RSM STB Noise

[c3hp0]

RSM STBs installed now for a couple of months and I am getting a bit of a clunk sometimes after the car is parked (and I'm even out of the car) and sometimes at lower speeds. Sounds to be coming from the front only.

I'm thinking that the STB mounts are shifting, since the holes are a fair bit larger than the strut mount bolts.

Anyone else getting this noise?

The car doesn't need struts, strut mounts, sway bar or other bushings, etc. It has about 37,000 miles and is primarily driven by my wife is a cautious driver.

[c3hp0]

No one else getting this sound? Even with other strut tower braces?

It is now most common on turns. I'm going to re-torque the bolts up front and may look into some sort of nylon liner to "fill up" the gap between the holes and the bolts.

[tenspeed]

If the strut tower brace was shifting, it would leave some marks around the nuts and washers. There's not much movement of the strut towers to cause any noise.

Could it be the headers cooling off? I don't know of much else that would make noise when parked.

[c3hp0]

Good suggestion on the markings - I'll go check.

Headers/exhaust cooling off I'd call more of a crackling/pinging than a thunk, although anything's possible I suppose.

[c3hp0]

Tightened the strut mount nuts/bolts and the bolts that connect the STB mounts to the connecting bar, and nearly all the clunking went away. After a day of no noise, I heard one clunk when the car went over a couple of pretty good bumps and convolutions in series at a good clip (approx. 45 Mph). It may have been due bottoming out and hitting the bump stops. We drive over that section of road nearly every day and I haven't heard such noise, so I will be keeping an ear/eye open.

As a note, the clunk/pop that I was hearing last occurred when I opened the passenger door just prior to tightening the strut mount bolts in my garage. Swung it wide and didn't stop it from hitting the end of its travel (nothing severe) - heard the noise and it sure sounded like it was coming from the strut mount, although I wasn't close enough and the hood wasn't yet raised.

Finally, I torqued the 4 (2 per side) nuts to around 30 ft-lbs, but for the 2 bolts (1 per side) I was only able to get to about 25 ft-lbs without an increase while continuing to turn (a quarter to a half turn each) - was weary that I was stripping them. Anyone have similar results with the bolts?

[c3hp0]

Update - hasn't clunked in a while.

Anyone have the experience with the bolts I've had? Let's hear from those who bought the RSM STBs during the group buy.