Solved: Creaking/Clunking noise from left front

[GTP]

I always heard a creaking noise from my car's left front when backing out of my driveway over the street gutter. We have a suburb road with many seam patches, so it also makes for a good bumpy road test for NVH, ride stiffness etc. Wife notices a clunking sound when driving down our street.

I swapped wheel sets the other day and so I checked for loose splash panels, loose bolts, etc. Nothing.

But if I pushed down at the middle of the left edge of the closed hood I could replicate the creaking sound. Same sound as with plastic bumper against the car body.

It turned out to be the Redline hood strut bracket was rubbing against the underside of the hood - on both sides.
I rotated the driver's side bracket 180 degrees, because the hood clearance is better just a little more inboard. But I could not do the same on the passenger side due to the battery cover clearance. So I put a felt stick-on dot on the hood where the dual rub marks were.

Road test: No more creaking when backing out over the street gutter, and no more clunking while driving down our street!

Photos:
Here you see the dual rub marks on the hood, caused by the bay bracket and the strut end.

Here is the bracket rotated 180, to provide more clearance with the hood. The strut still operates fine.

This photo just shows a technique (imperfect) used to help hold the aluminum insert up against the oval hole during loosening/tightening.

Felt pad used at passenger side. Perhaps I should have just used this at both sides, but I know that it will get rubbed through eventually and have to be replaced.

CAUTION: Don't forget to use your prop rod before removing either strut. You may get a nasty bump on your head!

Sponsored

 

[GTP]

UPDATE.

I contacted Redline. They told me that they updated the lower bracket design, and made it as short as possible for added clearance on the 2018+. The new design has "27" stamped in one corner. The ball looks to be 3mm lower.

I ordered and installed a new pair of lower brackets. Installed the driver's side back to normal orientation. Used felt pads on the hood above both brackets just in case.

Some photos attached.

New bracket has "27" on it.

New bracket is 3mm lower.

Stout washer used to flatten out the distorted oval holes in my engine bay. I just tightened down the washer and red part until bottomed. Hole was then level again.

Battery cover hole opened up for more clearance with the new lower bracket.

 

[Cobra Jet]

UPDATE.

I contacted Redline. They told me that they updated the lower bracket design, and made it as short as possible for added clearance on the 2018+. The new design has "27" stamped in one corner. The ball looks to be 3mm lower.

I ordered and installed a new pair of lower brackets. Installed the driver's side back to normal orientation. Used felt pads on the hood above both brackets just in case.

Some photos attached.

New bracket has "27" on it.

New bracket is 3mm lower.

Stout washer used to flatten out the distorted oval holes in my engine bay. I just tightened down the washer and red part until bottomed. Hole was then level again.

Battery cover hole opened up for more clearance with the new lower bracket.

Good information to know for the 2018+ owners.

How come Redline didn't just send you the proper brackets out of courtesy instead of you having to buy them? I mean, Redline obviously knew of the problem for 2018+ to make a redesigned bracket... the least they could have done is just sent you the revised units free of charge.

 

[GTP]

Yeah, that was my thinking and I asked. I even contacted them AFTER my write-up and pointed them to it. Offered to pay for the shipping.

The best I could get was two brackets for the price of one. Fortunately the total was only $14.

 

[86pagt]

I have the 27 stamped brackets and they rub. I will be installing felt pads

 

[slowrey]

I just had the same issue as I took my car in for the creaking and they removed the struts and said it was the problem. Need to look and see what my brackets are stamped as.

Sponsored