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Old 02-17-2010, 07:18 PM
dgc333 dgc333 is offline
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Default PT Cruiser Suspension Noise

Hoping someone has run into this issue and can point me in the right direction.

My wifes PT makes a clunking noise up front when rebounding off a bump. Doesn't do it when you hit the bump only on the rebound and most often when going through a dip in the road.

I got under the car looking for something obvious and thought I had found it. There is a cast aluminum strut that goes between the sub-frame and the engine. The connection points on booth ends have rubber bushings, it's there to control engine motion. Well the front bushing had torn and the center and the strut were no longer connected and the end could move around a lot. I replaced the strut but it did not fix the issue.

I used a pry bar on all the other suspension bushings but everything appears tight. I felt I had narrowed it down to worn struts that were topping out. Last weekend I installed new struts and felt pretty good that I had fixed it since the shaft would just fall into the body of the strut when the strut was up right. But on the test drive the clunk was reduced but still there.

I had run into this once before and it was the bearing in the top mount of the strut that allows it turn for steering. In that application the part of the mount that bolted to the inner fender was not loaded by the spring. On the PT that pivot is always under load by the spring so I can't see that being the issue.

Anyone got any ideas?
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Old 02-17-2010, 08:37 PM
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Dick Dick is offline
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Biggrin

I started the following thread in PT Cruiser Chat. It might be relevant.

http://www.moparchat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116272
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Old 02-18-2010, 10:01 AM
dgc333 dgc333 is offline
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Thanks! I had come to the conclusion that it was the bushings from feedback on other sites.

I just ordered Moog front and rear bushings for both sides from Rock Auto, $40.56 including the shipping. Looks like it will be a 1-2 hour job per side.

I am finally starting to get my moneys worth out of the hydraulic press I purchased a few years back (had to replace the wheel bearings in the front on the PT last spring).

BTW, our 03 PT GT has 85K miles on it now. The car, obviously, has not been perfect but the wife loves it and with the turbo it's been a hoot to drive. So, the things I have had to fix (had to replace a leaky AC hose and the LED display in the dash went out too) are just a minor annoyance.
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Old 02-20-2010, 10:35 AM
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JVMopar JVMopar is offline
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All of the big 3 have bushing problems with their control arms, but it's only the verticle ones. They are pressed in to the arm vertically instead of horizontally like normal. Pretty easy to see if you get in there with a pry bar you should be able to move it around quite a bit.

I'd also check the sway bar bushings. Where they bar is held to the kframe. That can cause a clunk/knocking noise.
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Old 02-21-2010, 06:17 PM
dgc333 dgc333 is offline
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Well I replaced the lca suspension bushings this morning and the clunking is gone.

The rear bushings were shot on both sides. The rubber was no longer attached to the outer shell and the arm could slide up and down on the bushings, when I got the first arm out the center of the bushing just fell out on the floor.

Anyway, it's a pretty easy job. The passengier side requires you to pull the splash shield and engine strut to get the control arm off, the drivers side just remove the ball joint pinch bolt and the two control arm bolts and out it came.

Started at 9:30 and was test driving the car at 11:30. I paid extra for Moog bushings, I hope they are more durable.

Thanks for all the inputs!
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