tloftus Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 Hey all, I replaced my struts this weekend and now when I hit a bump I get a nasty clunk out of my strut tower. I was wondering if maybe the top of the strut tower (the black bumper) is not installed all the way in. It's as far in as I can get them but when I install the top plate it presses down on the rubber "crowns" (the 3 or four tabs that stick up out of the mount. Should those be all the way inside the strut tower or is the top plate supposed to "smash" this part of the rubber down? I hope I'm explaning this right - if not i will post pictures tonight. This is on a 89 Olds Cutlass Supreme Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glock19 Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I had the same concerns. The top plate holds the rubber bushing in place. IIRC someone had installed Monroe Struts in the front and the nut bottomed out before the strut was installed onto the bushing. He had to install some washers to take up the slack. Glock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlass1991 Posted April 18, 2005 Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 I just did mine and when I put the strut plates back on, they pushed the rubber bushing back down into the tower. That is what they are there for. If it is clunking, maybe the length of the shaft past the threaded part is too long. what kind of struts did u use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted April 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2005 They are Monroe SensaTracs. I thought that the top plate would push the bushing in also but it doesn't. It just folds over those 4 rubber pieces and presses them between the top plate and the body. I'm going to go out and have another look. I'll see if I can get a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glock19 Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Read the thread below. Should help top solve your problem. http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24589&highlight=strut+monroe Glock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted April 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Well I managed to get this pic before it started storming outside: http://www.tom-loftus.com/strut.html The nut seems to tighten down against the bushing without a problem, it is tight and there is no play there as suggested in that thread. The three rubber "crowns" on the top are getting folded down between the top plate and the area around the studs. In the 89 there's an extra plate that goes between the bushing and the "jounce bumper" that is removed with the backside of the "extra nifty tool". I had old sensatracs in the same car and they worked fine. Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted April 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 Well, I fixed it. In case anyone runs across this again --- or you all just want to laugh at me. I had the bushing on upside down. In my best Napoleon Dynamite impression..... "IDIOT!" Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glock19 Posted April 22, 2005 Report Share Posted April 22, 2005 We would never laugh at you...... OK yes we would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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