Subaru WRX STi and Impreza How to fix the clunk from the rear suspension.

[xtw1ster]

Great video.

[briansmobile1]

@xtw1ster Thanks

[Seabass20329]

Thanks so much for making this video man. I needed a really good step by step to how to get to the rear struts, and this was the perfect video for the job. Also, cool to learn that caster can cause that knocking sound :)

[briansmobile1]

@Seabass20329 You're welcome!

[typert1]

im gng to attemp this today, how much grease doi add on each side ? 3 oz?

[briansmobile1]

@typert1 You'll feel it tighten up. That's enough.

[crewboy555]

Any recommendations on how to do this with coilovers? I'm guessing you'd have to maybe use a hex plug instead of a grease fitting, but not sure if that'd weaken the threads in that area.

Also, how often do you find that you have to regrease it? Does the old grease squirt out from somewhere?

[briansmobile1]

@crewboy555 Can't say I've chased that tail yet. Don't know.

[imprezalionel]

Very good 5 stars :)

[briansmobile1]

@imprezalionel ha ha thanks. I guess it's "like" or thumbs up now.

[MasterIronfist]

DAAMN! I have been trying to figure out the solution to the pop/clunk in my rear suspension for months! I also found some other forum threads that suggest just lubing the strut without disasembling. I hear it is more just a band aid than refilling the grease. What do you think?

Great video!!

[briansmobile1]

@MasterIronfist Refilling the grease works great and it's easy thereafter. Depending on how thick the grease is you use it keeps it quiet 10K miles to 65K miles.

[tooocool49723]

You use oil on your drill bits but not your taps??!! Shame on you! A thing of cutting oil is about $2 at a machinist supply place, and will probably last you a lifetime. Makes it easily 10x easier to tap a hole though, and the threads turn out much nicer. Good video though, very helpful!

[briansmobile1]

@tooocool49723 Eeeeeeasy there slugger! i do use oil.

[svtwrc]

The grease used by the factory tends to wax up. Lucas green grease is really good.

[zombified313]

Great vid. This helped me a lot.

[briansmobile1]

@zombified313 You're most welcome!

[bigpunn421]

nice video. will this work on a saab 92x aero?

[briansmobile1]

@bigpunn421 I couldn't say for sure. You should try it and tell me!

[sneaks01]

you are amazing man .... thanks!!

[briansmobile1]

@sneaks01 You're too kind. And you're welcome.

[ocb453]

Brian my question is how you check the spring it is no broken thans .

[briansmobile1]

@ocb453 Visual inspection and tracing it with your fingers is the best way I know.

[Subypowa]

Excellent DIY. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for the type of grease to use.

[briansmobile1]

@Subypowa Something thick is best. I used synthetic Marine grade grease and it was a little too thin in that it was thinner than the factory stuff and only lasted 8 months before it had to be greased again. Yes it's easy and only five seconds to fix, but thicker grease would be better.

[Subypowa]

@briansmobile1 I'm going to be working on this today. I ended up getting Lucas Red N tacky greasy which seems to be pretty thick. Hopefully this will do the trick and i wont have any problems. Thanks once again for this video.

[briansmobile1]

@Subypowa You're welcome. Good luck friend!

[Subypowa]

@briansmobile1 So i did this last week and OMG finally my car is quiet and smooth on the back. I dont know if this was mentioned on the video but i found regular grease fitting to be too long and will hit the strut inside so i got some Short Thread grease fittings at FastEnal, was lucky to have a store nearby. Had to buy a bag of 25 fittings tho but it was only $5 so considering you get about 8 at autozone or O'reilly for $3.49 this is not bad at all.

Thanks again.

[briansmobile1]

@Subypowa You're most welcome my friend!

[Campos2011]

Great tutorial. I will have to do this soon, thanks for the Info.

[briansmobile1]

@Campos2011 You're welcome.

[cody5002005]

very nice video helped out a lot

[gh3ttobitchbarbi3]

Well, now I know what that damn clunking is... Nice DIY! Adding this to my list of things to fix...

[briansmobile1]

@gh3ttobitchbarbi3 Cool deal.

[balerog90]

This is exactly what my 03 wrx is doing... TY you help so much!

[briansmobile1]

@balerog90 You're welcome. I feel so helpful right now!

[crewboy555]

Wow, THAT's what causes the mystery clunking??? I've had this on my stock struts, KYB GR2's and now my brand new coilovers. Not sure I'll be able to do this on the coilovers but definitely good to know.

[briansmobile1]

@crewboy555 Youtube is cool like that.

[slorex08]

just wanted to say thanks! did this yesterday with the help of this video and no more clunk, and grease fittings for future clunks.

[briansmobile1]

@slorex08 You're welcome- feels good huh?

[slorex08]

@briansmobile1 feels awesome

[briansmobile1]

@slorex08 Yes. Yes it does!

[TheRowdy76]

Thanks heaps Brainsmobile it took me ages to find out what the clunking in the rear end of my WRX was, and you solved it. The ride in the car is unreal now and no clunking since i done this . Cheers!!!

[briansmobile1]

@TheRowdy76 That's what I'm here for! That and I get paid when people click on the ads ; ) Glad I could help!

[TheRowdy76]

Thanks heaps Brainsmobile it took me ages to find out what the clunking in the rear end of my WRX was, and you solved it. The ride in the car is unreal now and no clunking since i done this . Cheers!!!

[hugolafhugolaf]

Wow man, that was a very cool vid, and I liked the no-nonsense explanations.

I don't have an STi, I have a Legacy GT so this doesn't apply to my car, but I often revert to Youtube for DIYs and How-to's and stuff (in fact, I just did my brakes tonight using a Youtube vid, as I have an STi brake conversion).

Your vid is what the internet is all about.

Props!

[briansmobile1]

@hugolafhugolaf Thanks I'm all satisfied with myself right now.

[TheAysir]

thanx i wonder if it will work on my cusco struts



[briansmobile1]

@TheAysir I wouldn't be surprised if it did. Post back here if you try it. Let us know.

[andrewk157]

This video was very helpful, but do u know if that fix will work on coilovers.  I have KWs and they are doing the same thing.

[briansmobile1]

@andrewk157 I haven't done it on the KW's. I'd be curious to know how it goes for you if you try it.

[ScaredNoobGoat]

Do you have a video, or have any advise about putting some forester struts on my 1998 impreza obs? Great videos. I press like!

[briansmobile1]

@ScaredNoobGoat Hey I appreciate that. Thanks. I haven't heard about doing a forester/Impreza strut swap. Tell me more. What's the idea behind that?

[MultiSlee]

very good video how can i tell a clunk strut....and a bad strut cause mine is leaking oil so that mean i have to replace the whole strut right?

[briansmobile1]

@MultiSlee Yep you nailed it! That is a bad strut if it's leaking. Replace it, and maybe do this as a preventative method.

[gn3ricc]

GREAT VID BTW!

[briansmobile1]

@gn3ricc Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

[gn3ricc]

so wait a min.. never touched my suspension before, but what caused it to clunk in the first place? ...

[gn3ricc]

@gn3ricc

take that back hahah

[briansmobile1]

@gn3ricc They have a design flaw.  There's play where there shouldn't be. The grease creates hydraulic pressure like the track tensioner on a mini-excavator.

[gn3ricc]

WOW MY CAR DOES THIS CRAP TOO THANK YOU!

[07STiLuke]

great video ...helped a lot ...thanks

[briansmobile1]

@07STiLuke You're welcome.- you'll have to check out the video on the oil catch cans I'm posting this week.

[schister66]

This will come in handy in a few weeks when i re-grease my struts. I've heard of people putting grease zerks in, but never quite understood the greasing issue. After this, i'm definitely doing it with the zerk. Thanks for the video

[briansmobile1]

@schister66  You're welcome. Another good thing to do is two oil trap cans. I just video'd that project today. I'll be posting it in the next week.

[vvnartvv]

dude great great video, thank you...

[briansmobile1]

@vvnartvv You're welcome- glad it was helpful to you!

[rpc2112]

Excellent video. Best one I've ever seen on this issue. Thank you.

[briansmobile1]

@rpc2112 You're welcome.  I'm glad you liked it.

[ma7mody]

fair enough :) thanks for your upload

[briansmobile1]

@ma7mody You bet- glad to help.

[ma7mody]

is it posbl to dril the hole and put the grease without taking off and disassymbling evrything?

[briansmobile1]

@ma7mody Yes, but fair warning if you drill to deep whatsoever you'll ding the shaft and have to replace the strut. I've done a few, but I still tear them down. I rock climb, skydive, and drive a bullet bike.

[NewShockerGuy]

What are you using to compress the spring? Brand? Thanks,

-Nigel

[briansmobile1]

@NewShockerGuy This one is a loan a tool that I bought from Autozone. It's not great, but it's pretty safe- I like that.

[Streetbikechamp]

Great video, thanks broseph!

[briansmobile1]

@Streetbikechamp You bet!  Look'n bro!

[PerpetualBanana]

briansmobile1, your video made replacing rear struts on my 2002 wrx much easier Thank you! For others, my 2002 stock struts are not the inverted style shown in the video. All the tips to get the seat out and the struts apart (nut on top of strut only), priceless. One of my struts was totally shot! Had to O/A torch the bottom strut mounting nuts to break them free. One of my struts had zero damping. I replaced the 73k mi. stock struts with KYB GR-2 struts from rockauto.com (part 334306 & 334307).

[rolexinSydney]

Thnks for this video. I have an 2003 WRX and its true, it does make a clanking noise everytime I hit some uneven surface and its annoying. Ill try this to get rid of the noise finally! Thank you so much for sharing.

[briansmobile1]

@rolexinSydney  You bet! Love ya!~

[PerpetualBanana]

@rolexinSydney I don't think the stock WRX has cartridge based struts like this stock. Looking for new struts, the STi and WRX are not interchangeable. I have a 2002 WRX and found new KYB rear struts at rockauto.com or NAPA for way more. I plan to swap them this weekend (I hope), will let you know what I find. If you have done this already, let me know, TIA. I'm off to rent a spring compressor.

[16GDSM]

Hmm, I have JIC Coilovers and sometimes I get rear end clunking.... :[

[acspidey]

Hey Brian I have been contemplating doing this, I might takle this next weekend, great job filmimg

[briansmobile1]

@acspidey Thanks- hope it goes great for you. That car is way to nice and fun to be clunking eigh?

[1elAguila]

great video thank brian

[briansmobile1]

@1elAguila You're welcome hermano!

[Flaheat]

My WRX wagon used to make the same clunking sound. I never thought about doing this because the expensive insurance on that car was more annoying that the constant clunking. Question: Can you reach the grease zerk with the tire on?

[briansmobile1]

@Flaheat Yes, actually you can.