clunk or grinding skunks

[Synthesis5]

after a two day ordeal of installing my skunks on the 5, i am very impressed with the drive and drop. but i have one problem ( i think) every time i turn my front wheels there is like a clunk grinding noise, like metal grinding. ive checked whether or not it might have been my tires rubbing but its not that. could it be the front sway bar and the links? ive only been driving around for a couple of hours since the install, and would the noise go away after a while or something? i tried a search, and ofcourse it came up with alot of clunk threads, but i wasnt lucky enough to find one with skunks causing the problem. should i be concerned? or should i just have to live with the noise?

help me out here.


p.s. the noise only comes from the front end when i turn the steering wheel.

 

[Synthesis5]

:bumb: come on theres got to be someone that know something about this ??

 

[inlineracing]

Just a quick thought. Check the torque on the top strut nut. The struts on your car slightly twist when you turn. If they are too tight the springs will bind up. If I think of anything else...........

 

[2K3 MSP]

Its your bearings...Or lack of. I had the same problem with mine.
The instructions failed to say so, but you need to remove the plastic bearing from the top of your upper front spring plates. Install them in the same spot on the metal Skunk2 coilover plate. The reason they are grinding(mine popped) is due to the set-up of the steering. When you turn, the coilover turns as well. When enough friction is created, the spring pops back into its correct position. Unfortunately, you have to remove the front stuts and disassemble them, but it should be a lot quicker now that you've got some experience.

 

[mfoster5502]

Here is a quick fix for the grinding in the front strut with skunk 2 coilovers. I went to autozone a bought fiberglass renforced rubber mudd flaps. Took the front struts apart, and I cut a piece of the mud flapp out to fit between the top strut monting bracket, and the top nut for the coilover. I cut a whole out of the middle so the middle stud in the top plate would go through it. I put some axle grease on the rubber and the strut mount put it back together, and no noise at all out of the front end. If you have any questions you can email me at mfoster5502@hotmail.com.

The problem is the top plate that holds the spring in placehas that ridge that goes into the top plate of the strut mount where the bearing is that black was talking about. Well the coilover plate is destroying it. Cause metal on metal cause the grinding noise. I have a call into Skunk 2, but they have not been very helpful to this point, and I dont expect much out of them. I will never buy anything else from them. I will post anything I here from them

 

[Synthesis5]

Here is a quick fix for the grinding in the front strut with skunk 2 coilovers. I went to autozone a bought fiberglass renforced rubber mudd flaps. Took the front struts apart, and I cut a piece of the mud flapp out to fit between the top strut monting bracket, and the top nut for the coilover. I cut a whole out of the middle so the middle stud in the top plate would go through it. I put some axle grease on the rubber and the strut mount put it back together, and no noise at all out of the front end. If you have any questions you can email me at mfoster5502@hotmail.com.

The problem is the top plate that holds the spring in placehas that ridge that goes into the top plate of the strut mount where the bearing is that black was talking about. Well the coilover plate is destroying it. Cause metal on metal cause the grinding noise. I have a call into Skunk 2, but they have not been very helpful to this point, and I dont expect much out of them. I will never buy anything else from them. I will post anything I here from them

thanks for the reply man. ive been driving around for about 4 days now with them. do you think i still have any of the aluminum plate left, you know from the metal grinding and stuff like you said?

im going down florida this weekend so ill have to wait until i get back, but ill keep you posted of how everything goes. t

thnx

 

[mfoster5502]

Yeah there shouldnt be anything wrong with the metal plate. When I took mine apart the bearing inside the plate was gone. But I drove mine for about a hour after I put the rubber pieces in, and its the first time in 4 months I havnt heard a grinding/popping noise out of the front end

 

[ghost]

I have them on mine, I love the drop!! I fukin hate the clunk!!1

 

[2K3 MSP]

Even slapping a bunch of bearing grease between the metal Skunk plate and under side of your strut tower will stop the popping.

Synthesis5...Did you find that bearing I was talking about??

 

[mah p5]

anyone have pics?

Does anyone have any pics of where the problem area is? I've been driving around with this problem for a few months now. I used to just spray WD40 and Synthetic Lubricant in the space between the strut top perch and the skunk2 top metal perch. There's these little holes to spray into. However, that only relieves the problem for a little bit of time.

 

[mfoster5502]

You need to take them back apart. Its not hard to fix. All I did was cut a piece of rubber to go around the top plate for the coilover. Put a bunch of axle grease on the rubber, and then the bottom of the strut mounting plate. It has worked just fine. Skunk is still trying to say that there is nothing wrong with the desing or the coilover. With this many people having problems with them I disagree.

 

[2K3 MSP]

Or you could just take the plastic bearing out from the stock spring plate, and place it on the Skunk2 one like it should have stated in the directions...

 

[mfoster5502]

I agree, but the way I fixed it only cost me $8. I think the plastic bearing are $18 each. But over time wouldnt the wieght of the car destroy the platic bearings. Mine were broken apart but the nipple that sticks out on the top plate of the coilover.

 

[2K3 MSP]

Mine were fine...They were designed to do the same thing on the stock spring plate. All you are doing is swapping it over to the Skunk2 plate. And best of all?? It was free!!