Front end binding and an odd clunk

[Bumnah]

I have two issues, both very minor.

First is a "clunk" i hear when I press on the brakes sometimes. I've had it since I owned the car. The bushings on the tension rods were shot since day one. I replaced those with oem tension arms with poly bushings. The thunk was still there even with the poly bushings. I figured it was my install (I literally bolt it back together with my air gun). I've basically replaced everything in the front now, and I still get this clunk every now and then.

Tips on better analyzing the problem?

Secondly. I have binding in the front. I hear this metal sound when I turn my wheel. I'm guessing it could be my outer tie rod setup? I also think it could be my sway bar endlinks binding.

What is the best way to look for binding and adjusting it? When I did the corner balancing they checked for pre load on my sway bar end links. There wasn't any.

Just small annoyances I'd like to find and fix.

[ecugrad]

Re: clunk

Make sure your strut insert is not loose in the housing. I had a clunk I could never find and turned out the nut had loosened.

[Bumnah]

Is that an issue with KTS coilovers? I figured the "nut" everyone talked about was the gland nut used to hold aftermarket inserts in oem housings.

[McCoy]

what front brakes do you have? Are you using the oem brake pad metal shims and tension clips? I have the Z32 calipers F/R and on the front I tossed all the metal retention clips and shims and get clunks from the brake pad shifting inside the caliper every so often.

[Bumnah]

z32 brakes. I only have the clip that goes on the back on the caliper. On the sides of the brake pad I just applied grease.

[Def]

what front brakes do you have? Are you using the oem brake pad metal shims and tension clips? I have the Z32 calipers F/R and on the front I tossed all the metal retention clips and shims and get clunks from the brake pad shifting inside the caliper every so often.

This. I get the same clunk right when coming to a stop with no shims etc and z32 brakes.

[Longfellow]

I don't have Z brakes and I have an odd clunking noise every once in a while. Its irritating.

[nismofly]

Is that an issue with KTS coilovers? I figured the "nut" everyone talked about was the gland nut used to hold aftermarket inserts in oem housings.

Did you tighten the large nut on the camber plate on each side...whatever the name for it is...it needs to be done with a gun apparently.

I'm still not sure mine is done properly.

As for the binding, I experience similar problems, and I also get noise from steering column that's clearly audible, I'm thinking maybe rack and/or column bushings are shot and this is what is also causing the binding. Checked those yet?

[Bumnah]

The large nut in the center of the top hat? No I didn't touch tighten it. I checked to see if it was loose, by hand, it was tight. I'll look at that next then. Does any one have any torque specs on what it should be? Looks like there is a bearing right underneath.

[Longfellow]

I have KTS coil-overs as well. I've never messed with the top nut either.

I had a loud clunking up front under hard breaking from around 100mph the other day and it sounded pretty horrible. But as far as I can tell, nothing is wrong with the car. Nothing seems loose and it hasnt made the noise since that instance. It almost sounded like a loose tension rod, but I'm running SPL units.

The only thing I can think of is that since the SPL units use new bolts to tie into the FLCA and they are a tad small that they might shift under hard breaking?

[nismofly]

Yeah I never saw anywhere where it said to tighten it, but then somebody told me when I was hearing a noise to hit them with a gun...apparently you can't use a drive because of the way the torque is applied. I'll let you know when I find out the exact details.