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Old 12-11-2018, 05:34 PM   #376
Btec
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Although I have yet to go ahead to test this fix, I have some updated information that hopefully will help people with the clunking issue.

I reached out to Pedders regarding their OEM replacements for strut mounts including the old TSB back in 2016 that addressed the redesign to fix the popping noise as per below:

https://subaru.oemdtc.com/333/poppin...ubaru#more-333

Their response is quoted as follows:

"The OEM mounts are notorious for being noisy. Our 585013's have been used to fix this issue on vehicles since they have been introduced. We have not had any issues with them popping or making noise."

Rallysportsdirect sells these parts and previously listed the material used as polyurethane. I reached out to them to confirm as Pedders advised me its rubber. RSD has confirmed with them and updated the information on their website.

Has anyone tried using Pedders for replacement? I plan to do it in the next month as the cheapest fix before going full coilovers and will update with the results. I hope it is a permanent fix as many members have reported that the issue comes back after a while.
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Old 12-11-2018, 08:12 PM   #377
dayrew
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Try replacing your front sway bar bushings, I used the super pro they are they 20 bucks I also performed the steering tsb or what ever it is called at the same time replacing the little spring. It eliminated pretty much all of my front rattle at low speed that was driving me crazy!
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Old 12-12-2018, 08:01 AM   #378
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Btec View Post
Although I have yet to go ahead to test this fix, I have some updated information that hopefully will help people with the clunking issue.

I reached out to Pedders regarding their OEM replacements for strut mounts including the old TSB back in 2016 that addressed the redesign to fix the popping noise as per below:

https://subaru.oemdtc.com/333/poppin...ubaru#more-333

Their response is quoted as follows:

"The OEM mounts are notorious for being noisy. Our 585013’s have been used to fix this issue on vehicles since they have been introduced. We have not had any issues with them popping or making noise."

Rallysportsdirect sells these parts and previously listed the material used as polyurethane. I reached out to them to confirm as Pedders advised me its rubber. RSD has confirmed with them and updated the information on their website.

Has anyone tried using Pedders for replacement? I plan to do it in the next month as the cheapest fix before going full coilovers and will update with the results. I hope it is a permanent fix as many members have reported that the issue comes back after a while.
I have ordered them and plan on installing during Christmas break. I also plan on installing the regular guy spring from RCE and checking/refilling the grease rings on the strut body. I will update after.
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Old 12-12-2018, 11:09 AM   #379
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bueckerjl, btec. Good stuff guys. I started researching coilovers, but would rather avoid the big $ they command. I'll look forward to your feedback on the aftermarket top hats.

Got me wondering if installing aftermarket top hats void some, if not all, related components (like wheel bearings, axles, control arms, etc.)

Edit/addition: I've reached out to SOA, but it was a bs response as expected. "no recalls or TSBs related". I have zero faith they'll do anything about it.

Last edited by livewoutlimit; 12-12-2018 at 11:47 AM.
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Old 12-12-2018, 08:44 PM   #380
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dayrew View Post
Try replacing your front sway bar bushings, I used the super pro they are they 20 bucks I also performed the steering tsb or what ever it is called at the same time replacing the little spring. It eliminated pretty much all of my front rattle at low speed that was driving me crazy!
Has anybody else tried replacing the sway bar bushings?
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Old 12-13-2018, 11:04 AM   #381
whiplash willy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Svillen View Post
Has anybody else tried replacing the sway bar bushings?
I tried disconnecting my front swaybar, which had no effect on the steering or low speed clunks. It is a pretty quick and easy test.
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Old 12-15-2018, 10:17 PM   #382
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Originally Posted by Svillen View Post
Has anybody else tried replacing the sway bar bushings?
Dealer replaced mine last winter. No change.
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Old 12-22-2018, 09:26 PM   #383
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My 2018 Type-RA has this noise from the front left. Its mostly over rough roads or sharp bumps. Would fix it myself, but if its the strut its like $800 for the strut... Ill be taking it into the dealer to see what happens.
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Old 12-26-2018, 12:16 PM   #384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
I have ordered them and plan on installing during Christmas break. I also plan on installing the regular guy spring from RCE and checking/refilling the grease rings on the strut body. I will update after.
Hey bueckerjl - any updates? I would definitely want to just replace the top hat rather than the entire strut assembly or dealing w/the dealership.
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Old 12-26-2018, 05:45 PM   #385
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Originally Posted by livewoutlimit View Post
Hey bueckerjl - any updates? I would definitely want to just replace the top hat rather than the entire strut assembly or dealing w/the dealership.
I have the top hats but I didn't realize that daycare is closed all this week for the holiday so I've been on full time daddy duty and haven't had a chance to install. I'm hoping to install in the next couple of weeks around my work schedule.

I will say though that while the Pedders mounts have a bit of a crusty finish compared to OEM, they feel very solid and have a nice sealed bearing compared to the OEM open caged bearing. Also the elastomer fill seems a little stiffer and better molded into the carrier.

Here are some pictures to compare the two.

https://imgur.com/a/2dXCC1h
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Old 12-27-2018, 04:29 AM   #386
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Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
I have the top hats but I didn't realize that daycare is closed all this week for the holiday so I've been on full time daddy duty and haven't had a chance to install. I'm hoping to install in the next couple of weeks around my work schedule.

I will say though that while the Pedders mounts have a bit of a crusty finish compared to OEM, they feel very solid and have a nice sealed bearing compared to the OEM open caged bearing. Also the elastomer fill seems a little stiffer and better molded into the carrier.

Here are some pictures to compare the two.

https://imgur.com/a/2dXCC1h
I just ordered my Pedders strut mounts as well and going to get them installed with Kartboy endlinks for the stock front sway bar. I will get them done within 2 weeks and will post an update then as well.

My front end suspension noises have been getting worse and hoping this will take care of all the rattles and clunks once and for all.
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Old 12-31-2018, 12:29 AM   #387
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- Model year and trim: 2015 WRX Limited
- Road conditions where clunk is most noticeable: below 40 mph, small cracks and bumps
- Temperature conditions that affect the clunk: No temperature impact observed, clunking only started this winter (20F - 50F).
- Any suspension mods you have: Perrin steering rack dampener lockdown.
- Dealer work done to fix the issue and if it's had any affect: None, did not take to dealer.

Clunking only started at around 50k miles (82,000 Canadian km). When I move the wheel while the car is stopped, I hear the steering rack clunk and a quieter sharper click inside the steering wheel - I am not bothered by the quieter click. I can replicate the clunk when pulling/pushing on the wheel outside the car at 9 and 3, on either the driver or passenger side.

On the road, the clunking seems to be the same sounds as the one when turning the steering wheel when stopped. It sounds like I might suffer from the issue from post #234.

When stopped, I recorded a video with 2 cameras at the same time, one outside and another one aimed at the steering column.

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Old 01-04-2019, 11:05 PM   #388
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
I have the top hats but I didn't realize that daycare is closed all this week for the holiday so I've been on full time daddy duty and haven't had a chance to install. I'm hoping to install in the next couple of weeks around my work schedule.

I will say though that while the Pedders mounts have a bit of a crusty finish compared to OEM, they feel very solid and have a nice sealed bearing compared to the OEM open caged bearing. Also the elastomer fill seems a little stiffer and better molded into the carrier.

Here are some pictures to compare the two.

https://imgur.com/a/2dXCC1h
Ok I got all the work done today. I completed the following:

-Removed front inverted piston and repacked the top grease rings. The top ring had several voids that had no grease from the factory. I used Mobil 1 synthetic to repack.

-Swapped stock springs to RCE "Regular Guy" springs.

-Installed Pedders front strut mounts. The OEM mounts had noticeable drag in the bearing and also a fair amount of play. The Pedders still had some play when installed and torqued but the bearing was much smoother.

I haven't gotten an alignment yet but the car drives great and the clunk is gone for the moment. I drove around to some of the spots where I usually really notice the low-speed-small-bump clunk and didn't hear anything other than normal suspension noise.

Here's an album with a few pictures/clips.
https://imgur.com/a/ftZkgzk

Hopefully we're near the end of this nightmare....
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Old 01-05-2019, 11:10 AM   #389
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xxa View Post

On the road, the clunking seems to be the same sounds as the one when turning the steering wheel when stopped. It sounds like I might suffer from the issue from post #234.

When stopped, I recorded a video with 2 cameras at the same time, one outside and another one aimed at the steering column.

https://youtu.be/tQDTN83gLE0
I got the updated steering rack spring installed. The clunking from turning the steering wheel quickly left to right is still there (top hats?), but to my surprise the clunking when driving at low speeds on rough roads is GONE. I hear other sounds now, of lower intensity which don't bother me yet.

The reason why the clunking problem is so hard to troubleshoot might be because there's multiple causes that can lead to the clunking sound.
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Old 01-05-2019, 06:23 PM   #390
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bueckerjl, thanks for the update, that's great to hear. The amount of play in the stock mounts was surprising, to a point where I said "that has to be it". Did you hear any noise when you were checking for that play? Was the play coming from the bearing?

You say the Pedders also have play. Any noise when you were checking for this play?

I think when I do mine, I won't grease the seals just to be able to pinpoint to a single component if possible.

How do you like the ride of RCE blacks? Are you actually able to see a clear visual difference in the height?
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Old 01-06-2019, 06:59 AM   #391
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Originally Posted by livewoutlimit View Post
bueckerjl, thanks for the update, that's great to hear. The amount of play in the stock mounts was surprising, to a point where I said "that has to be it". Did you hear any noise when you were checking for that play? Was the play coming from the bearing?

You say the Pedders also have play. Any noise when you were checking for this play?

I think when I do mine, I won't grease the seals just to be able to pinpoint to a single component if possible.

How do you like the ride of RCE blacks? Are you actually able to see a clear visual difference in the height?
The best I could tell, the play was coming from the bearing. There was a dull “thud” in the stock bearing and nothing in the Pedders. I think there probably has to be a small amount of play to make up for manufacturing tolerances and make sure the bearing is evenly loaded. Otherwise you’d index that bearing pretty quick. The thing that got me was the drag on the oem mount when rotated.

So far the RCE blacks are fantastic. They are starting to settle and you can see a slight difference from stock. I haven’t measured but they are down to about “1.5 fingers.” Ride quality is better than OEM in my opinion. It feels like a progressive spring so small bumps are more compliant and it stiffens as you hit bigger stuff. Also the car feels more direct and planted and body roll is improved. The spring is only rated at a 10mm drop so it’s perfect for me as a daily driver with a toddler and once per week commute with 3 other people in the car.
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Old 01-08-2019, 10:28 AM   #392
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Hello,

I just read through the whole thread, these guys report the exact same thing. I will have my TSB spring replaced too and I will let you know if there was any effect.
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Old 01-11-2019, 09:22 AM   #393
livewoutlimit
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
The best I could tell, the play was coming from the bearing. There was a dull “thud” in the stock bearing and nothing in the Pedders. I think there probably has to be a small amount of play to make up for manufacturing tolerances and make sure the bearing is evenly loaded. Otherwise you’d index that bearing pretty quick. The thing that got me was the drag on the oem mount when rotated.

So far the RCE blacks are fantastic. They are starting to settle and you can see a slight difference from stock. I haven’t measured but they are down to about “1.5 fingers.” Ride quality is better than OEM in my opinion. It feels like a progressive spring so small bumps are more compliant and it stiffens as you hit bigger stuff. Also the car feels more direct and planted and body roll is improved. The spring is only rated at a 10mm drop so it’s perfect for me as a daily driver with a toddler and once per week commute with 3 other people in the car.
I pulled the trigger & bought the Pedders mount & RCE black springs. I was going to just swap the mounts, but figured might as well... the car could reduce the gap a bit. I'm planning on installing them within a couple of weeks & will update w/my findings as well.

Did you change the bump stops or had to cut them in the front struts?
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Old 01-11-2019, 09:27 AM   #394
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xxa View Post
I got the updated steering rack spring installed. The clunking from turning the steering wheel quickly left to right is still there (top hats?), but to my surprise the clunking when driving at low speeds on rough roads is GONE. I hear other sounds now, of lower intensity which don't bother me yet.

The reason why the clunking problem is so hard to troubleshoot might be because there's multiple causes that can lead to the clunking sound.
I'm glad to hear you were able to resolve some of the clunking. I believe the steering rack on later model years ('17+?) come already revised after that TSB for the spring was introduced, but I'll check the serial number when I get underneath the car to be sure. The spring install worked for some & did not for some members on this thread.
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Old 01-12-2019, 05:28 AM   #395
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Originally Posted by livewoutlimit View Post
I pulled the trigger & bought the Pedders mount & RCE black springs. I was going to just swap the mounts, but figured might as well... the car could reduce the gap a bit. I'm planning on installing them within a couple of weeks & will update w/my findings as well.

Did you change the bump stops or had to cut them in the front struts?
It depends on the model you have. Premium and limited already have the shortened stops but the base model would need to be swapped. Rear bump stops get swapped regardless. Either way, RCE now includes new stops of the correct height and instructions on when to use them.

Another thing to note. Make sure that you get the top perch aligned correctly. The photo included in the instructions makes it look like you are lining up 3 points—the alignment hole on the top perch (there only one hole on the top), the middle drain hole on the bottom perch and the center of the connection to the knuckle. You really only are lining up the top hole and the knuckle attachment. I confirmed this per the service manual. Ignore the indention in the rubber that’s from the old spring.
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:31 PM   #396
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
It depends on the model you have. Premium and limited already have the shortened stops but the base model would need to be swapped. Rear bump stops get swapped regardless. Either way, RCE now includes new stops of the correct height and instructions on when to use them.

Another thing to note. Make sure that you get the top perch aligned correctly. The photo included in the instructions makes it look like you are lining up 3 points—the alignment hole on the top perch (there only one hole on the top), the middle drain hole on the bottom perch and the center of the connection to the knuckle. You really only are lining up the top hole and the knuckle attachment. I confirmed this per the service manual. Ignore the indention in the rubber that’s from the old spring.
Thanks for the tip. There are some videos on youtube that (I realize now) are misinforming. There's one guy that's changing out to RCE yellows & tells ppl to turn the top perch till the it sits naturally on the spring (sort of like how it does on the bottom). I watched it again & that top perch hole is way off!
Can't wait to get this done.
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Old 01-13-2019, 07:09 AM   #397
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Originally Posted by livewoutlimit View Post
Thanks for the tip. There are some videos on youtube that (I realize now) are misinforming. There's one guy that's changing out to RCE yellows & tells ppl to turn the top perch till the it sits naturally on the spring (sort of like how it does on the bottom). I watched it again & that top perch hole is way off!
Can't wait to get this done.
The spring will likely bind and other noises will follow. RCE hit the forums a while back stating the importance of proper alignment.

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/4172538-post12.html

It’s also stated in the service manual. You’ll see when you take the old apart that there are a couple of witness stickers from the factory that are marking the alignment range. It’s pretty narrow.
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Old 01-13-2019, 07:39 AM   #398
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Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
It depends on the model you have. Premium and limited already have the shortened stops but the base model would need to be swapped. Rear bump stops get swapped regardless. Either way, RCE now includes new stops of the correct height and instructions on when to use them.

Another thing to note. Make sure that you get the top perch aligned correctly. The photo included in the instructions makes it look like you are lining up 3 points—the alignment hole on the top perch (there only one hole on the top), the middle drain hole on the bottom perch and the center of the connection to the knuckle. You really only are lining up the top hole and the knuckle attachment. I confirmed this per the service manual. Ignore the indention in the rubber that’s from the old spring.
Update on this as it may have some misinformation. My reference was the top spring perch on the 2018 wrx. It has an alignment hole that’s between two other holes that look like they are for drainage. I guess this single hole may not be present on all perches so you will split the difference between the two “drain” holes instead. Sorry for the confusion.
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Old 01-13-2019, 10:44 AM   #399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bueckerjl View Post
Update on this as it may have some misinformation. My reference was the top spring perch on the 2018 wrx. It has an alignment hole that’s between two other holes that look like they are for drainage. I guess this single hole may not be present on all perches so you will split the difference between the two “drain” holes instead. Sorry for the confusion.
I have a '19 limited, so I think mine will be identical to yours. I found this install video which is the only one that talks about upper perch alignment. I believe his car is a premium model with the inverted front struts also.


I think some Subaru's have 1 hole, some have 2, and some may even have 3. In any case, I'm finding it's crucial the upper perch must be precisely aligned to the mounting tabs/holes that goes on the knuckle.
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Old 01-21-2019, 03:45 PM   #400
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Has anyone else installed the pedders mounts yet? Since doing mine, it’s made another rattle more noticeable (since suspension noise is quieter). I realize now that it’s always been present I just thought it was related to the low speed clunk (which thankfully is still gone). It’s almost a plasticy rattle or like a heat shield is hitting something. It occurs over very broken pavement similar to the other clunk but I’m pretty confident it’s not suspension related. It’s been more apparent since the weather has been in the 20s.

I have an ‘18 Premium with the revised rack and have noticed some noise moving the wheel back and forth but nothing too unusual or worse than my forester. I’ve ordered the TSB spring just to make sure it’s not that.
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