Jameshs

Hi Rennlist,

Long time lurker short time 997 owner. I wondered if anyone has experianced this issue before.

I have a 2006 S and shorty after handing over the cash I noticed it had a very faint knock coming from the front. I tried all the usual areas around things being loose in the truck, and with the help or searching on here. I decided to order the parts to change the following:

Strut top mounts
Strut Bearing
Sway bar links
Outer Rod links

Proud with a mini refresh in mind I booked it into an indy local to me and told him the parts were to fix a slight knock. He proceeded to access the strut top mounts and bounce the suspension travel whilst holding the top nut. From that analysis he concluded that the shocks were shot.

Is this how you would check if they are worn? Its a 10 year-old 52,000 mile PASM car?

None of the shocks are showing signs of any leakage and the car drives well (subjective - I have nothing to compare it against really)

Any help would be great

Thanks,
James

Tj40

Typically you can just push down on the corner with your bodyweight and watch it rebound, if it oscillates up and down then the shocks are shot. If it comes back up and settles after one oscillation shocks are OK.


Its' pretty crude but effective. There may be more sophisticated ways :-)

Jameshs

Thank you

trendy996

If it sounds like two pieces of metal slapping together over rough road. It's more than likely your top strut mount bushings have ripped.

Bruce In Philly

Clunks in a Porsche suspension are common given your mileage. It usually is a control arm but I don't have enough experience with you model to point to the usual offender. Many point to sway bar links but in my experience they tend to be OK.

Back when I had a 2000 Boxster S, I had the 2nd highest 996/986 mileage car my dealer saw.... so when I started getting clunks, they started with sway bar links etc..... the only way they found the offending clunker was to put chassis ears on the various parts and just go for a ride.

I should have noted that control arm clunks are most noticeable moving slowly over undulations or low frequency bumps... things that shift the weight of the car.

Strut bearings creak, they don't clunk.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

German888

I doubt the clunk sound your hearing has anything to do with the strut/shock. Slide the boots up and take a closer look at the shaft as it enters the shock body. Your looking for excessive suspension fluid on the shaft and the area around it. This is a sign of a blown shock. As Tj40 pointed out, If the car bounces rather than settles after compression this is a rudimentary "tell" and a good sign the valve stack inside the shock is no longer controlling compression and rebound as it should.

I think the list you've compiled sounds like a good one.

Jameshs

Thank you for the suggestions guys. I will go ahead and put all the parts on regardless and whilst I am there I will checkout the struts.