[SubaruSTiMike]

You know...I've always read threads like the one I'm about to post and always think to myself "gees people can't diagnose a sound problem by just having you describe it through the internet", but now that I have one, I'm desperate for help. I know there are many MANY threads on this subject, and I've read a lot of them. I recently started hearing a sound from the left rear side of my car. Now, usually, I wouldn't care. I'm the type of guy who won't go nuts over some rattles and dings. My car's been through a lot. It actually really pains me to have such a dented/scratched up car. But since this pertains to my suspension, I do care about my safety. I crawled under my car and checked everything...endlinks, swaybar, later links, exhaust..etc. Everything seemed in order.

The problem is I think I might have the infamous "rear clunk" but I am not entirely sure. When people say they have strut clunk, what exactly do they mean? I know it's REALLY hard to describe sounds over the internet.

My sound is more of a gluck gluck gluck, or kind of a soft click of metal to hard rubber sound. It always just comes in threes or fours..around there. It comes in at low speeds and is barely noticable, but it is there. I hear it more when I'm slowing down and going over bumps.

Now I tried to jump on the side sill of the door or push the trunk up and down but the sound did not come but when I drive it it's there. I had the car on a jack so maybe that's why when I let it down and jumped on it, it didn't make the sound, I will try to jump on the side sill again tomorrow to see if I can reproduce the sound.

I also checked the torque of the top strut nut which could be the problem, but it was torqued down to 41 ft/lbs. I also checked the three brackets that are usually loose in the rear seat but that was also very tight. My last resort is to go tomorrow and buy some lithium grease and put some in the strut/strut housing shaft area and hope it goes away.

My question is, after doing the grease, if the sound is still there, is there something else I can try first?

I do have a bit of a dilemma. Tomorrow I was suppose to install my springs, but if I'm going to take it to the dealership, I don't want them to blame it on my springs and don't want to bother to argue. It's probably best to wait on the springs ....but I've wanted to do the springs for about a month and tomorrow is the only day for another week or two that I will have time. I guess if all else fails, I'll go to the dealership, but hopefully I can reproduce the noise.

I haven't touched any of the suspension stuff yet so I don't know what can be causing this..to come out of nowhere. The car has around 26k miles.

Mike

ps. I'm going to try and record this sound, I took out my backseat and I have a digital voice recorder that I use in class and I'll see if I can get that sound, but very unlikely. I unbolted the rear seats so I can hear it better. I'll be trying it tomorrow. Wish me luck. Then maybe people will know exactly what it sounds like. Although I read that it is definitely noticable with the "strut clunk", but does it start out soft then gets louder as time passes??

[SubyDoode]

most likely strut clunk, i am going through the same thing and am taking it to the dealer to get it warrantied

[lackskill]

sounds like a pretty cut and dry case of clunk OR failure to me. My first strut symptoms more closely resembled your symptoms and it was a strut cartridge failure. Couldnt reproduce at a stop, made noise while moving. Sometimes even at speed.

My second strut was definitely clunk. I could reproduce it easily by jumping in the door jamb.

My first strut (the failure) I had very little damping in that corner and I could raise/lower that corner BY HAND. EASILY. I could pick up that corner and it would stay, then I could lower and it would stay again. (sit boo boo, sit! Good dog! )

Either way, I would take it to the dealer and have them check it out. It's not worth the hassle they might give you over the springs, to install them.

[SubaruSTiMike]

Yeah I think I will try to reproduce the noise tomorrow and if I can, I'll call up the dealership. Do you guys know if I have to get dealership work done at the place I bought the car?

[lackskill]

any subaru dealer *should* be fine, but in my experience the dealer I bought my car from is much more helpful than the other dealers. I think this is true for a lot of people.