2011 Traverse Front End Clunking Noise

If you can feel it in the spring......Could be a Strut Mount/Bearing Plate issue, I say could because describing noises & having someone remotely diagnose them is like target shooting in the dark.

Loaded struts is just asking for issues.....The strut itself could be a half decent product but the mount/bearing/spring is likely the cheapest crap available.

An issue I've seen more than a few times in my career that needs to be watched for......Deformed Strut Towers, The flat pad the Strut mount mounts against can get deformed. This is caused by bottoming the strut out by hitting curbs at speed or running something over. If the Mount Studs are splayed outward.....You can bet the Strut Tower is deformed.

Had a '13 Hyundai Sonata in recently with noise while turning.......The strut tower was severely deformed as was the strut mount......Had to beat the strut out because the bolts were splayed so badly.
Had to remove the hood, Took no less than 30 good strikes with a 10 pound sledge against a short piece of 4x4 wood block to straighten the top of the tower out.....A new OE Mount & Bearing Plate was all the parts needed.

The look on the owners face when I asked when I asked what he ran over was priceless.....He avoided an accident & hit a curb.
I thought that wheel looked a lot cleaner than the rest;)
 
If you can feel it in the spring......Could be a Strut Mount/Bearing Plate issue, I say could because describing noises & having someone remotely diagnose them is like target shooting in the dark.

Loaded struts is just asking for issues.....The strut itself could be a half decent product but the mount/bearing/spring is likely the cheapest crap available.

An issue I've seen more than a few times in my career that needs to be watched for......Deformed Strut Towers, The flat pad the Strut mount mounts against can get deformed. This is caused by bottoming the strut out by hitting curbs at speed or running something over. If the Mount Studs are splayed outward.....You can bet the Strut Tower is deformed.

Had a '13 Hyundai Sonata in recently with noise while turning.......The strut tower was severely deformed as was the strut mount......Had to beat the strut out because the bolts were splayed so badly.
Had to remove the hood, Took no less than 30 good strikes with a 10 pound sledge against a short piece of 4x4 wood block to straighten the top of the tower out.....A new OE Mount & Bearing Plate was all the parts needed.

The look on the owners face when I asked when I asked what he ran over was priceless.....He avoided an accident & hit a curb.
I thought that wheel looked a lot cleaner than the rest;)
Thanks clinebarger, always appreciate when you chime in with a thorough answer. Brand new strut assemblies (strut, spring, mount) like I said... I'm afraid something is imperfect. Is there anything I can do at this point outside of replacing them all over again? Handling and tire wear is good after a thousand miles. Just that annoying clunking noise during low-speed turns. If I try to ignore it am I asking for trouble if this is the case?

But you're saying that the where the strut mounts to the body could potentially be an issue as well?

Whenever I work on this thing I wish I had something like a GMT900 SUV... but there's still a lot to love about it for a family wagon...
 
Thanks clinebarger, always appreciate when you chime in with a thorough answer. Brand new strut assemblies (strut, spring, mount) like I said... I'm afraid something is imperfect. Is there anything I can do at this point outside of replacing them all over again? Handling and tire wear is good after a thousand miles. Just that annoying clunking noise during low-speed turns. If I try to ignore it am I asking for trouble if this is the case?

But you're saying that the where the strut mounts to the body could potentially be an issue as well?

Whenever I work on this thing I wish I had something like a GMT900 SUV... but there's still a lot to love about it for a family wagon...

Can't really say if safety is a concern or not, If the mount studs are straight....The towers are likely okay.
 
Yes, The big nut in the center of the strut mount. I've seen this as well....Usually causes a knock over bumps in my experience.
Thanks for chiming in again. The mount studs seemed good to me. I'll double check them and the nut in the center of the mount again too.
 
Yes, The big nut in the center of the strut mount. I've seen this as well....Usually causes a knock over bumps in my experience.
I dug in there this evening and made sure the mount studs were tightened. Seemed good. I also tried to tighten the bigger nut in the center of the strut mount.... It just kind of moved... but I noticed the stud has a hex shape at the end so I'm assuming I need a socket on the end of that with an awkward angled box end wrench on the nut? It seemed sufficiently tight though.
While I was at it I wiggled the steering wheel and reached to hold onto the coil spring and I could still feel a 'clunk' in there. I couldn't feel anything obvious in the end link, but I could feel a little in the outer tie rod. A little. Could this be more steering rack related after all perhaps?
 
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