Need help with suspension clunk after Verus camber plate install

[kungfujedis]

I'm trying to diagnose a left front suspension clack that started after installing Verus camber plates on an otherwise stock suspension (OEM struts and springs, ~4,000 miles). It does have a stud conversion and spacers. I also removed the bumper about a week before to repair the ambient air temperature sensor wire that a mouse chewed through. There is some possibility the noise is related to that, but I'm reasonably sure I didn't hear it until the camber plates went in. I've also since removed the bumper and fender liners and tested with them off.

I had a 2024 Supra that I put the same camber plates on without this issue. (I didn't reuse them, these are new). I now have a 2026. That said, I am a just a youtube mechanic and could have done any number of things wrong, even if I got it right before.

Symptoms:
Sharp clack (not a creak or rattle):


Seems to only be from the left front.
If I drive the right and left side through bumps/holes separately, I only hear it when the left side goes through.
If both sides go over a bump/hole i hear it from the left side (pretty sure).
Not reproducible by turning the steering wheel.
Cannot reproduce by bouncing the car or jacking the suspension through its travel.
Seems to occur during compression, although I'm not 100% certain.
Cannot find any witness marks (which doesn't mean they don't exist)

Installation:
Verus camber plates installed on both sides at the same time.
Struts remained attached to the knuckles during installation.
I used a jack to compress the springs on the car, and death sticks to keep them compressed while I lowered the strut.
The only installation difference I can think of is that when i first compressed the left/driver side with the jack, I forgot to disconnect the swaybar endlink. I lowered it and disconnected it and continued.
I used a pass through wrench on the top nut to keep the shaft from spinning when torquing. It still moved around a little bit.

Things I've tried:
Removed the endlinks on both sides and tested with the sway bar disconnected.
Dropped the strut shaft and reseated the spring and bearing multiple times. (Getting that bearing to seat just right is a huge PITA. I guess its possible it is still not sitting correctly, but I have carefully compared it to the other side and it looks the same). I used a endoscope to try to examine the backside of the bearing. Its hard to see, but both sides seem to be seated the same. I used some washers to try to measure the gap between the bearing and the plate, seems pretty close.
Replaced the bearing.
Tested with the plates at max and minimum camber.
Replaced the entire Verus camber plate assembly with a new one.
Added some torque to the knuckle (even though i never loosed or disconnected). It was tight, I just gave it a tad more to make sure.
Took it to a shop for inspection. They couldn't find the source of the problem. I don't think they adjusted or reseated anything. As far as I know they just inspected and tried to tighten the top nut and the endlinks.
Top nut and camber plate bolts are tight and marked with paint; no movement.
No play at 12/6 or 3/9.
No detectable vertical movement at the strut shaft.
Brake line and other brackets checked.
The bump stop seemed looser on the problem side, so I put a zip tie on it to give it some more tension and keep it at the top of the strut.
Got an alignment.

Things I haven't tried yet:
Adjust the steering rack preload (tool ordered)
Coil silencers (doesn't seem like this could be it with stock springs)
Disconnect the ride height sensor
Remove the camber plate and put the stock mount back (ugh).

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[Rensuhlo]

Not saying do this, as what I did was sketch.

I had the whole strut out of the car, held the shaft with some hose and a clamp. I ugga dugga'd that top nut as much as I dared to, and then sent it a few more uggas. That seemed to clear up the clunk for me.

YMMV.

 

[kungfujedis]

Not saying do this, as what I did was sketch.

I had the whole strut out of the car, held the shaft with some hose and a clamp. I ugga dugga'd that top nut as much as I dared to, and then sent it a few more uggas. That seemed to clear up the clunk for me.

YMMV.

yeah, I'm scared to do that you think it's likely to be that, even though the other side is fine, and ive tried more than one entire camber plate assembly?

 

[Rensuhlo]

yeah, I'm scared to do that you think it's likely to be that, even though the other side is fine, and ive tried more than one entire camber plate assembly?

Im no mechanic and I have a habit of fucking shit up, so I wouldn't listen to me.

 

[SilverBully]

Here is what I think happens, I can't prove it, but I have a strong suspicion this is the reason they clunk:

The 4 screws that go thru the camber plates and secure the plates to the car can back out while being torqued on the top. If you look up in your pictures you can see them:

What I tried (and didn't help me but it might help you) is to pull the plates out, remove these and add loctite and tighten pretty good (don't strip them!) then reinstall and hope they don't back out on you when you are tightening the top.

I think this causes the plate to not be secured correctly to the chassis and introduces the clunk you are getting.

I gave up trying to fix them and just went back to stock, I'll try other routes for added camber later.

 

[kungfujedis]

Here is what I think happens, I can't prove it, but I have a strong suspicion this is the reason they clunk:

The 4 screws that go thru the camber plates and secure the plates to the car can back out while being torqued on the top. If you look up in your pictures you can see them:

What I tried (and didn't help me but it might help you) is to pull the plates out, remove these and add loctite and tighten pretty good (don't strip them!) then reinstall and hope they don't back out on you when you are tightening the top.

I think this causes the plate to not be secured correctly to the chassis and introduces the clunk you are getting.

I gave up trying to fix them and just went back to stock, I'll try other routes for added camber later.

I didn't use loctite, but I did make sure those were nice and tight before i put the plate in. I don't think those would directly cause the issue if they backed out. The hole they are in is threaded. If you back one out, you can still get it very tight from the top. However, if they backed out, I could see them contacting the plastic bearing. The two on the inside of the strut tower already are basically touching the bearing.

 

[SilverBully]

I didn't use loctite, but I did make sure those were nice and tight before i put the plate in. I don't think those would directly cause the issue if they backed out. The hole they are in is threaded. If you back one out, you can still get it very tight from the top. However, if they backed out, I could see them contacting the plastic bearing. The two on the inside of the strut tower already are basically touching the bearing.

Yeah, it may be a waste of time to loctite or triple check these, but this is the only part I thought could be causing my clunking problem, however it still didn’t stop the noise when I tried it.

I ran out of ideas and just went back to stock.

 

[Rensuhlo]

Yeah. I wouldn't recommend the Verus plates to anyone moving forward. Millway makes some good replacements. Available through PhD Racing IIRC.

 

[kungfujedis]

Yeah, it may be a waste of time to loctite or triple check these, but this is the only part I thought could be causing my clunking problem, however it still didn’t stop the noise when I tried it.

I ran out of ideas and just went back to stock.

Yeah, that is very frustrating. Your experience sounds a lot like mine; obsessively checking and rechecking tiny details. I get to be the 'proud' owner now of 2 sets of verus plates, because I wanted to swap that plate with a new one in case the problem was unique to that one. And two extra strut bearings.

Did you try adjusting the steering rack preload? Apparently this can cause the same sound on the driver's side and apparently often starts after suspension modifications. I ordered the tool and and waiting for it.

 

[kungfujedis]

Yeah. I wouldn't recommend the Verus plates to anyone moving forward. Millway makes some good replacements. Available through PhD Racing IIRC.

Yeah, same. though TBF; I didn't have problems with my previous set on the previous car.

 

[SilverBully]

Yeah, that is very frustrating. Your experience sounds a lot like mine; obsessively checking and rechecking tiny details. I get to be the 'proud' owner now of 2 sets of verus plates, because I wanted to swap that plate with a new one in case the problem was unique to that one. And two extra strut bearings.

Did you try adjusting the steering rack preload? Apparently this can cause the same sound on the driver's side and apparently often starts after suspension modifications. I ordered the tool and and waiting for it.

I was going to replace the thrust bushing to rule it out as the source of the noise, but I couldn't find a part number that I was certain would fit. I will say my car makes no noise when I wiggle the steering wheel back and forth... I have some spring binding pop (very subtle) when going full lock left/right but I think that is normal with my lowering springs (Eibach Euro spec).

Why do you own two sets of plates? you tried two different plates on the driver side and they both clunked?????

 

[kungfujedis]

I was going to replace the thrust bushing to rule it out as the source of the noise, but I couldn't find a part number that I was certain would fit. I will say my car makes no noise when I wiggle the steering wheel back and forth... I have some spring binding pop (very subtle) when going full lock left/right but I think that is normal with my lowering springs (Eibach Euro spec).

Why do you own two sets of plates? you tried two different plates on the driver side and they both clunked?????

You may not need to replace it, apparently just adjusting/tightening it can solve the problem. If the problem comes back after adjusting, then you replace.

The first set I bought was a 'blemished' set from verus for a discount. Apparently they have a much shorter return/warranty window, even though that isn't mentioned on the site. The blemishes are supposed to be cosmetic only. Inititially, verus didn't wan't to do anything for me (that didnt involve spending more money), but they eventually agreed that if i bought a new set of plates, and that solved my problem, that they would refund me the difference. So I bought a second set, swapped out the drivers side...and still have the issue.

I also bought a 'chassis ear' which I am waiting delivery on. That will allow me to hook up 5 microphones and read their levels while i drive around and reproduce the noise. Hopefully that will at least allow me to zero in on where exactly the noise is coming from.

 

[SilverBully]

why go through so much trouble? you could just buy verkline front lower adjustable arms https://verkline.com/products/front-lower-adjustable-control-arms-toyota-supra-a90-a91

 

[kungfujedis]

why go through so much trouble? you could just buy verkline front lower adjustable arms https://verkline.com/products/front-lower-adjustable-control-arms-toyota-supra-a90-a91

Well...yeah. If I knew this would be my experience I would have done something like that. At this point with everything installed already, I hold out a little bit of hope that I am a tweak away from resolving it.

 

[SilverBully]

Well...yeah. If I knew this would be my experience I would have done something like that. At this point with everything installed already, I hold out a little bit of hope that I am a tweak away from resolving it.

yeah that sucks - I feel the same way and I only bought one set, this is the thing is when it comes to modding, you could have went the expensive route and still had a shitty experience with lower control arms being defective.

did you by any change remove the camber adjustment screws at some point, I just noticed the sliding piece is not symmetrical, and may cause issues if not orientated correctly?

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