Loose strut top mount

[Wato66]

Recently fitted front B14 coilovers and the top mount is fully tight but the strut still seems loose, is this correct ?
They have been on for about 6 weeks and have had a knocking noise from the top mount.

Any thoughts ?

Taking them back out and going to use the lock nut supplied with the strut to hold the spring as its shorter and think will allow the top mount to tighten, anyone else done this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I thought my top mounts were loose but it turned out the knocking was coming from the ARB drop links.

 

[Wato66]

I thought my top mounts were loose but it turned out the knocking was coming from the ARB drop links.

Fitted new ones, but only cheap from ebay. Will replace with decent ones.

Thanks

Update top mounts are now solid in the housing but the noise persists, so it wasn't that.

 

[Grim Reaper]

It wasn't so much the links themselves (I fitted uprated V-Maxx adjustable ones) but the H&R Anti roll bar was shedding its powder coating around the holes where the links bolted into and that's what was causing the knock.
It took a couple of retightening events before they stayed silent.

 

[Steve315bhp]

I thought my top mounts were loose but it turned out the knocking was coming from the ARB drop links.

I have the same problem with the top mount plates, without the final nut on the plate spins freely, looks like there is a 3-4mm gap between the rubber and the body.
have recently fitted B14 Komforts, new strut top mounts, bearings etc. I did use Meyle mounts, maybe they are slightly different?
I have swapped the shorter top nut with the longer shock nut which solves the problem as a temporary solution to try out this weekend.

 

[Markstonee00]

I spoke with Mikey from transporter HQ where I bought my B14’s from and he said that you should have that gap and you should always use the proper nut and not the locking nut the struts have fitted for transport to protect the threads.

 

[ricksta]

How was the ride, I've just the same problem but can't understand why the top strut cup wouldn't fit down tightly in the scuttle panel

 

[Vanderlust]

With regard to the answer from thq at #6 I don’t understand how that gap won’t prevent free play between the top mount and the van body turret. I recently fitted Eibach Bilstein suspension with Myele hd top mounts drop links and H&R anti roll bars Had the alignment checked and all good. Done about 800 miles Bala/Wales trip and some local journeys on various roads with no issues at all. Yesterday on a journey almost immediately noticed a knock coming from the front on bumps in the road even at slow speeds wasn’t there before. Knock was quite high up so suspected the top mounts. Today took the scuttle and access panels off and both top mount securing nuts fully tightened however there is a small gap between the rubber base of the washer and the van body suspension turret. See photo. If the rubber isn’t tight against the turret then there must be some free play between the top mount and the turret which would result in the knock but this doesn’t go along with the answer at 6.
As I am missing something would any of the knowledgeable folks on here tell me where I’m going wrong.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Check the tightness of your drop links, I had the powder coating crack off my ARB and it gave just enough slack to cause a knock, tightened them up again and no knock since. Sound appeared to be coming from my feet area but it can be difficult to pin down.

 

[CRS Performance]

I thought my top mounts were loose but it turned out the knocking was coming from the ARB drop links.

Because the front struts do not sit vertical in the van they have to move around at the top to accommodate camber and castor angles and movement , Make the top washer tight at your peril, it will snap the top pin off the shock after a time , pretty scary when it happens , ( not personal experience , but a client who had cheap coil overs )

 

[CRS Performance]

Knocking on the front of the transporter suspension is almost always the drop links . First thing to check if you have a clunk clunk

 

[Vanderlust]

Thanks to Grim Reaper and CRS for your replies, after the first reply I had been under the van and checked the drop links which did seem tight but I will need to get the van upon ramps to give them a better check. I have added a photo of the top mount / nut in place and with vws oem suspension the rubber of the top washer seems to have been in contact with the suspension turret.
From my layman’s understanding I was aware the top mount required to move and thought that was accommodated by the bearings/ rubber compliance of the top mount itself and rubber compliance of the surround of the top washer. Obviously I got that wrong. So from CRS the top washer is just there to stop the strut dropping out if the suspension is unloaded. In my defence the knock definitely sounded like it was coming from quite high up at the front even confirmed by mrs vanderlust.
1st job tomorrow is to give the drop links a better check. Thanks again for replying.

 

[Vanderlust]

An update: Got the van up on ramps and checked the drop links, most fully tightened but a got maybe eighth of a turn on a couple of the nuts. Drove van today and no sign of the knock so thanks to grim reaper, CRS for advice. Whilst under the van noticed oil on the bottom right side of the crank case so today’s trip was to the garage to get it checked out. Better done now as heading off to Europe in a couple of weeks but could have done without another opportunity to empty my wallet into the money pit.

 

[DaveD]

Check the tightness of your drop links, I had the powder coating crack off my ARB and it gave just enough slack to cause a knock, tightened them up again and no knock since. Sound appeared to be coming from my feet area but it can be difficult to pin down.

Same happened to me. Had to retighten twice, both sides.