of the shock first and not the spring - before you tighten the nut, otherwise the front end will clunk every time.

ssj2link

iTrader: (6)

i was told they were installed right but i can double check it when i get a free moment

stp001

If you tightened the front sway bar with the wheels off and up off the ground, sometimes you have to tighten the sway bar endlinks again after front end is in normal position. This probably doesn't apply to rubber bushings as much as poly bushings.

ssj2link

iTrader: (6)

So the previous owner had 0 clunk, i do have poly end links so I’ll try that first and one of the bushings was starting to deteriorate so maybe I’ll swap them again and get new sway bar bushings.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

I didn't compress my front springs at all when I installed them. BMR/Koni setup. Reused stock upper mount, looked brand new. Zero noise, zero issues.

TheNutDriver

iTrader: (1)

I'm just going by what I have been personally told, and after hearing this I read up about it on this site and it is well documented as being an issue on a lot of installs, but not all.

TheNutDriver

iTrader: (1)

One such thread right here:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...ng-shocks.html

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

It is the top nut, I can pretty much guarantee it. The spring is plenty short enough to put the upper mount on without compressing, and if the shop is not told otherwise, they won't know (they should but they won't).

The upper mount MUST sit on the shock first, before the spring, no slack here before the nut is tightened. If not, you end up tightening the nut down at the very end against the spring rate. But that little nut can't compress my spring. However, the car's weight will, and then you end up with slop in between the top of the shock (since the spring carries the car's weight) and the shock mount. And CLUNK.