Strut Still Making Knocking Noise After Strut Assembly Replacement

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I ran over a rather large pot hole while driving home in the middle of the night. It destroyed my tire and tire sidewall and soon after the strut started to make a knocking noise while going over bumps. I replaced both front strut assemblies with Monroe Quick Struts (photo attached). After the install, the noise was gone and everything seemed good so I gave the car to my wife. After several months, I decided to drive the car to see if everything was still OK and it wasn’t. The knocking noise on the driver front strut came back. I took the car back to my mechanic and he said that he thinks the strut assembly was defective and that I should get a replacement since it was under warranty. I would just pay labor again for him to change it. Something seemed off by the conversation, so I decided to take the car to another mechanic for a second opinion, but before I do that I want to pose this question here. What could be the problem? Why did the knocking noise come back?

I’ve attached more photos. You will see two photos of the tops of the strut assemblies from under the hood. The first top photo is of the passenger left strut that is good (with the wheels straight). The second top photo is of the problematic driver front strut. You can see the top is slanted left with the wheels straight. The rest of the photos are from around the driver side wheel.

Also, please note that I did complete a wheel alignment after the install and the car pulls left when the steering wheel is straight after the alignment.

More information about the Monroe Quick Strut: http://www.monroe.com/en-US/catalog/e-Catalog/172117

2

I think you damaged the suspension. The Vibe has a problem with the front suspension anyway and striking a pothole may have damaged it to a point where it may need to be replaced. The alignment job was a “patch” job in my opinion.

3

If the pothole bent a control arm and/or damaged a control arm bushing, that’s another possible source of the noise and alignment problem. Just because the knock disappeared for a while doesn’t necessarily mean the old strut was the source of the noise.

4

A few things are unclear to me. Who diagnosed the problem as only bad struts and who replaced the struts, you or the mechanic? If the mechanic diagnosed and replaced the struts, the only way you would owe him labor the replace the strut would be if you supplied the parts.
I think you need to go to a shop that specialises in front end work for a better diagnosis.

5

The suspension is made up of several components.
spindle
control arm
sway bar links
control arm bushing
and other parts.

You need to look for other areas of damage

6

Don’t forget ball joint.

7

how I will able to see the pictures?

8

4 year old thread and there are no pictures to be seen . The person who started this has not been here for 4 years.

9

I got it thanks

10

I think it is a bag strut mount alignment or maybe the strut nut wasn’t tie enough.