My NC was a very smooth quiet ride when I got it two months ago, but the stock suspension lacks something so I promptly went to ordering FM stage 2. Went in with little fuss, even notched out the top of the strut tower bar to get access to the strut dampening adjustment.
Well I noticed an odd klunk when moving at slow speeds, its become more noticeable now that I have the top down more.
It only does it once you're moving and shuts up after about 10 mph, only does it when turning or running over a bump or undulation. It really sounds like something is loose, but I double checked everything.
If it's just a quirk of having a sportier suspension I can deal with it, but I just want to know if something sounds wrong, waiting to wrongerer.
Could be worn tie-rod or ball joint or sway bar bushing.
Drive over a bump head on and then at an angle, if the clunk is more pronounced on an angle, look at the sway bars
Sway bars, bushings and links are all brand new. Tie rods and ball joints were tight as of a month ago, checked them while doing the suspension.
Clunks aren't normal, but they're also hard to find over the internets 
Kenny's suggestion is a good one, make sure the bars aren't hitting anything.
Slop in the top-hat nut? That's what happened on my '96.
Keith Tanner wrote:
Clunks aren't normal, but they're also hard to find over the internets Kenny's suggestion is a good one, make sure the bars aren't hitting anything.
I agree, I was just looking for a lead since this has thrown me for a loop. I don't doubt it was my own hamfistedness that might have caused this.
Can you duplicate by having someone bounce the car at a standstill? Does it rattle (make a noise every time the suspension moves) or just clunk once in a while?
Nothing at dead stop, gone once I get going faster than 10 mph. But it will do it almost every time. Normal situation is pulling out of a parking spot, little bit of forward movement and turning will cause that very light klunk. Slowly going over bumps or irregularities, it seems to come from small, slow suspension articulation.
When I up graded my NCs sway bars I developed a minor "clunk" with certain dips. It happens so seldom that it's not really a problem for me.
Check to see if the bar is shifting side to side, and if this would let either end make contact. You'll be able see movement from grease patterns - if it's smeared over a section of bar, the bar is moving over that range. The NC bars have kinks in them to prevent this IIRC, but that's a good place to start.
Keith Tanner wrote:
Check to see if the bar is shifting side to side, and if this would let either end make contact. You'll be able see movement from grease patterns - if it's smeared over a section of bar, the bar is moving over that range. The NC bars have kinks in them to prevent this IIRC, but that's a good place to start.
Finally got it on a lift to check it today and that's exactly what I saw.
Is there anything to be concerned with the bar shifting? Or is it just a slight noise?
In reply to Neckromacr:
Problem solved, assuming it is your bar sliding around :)
Nice solution, I appreciate the suggestion. But is there anything to be worried about with the bar shifting?
If it's just a noise I can live with it. Even with this my Miata is like a church mouse compared to my Scirocco.
Hal
Dork
4/29/13 5:55 p.m.
Neckromacr wrote:
Nice solution, I appreciate the suggestion. But is there anything to be worried about with the bar shifting?
I had to use collars like that when I put an aftermarket bar in the front of my Focus. It was shifting enough that it was hitting on the frame(unibody). I would imagine that if it shifts enough it could cause problems with the endlinks.
The spring will stop it before it gets that far I don't think it would cause any real problem, but it's definitely annoying.
Yeah, the collars are worth it just to remove the annoying factor, I doubt you could do any real damage from having the bar slide around.
