Suspension Clunking Noise

[METAL]

Arn't forums helpful. People need to hop off theirs apps and start using forums more like it used to be.

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[RAWSupra]

well ... I had my Geometry checked and whole car was way off spec ... excessive toe out on front and uneven toe on rear ... they corrected it to factory specs.... and they had a good check of all suspension parts and said "it is not any part of the suspension mate" ...and they are well respected in my town.

They recommended i tell Toyota.

but ... Since the alignment the noise its vastly reduced. ( but ive only done 10 miles so far)

my front toe in was +0.27/+0.22 .... now its +0.10/+0.10

 

[RAWSupra]

i think ive found the issue ...

its the preload adjustment nut on the steering rack , it appears to be a common issue on the BMW`s ( pains me to say but the supra IS mostly a bmw )

the videos in the links are EXACTLY that noise i have ... and worse when warm .. exactly like mine.
and it would feel like the INNER TIE rod like i initially thought !!!

there is a preload nut to turn ....

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1637057&page=4


MAN I hope its this easy !!!!!!

 

[METAL]

Man you are really digging into this issue and doing a great job at it.

 

[RAWSupra]

looks like f30/F32 BMWs have an EPS repair kit BMW Part # KIT: 32 10 6 891 974 but it does not say it fits the Supra/Z4(M40i) .... i have ordered the three prong tool from ebay .. £12 ( but you can apparently use a angle grinder spanner ) .... i will turn it clockwise 1/8th of turn and see how that goes many say thats enough to remove the clunking.

All this "thrust adjustment" does is push the back of the rack more firmly against the pinion gear.

Thanks for the positive comments METAL ive always contributed to forums ( and Bulletin Boards ) happy to help.

see this vid for info

 

[RAWSupra]

UPDATE: FIXED

Well i got the tool and set to work ... very luckily RHD cars all you need to do is remove airbox ( 2 min job) and the adjuster is in front of you ... see pic

it wasnt tight ... and easily tightened with a socket wrench ... i initially turned in clockwise 1/8th of a turn but this was too much and made the steering a little stiff ... i backed it off and really only turned it 1/16th of a turn clockwise ( about 5mm ) ... and hey presto .... no more noise .

I drove and NO CLUNKING noise and also car doesn't "wander around" or "tramline" as much ...

amazing such a tiny adjustment makes so much difference. ive calculated it actually pushed the thrust bush just 0.092mm extra causing a better fit from the rack to the pinion gear.

PERFECT !!

I would also recommend getting alignment done on the supra as almost everyone says they are off almost straight from factory .. and uneven across an axle that makes it even worse ... but this thrust adjustment wont effect alignment settings.

Also these supra ALREADY has the modified bush as in the repair kit so all you need it the tool from ebay ... LHD cars you will need to drop the skid plate under the car to have access to the adjuster but its a simple task and can be done by jacking up one side of the car.

 

[METAL]

Incredible find! This needs to be archived and or stickied in the DIY section for other members.

 

[Mark5]

UPDATE: FIXED

Well i got the tool and set to work ... very luckily RHD cars all you need to do is remove airbox ( 2 min job) and the adjuster is in front of you ... see pic

it wasnt tight ... and easily tightened with a socket wrench ... i initially turned in clockwise 1/8th of a turn but this was too much and made the steering a little stiff ... i backed it off and really only turned it 1/16th of a turn clockwise ( about 5mm ) ... and hey presto .... no more noise .

I drove and NO CLUNKING noise and also car doesn't "wander around" or "tramline" as much ...

amazing such a tiny adjustment makes so much difference. ive calculated it actually pushed the thrust bush just 0.092mm extra causing a better fit from the rack to the pinion gear.

PERFECT !!

I would also recommend getting alignment done on the supra as almost everyone says they are off almost straight from factory .. and uneven across an axle that makes it even worse ... but this thrust adjustment wont effect alignment settings.

Also these supra ALREADY has the modified bush as in the repair kit so all you need it the tool from ebay ... LHD cars you will need to drop the skid plate under the car to have access to the adjuster but its a simple task and can be done by jacking up one side of the car.

Very interesting.. I do hear a little bit of clunking on the front and driver side, and almost feel like it's a loose break caliper. I can hear it when driving very slow over bumps, or when I initially press and depress the brake in different angles. Will try this thanks

 

[Mark5]

UPDATE: FIXED

Well i got the tool and set to work ... very luckily RHD cars all you need to do is remove airbox ( 2 min job) and the adjuster is in front of you ... see pic

it wasnt tight ... and easily tightened with a socket wrench ... i initially turned in clockwise 1/8th of a turn but this was too much and made the steering a little stiff ... i backed it off and really only turned it 1/16th of a turn clockwise ( about 5mm ) ... and hey presto .... no more noise .

I drove and NO CLUNKING noise and also car doesn't "wander around" or "tramline" as much ...

amazing such a tiny adjustment makes so much difference. ive calculated it actually pushed the thrust bush just 0.092mm extra causing a better fit from the rack to the pinion gear.

PERFECT !!

I would also recommend getting alignment done on the supra as almost everyone says they are off almost straight from factory .. and uneven across an axle that makes it even worse ... but this thrust adjustment wont effect alignment settings.

Also these supra ALREADY has the modified bush as in the repair kit so all you need it the tool from ebay ... LHD cars you will need to drop the skid plate under the car to have access to the adjuster but its a simple task and can be done by jacking up one side of the car.

Hey man what tool did you use for this exactly? And also is it turning that middle hex part? Anyone else try this and did it work?

 

[RAWSupra]

Hey man what tool did you use for this exactly? And also is it turning that middle hex part? Anyone else try this and did it work?

 

[OneTimeAccount]

Cool and interesting find, thanks. I have noticed my steering feeling "loose" as of lately and I do have clunking in the front end (I do have a lot of SPL parts though). I wonder if this could help fix both issues.

Will give it a shot after I order the tool.

 

[RAWSupra]

Update.

The noise came back (a little) ... so i undid the 3 prong screw ... removed the spring and thrust bush ... ALL THE GREASE HAD DRYED UP and there was not a lot of it at all... it was a real hard job to remove the bush which should move freely ... making me think they really didn't pack enough FB-1 grease in there from he factory ... i cleaned it all up ... reapplied liberal amounts of FB-1 grease to rack, bush and spring and tightened up to original position ... now back to all quiet again.

 

[SleakMK]

Update.

The noise came back (a little) ... so i undid the 3 prong screw ... removed the spring and thrust bush ... ALL THE GREASE HAD DRYED UP and there was not a lot of it at all... it was a real hard job to remove the bush which should move freely ... making me think they really didn't pack enough FB-1 grease in there from he factory ... i cleaned it all up ... reapplied liberal amounts of FB-1 grease to rack, bush and spring and tightened up to original position ... now back to all quiet again.

Man I really appreciate you posting about this fix. I've been dealing with the clunking over bumps for over two years and changed multiple parts trying to fix, without success. I tried this fix today and it really does work. The bushing was loose enough that I could turn by hand (but still needed the bmw tool). I also overtightened a small amount, agree the steering was way to tight and didn't feel right. I backed it off slightly and it was perfect.

Car seems a little quieter and smoother after the change. Could just be me but I swear it felt grippier when entering turns now as well. All in all, very happy with how the car feels and recommend everyone checks this adjustment. You may be surprised at what you find.

I did not remove the bushing but I know what to look for if the noise comes back. Thanks.

For others, this is the tool I used: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1341400838...uid=QZZYZLmoQPG&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[RAWSupra]

I think the best advice is to adjust the screw (tighten slightly) ... if it makes a difference great ... if it comes back then note the postilion of the screw ... remove it/spring and bush and clean out the old grease .. regrease with FB-1 ( loads of it on rack/bush/spring) and reinsert ... tightening to SAME place as original

I agree the steering feels so much more responsive thats cos the bush is now moving freely and constantly keeping torque on the pinion/rack at all steering input amounts ...

Removing the screw was easy ... i did it under the car ( removing the skid plates ) ..

I reckon a lot of guys are unnecessarily changing suspension parts when its not the suspension that is the issue.

NOTE: DO NOT USE THE BMW EPS REPAIR KIT ( Part No. 32106891974 ) AS THE BUSH DOES NOT FIT THE SUPRA ( or Z4)

but u can use the screw cap from the kit ( i did)

Note use FB-1 grease as this is designed for Thysenn-krupp EPS racks.

No way the rack should be that dry ... i rekon there will be a recall eventually when the pinion skips cogs on the rack and someone has a BIG accident !!

 

[aksprite]

I can confirm an angle grinder spanner works for tightening it. If you’re near a Harbor Freight this is the exact one I got.

https://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-pin-wrench-36554.html

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