Strange Suspension Sounds...

**BFG** · Post by **BFG** » Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:11 pm

Hello fellow Deli owners,

I have purchased a 1991 L300 and have owned it form maybe 2 months now. Everything is going very well except for an oil leak at the turbo, and some weird sounds coming from the front suspension when I hit uneven ground while turning left or right. The sound is like a clunk mixed with a rattle which mainly comes from the drivers side and a little from the passenger side. I have taken it to CVI and they couldn't find anything, and the sound has been intermittent since the previous owner. It seems to get a little worse every time i go up a forest service road which is worrisome as you could imagine, also it's still intermittent (doesn't happen around every corner) and I have had people suggest its an a-arm bushing or a stabilizer bar bushing or even a sub frame bushing.

I'm just curious anybody else out there has had this problem or if anyone has suggestions on what course of action I should take? Any comment would be amazing because I would like to start throwing parts at it to get it dealt with sooner rather than later.

Thanks in advance,

BFG

Post by **nxski** » Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:25 pm

I've had a similar sound on multiple occasions and it's always been either that my sway bar bushings were shot, or the bolts had rattled themselves loose.

Firesong · Post by **Firesong** » Wed Aug 21, 2013 3:54 pm

Get under there with a big wrench and tighten all the big bolts you see. I did that with my old 1990 and 98% of the noises disappeared.

**BFG** · Post by **BFG** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:05 am

Awesome, thanks for the tips guys. Much appreciated

TardisDeli · Post by **TardisDeli** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:16 pm

Yup, the good ol' L300 clunk. Clunk Causer on my 1991 was the subframe bolts.

Park on level ground with front wheels turned sharply to the left. Stand beside the drivers door, reach your arm down inside the tire to the frame that goes from the wheel centre, there are 3 big bolts there, you can't see them but they are the same spacing as my thumb and first 2 fingers splayed out like chicken feet, on a metal arm about the thickness of my girly forearm. they should never be loose. Same on the passenger side. now that you know where to feel, park van up with one side on the curb, parking brake on, big rocks back and front of each wheel, crawl under front of van and find those bolts, if they jiggle ...oops bad news. they need to be manly-man tight. Once one of my bolt had completely fallen off, and one just unscrewed itself almost all the way off, so only one bolt was holding. I could replicate the noise when they were loose by turning sharp left while driving over a drop in the road height caused by a small 8 inch road drain that was a couple inches lower than the road height (drive the right lane on the patullo bridge, cuz every few yards there is another drain hole, the clunk clunks).

Next thing... of course the usual inner and outer tie rod ends must be checked, my 1991 used to eat them every 6months for the first couple years, until finally everything else got set up properly. Jack up car, so one or both front tires are off the ground, in neutral with parking brake off, so lots of rocks around rear tires and big 2x4s of wood under the vehicle in case the jack dies. Grasp a front tire in your hands, and jiggle and listen. Hold tire at 3 and 9 oclock, and jiggle side to side (this tests for one of the tie rod ends, either inner or outer). Then Hold tire and noon and 6 and jiggle, should be minimal play, no clunks. then push tire super hard as if it were driving, need at least one rotation of free run (my 1991 had 3plus revolutions, my 1997 has barely one -- I dunno if due to my LSD or what?). Now do same tests on other front tire, might need to go back to other tire several times to compare the jiggles and clunks and rotations. If any rubber boots are cracked, the dirt gets into the joints inside and dirt will wear it out (think of it as your elbow), and that willbe your clunk causer.

Next test, take off front tire, check the 2 big bolts holding the brake caliper in place, I had one bolt fall out once (yup, jammed the caliper into the wheel rim, horrible noise but I was able to pull quickly off the road so all OK after BCAA towed me). While there, check that calipers are moving freely, If you want, but unlikely they are clunk causers.

A good thing to do is to arrange a deli meet with lotsa space, ie a open field, so you can get others to come and help Clunk Detect. Will Clunk Detect for cookies.

Cheers Christine

**BFG** · Post by **BFG** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:59 pm

nxski wrote:I've had a similar sound on multiple occasions and it's always been either that my sway bar bushings were shot, or the bolts had rattled themselves loose.

I'm thinking that I am going to replace those bushings, Where did you source yours if you don't mind me asking?

fozzie · Post by **fozzie** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:46 pm

You can find sway bar bushings at lordco part #9.8101R (for red). You'll need 2 packs I think. Get some 2 1/2" x 5/8'' Grade 8 bolts with nuts and washers while your at it. Use some locktite if you got any. Jack up the front end to do it. Doesn't take long, can do it over a couple of beers.
Matt

Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club