well im still on the research and I found that lost of people when taking out the strut, the upper mount opened and dropped the balls and rings and everything... and if you put it wrong you will hear a clunk clunk noise... so I think that is what happened to me, and I might put it back in the wrong way... so Ill be checking it on sunday... cuz my bolts werent that tight
THIS IS WHAT I FOUND ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HOW TO SOLVE IT:
[quote author=sok07 link=topic=86553.msg1647312#msg1647312 date=1187357796]
Quoted a reply that I posted from 2 years ago to help a member who accidently diassembled his strut mount...
[quote author=sok07 link=topic=32460.msg456334#msg456334 date=1130463076]
Most likely, just like I did, the mechanic accidently disassembled the upper strut mount (i.e. dropped it) The plastic upper strut mount allows the strut to freely rotate as the upper part is firmly fixed. It uses a circular array of 38 or so ball bearings that are held in place by two rings, a small ring and a large ring. If the two parts of the upper mount becomes unattached accidently, you will have 38 ball bearings scattering on the garage floor. The bearing allows the bottom part of the upper mount, which is attached to the spring, to rotate independantly from the top part. If reassembled incorrectly or if the bearing is binded and not freely rotating, whenever you turn the wheel the sound you hear is the piston rod turning in the strut. It should make sort of a muffled 'clunk-clunk-clunk' noise when you turn at low speeds.
To fix the problem, you will have to remove the strut assembly from the car. Test to see if you can rotate the mount freely w/o excessive force. Just hold the strut by the upper part (i.e the three bolts on top) and rotate the lower strut assembly....it should rotate freely almost like turning a door knob. If not, there is something wrong w/ the bearing in the upper mount. To service and repack the upper mount. Remove the spring from the strut. Take the plastic upper mount and pop the two pieces apart, being careful not to jolt it too much that the ball bearings fall out. The two pieces are literally just snapped together. There you find the two metal rings. A small ring, a middle plastic ring serving as a holder for the small ball bearings, and a large ring; all lubed up in grease. The configuration you should see is small ring on top, ball bearings in the plastic ring in the middle, and the larger ring on the bottom. IF it is installed upside down (big ring on top and little ring on bottom), the strut mount will not rotate freely...causing the clunking noise. Since you have opened up the mount, you might as well clean the bearings and rings w/ some brake cleaner/degreaser and repack it with fresh lithium grease.
[/quote]
[/quote]
