Pedders told me my shocks are about to shoot through my bonnet!?!??

[javt99]

For the past several months I've been hearing a solid clunking noise (sounds like metal on metal) every now and then when driving. It sounds like it is coming from the front-right. It happens randomly when I go over bumps ranging from a rock on the road, to a nasty speed bump. Although often I'll go over bumps and hear nothing at all. I've taken my car to 2 different mechanics and neither have found anything, although they suggested it was because my radius rod bushes were badly worn. I have since installed new bushes and the clunking noise remains.

I just took it into Pedders for an alignment after putting in the bushes and I was told that the plates above the shocks were very badly torn and that the shocks (or springs?) could shoot out through the bonnet if I don't get these plates fixed pretty soon. Apparantly this is could be the cause of the noise. He called them something like berrum plates... burm, buren, something like that...?

My question is - could this actually happen, or is he just trying to scare me into buying stuff? They're going to charge me $110 parts and $150 labour. Is this likely to be the cause of the noise I described?

Thanks for any advice guys!

 

[TWOJZ]

bearing plates. If the break, the shock struts won't go through the bonnet unless you hit a decent bump. Anyway, replace them, but do it yourself and buy them from elsewhere. Its pretty easy to do.

 

[bradcad]

I think from past experience the noise, if it is froom the the plate, will actually be a worn bearing in the strut top bush. I have had one of these fail, but only because it was polyurethane and overstressed from incorrect tightening

 

[teastpilot]

My question is - could this actually happen, or is he just trying to scare me into buying stuff? They're going to charge me $110 parts and $150 labour. Is this likely to be the cause of the noise I described?

Thanks for any advice guys!

Yes it could actually happen, depending on the age/condition of your shock absorbers and the road condition your driving on...

(if your suspension drops to near its lowest travel then gets compessed to near its limit quickly the shock will attempt to slow down the full spring travel ((this assumes u have good condition shock absorbers)), however if the force exerted on the top bearing plate is equal to or above the remaining rubber left in your top bearing it will shear it away and procede upwards, this will be worse in a lowered vehicle as the spring wont be at a height to counteract the upward movement of the shock/downward movement of your car, before it does some serious carnage)

and yes it will be the cause of your klunk, usually your shocks are shot by the time these bearing plates go and overall less likely to happen.

 

[bradcad]

Just for interests sake I was running super low king springs with new munroe gt gas shocks, hit a good size pothole at 70k's (she was a biggin) when it popped. Worst it did was push the bonnet up a little and left a small blemish. Nothing serious enough that you have to stress about it untill you can afford to get it repaired.

 

[javt99]

Thanks for the info everyone!

Just how "easy" is this repair? Will I have to raise it and remove the struts along with everything else? Or can I just remove the old bearing plates from inside the bonnet and simply replace them. If someone could provide some very rough steps that would be awesome!

I need my car in a couple of days to drive it along a bumpy dirt track (very conservatively). I have very limited time to attempt this repair so I might have no choice but to let Pedders do it.

 

[panda88]

i'm having the same problem as well but when i went to pedders and asked for strut top and bearing sthey quoted me $370? so far the cheapest i have found is $220 and they said they use pedders products as well. How much should i be paying for this?

 

[bradcad]

Get onto GSL- I think i paid something like $150 (180) for the pair including the bearing. You can buy the bush by itself but best replace them both. Infact I might even have a pair of nolathane bushes without bearings as spare......

replacing is relatively simple- will need spring compressors if you are on std height springs, but basically jack up, unbolt the top and it can be changed from under the wheel arch. The last one i did took something like 45 minutes from memory

 

[javt99]

I was just quoted $85 for the pair, but no idea if that includes any bearings. Pedders quoted $110.

Seeing as how I don't have a spring compressor I think I'll be letting them do it. If I had the time, I'd have used the money I would have saved to buy a spring compressor. Oh well, maybe next time

 

[adam69]

I have the same prob with the clubby.LH side is noisy.On the to do list.