Hi I was just wanting to get some ideas what causes rattles in the front suspension of TR/TS Magna's, trying to workout whats wrong with mine, so anyone thats fixed their rattles can you let me what was the cause of yours, cheers

Never got around to fixing the rattles in the front of my TS before I sold it (for peanuts) but I suspected the top strut bearings.

Ur need new front gas struts & u might need new bushes

Ur need new front gas struts & u might need new bushes

Cool thanks for your reply, I put new struts in last year, they were ultima gas shocks I bought off ebay, by bushes do you mean the lower control arm bushes? its really bugging me as I can't work out whats causing it, top strut bearings seem fine. making me think the new struts I bought are faulty, the rattle seems to be coming from the passengers side only. cheers

top strut bearings seem fine.

Can't tell unless you take them right off and look for play.

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-95247.html

Can't tell unless you take them right off and look for play.

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-95247.html

I have done that

Just this minute finished a L/F strut replacement on my KS wagon. Was missing the upper bump stop (aren't they all?) so I dropped the strut out to fit one. Strut was leaking (was last replaced in 1999!) so I scratched around and put together one from the best bits I had.
Replacing the tired shock has certainly reduced the clunks from that side.
Some learnings: The upper spring seat is orientated by the flat on the shaft just below the thread, but that flat rotates as the shaft is rotated in the shock. The seat is not perpendicular to the shaft, but is meant to be fitted so that the "lower" side is the inside (i.e. the inside face is lower down and clears the corner of the strut tower. Failure to do this results in the inside face of the spring seat fouling on the top corner of the strut tower on the body. None of this was obvious to me with spring compressors in place and the spring bent in odd directions, and my manual didn't mention anything, apart from marking the studs on the upper mount.
Also, jack-up both sides of the car and support under the body, even if you are only doing one side. This makes lowering the hub easier so the strut can be maneuvered clear at its lower end. Otherwise you are fighting the other side via the sway bar. And make sure you support the hub so it doesn't fall too far outwards and destroy your inner CV boot.
KSD

Just this minute finished a L/F strut replacement on my KS wagon. Was missing the upper bump stop (aren't they all?) so I dropped the strut out to fit one. Strut was leaking (was last replaced in 1999!) so I scratched around and put together one from the best bits I had.
Replacing the tired shock has certainly reduced the clunks from that side.
Some learnings: The upper spring seat is orientated by the flat on the shaft just below the thread, but that flat rotates as the shaft is rotated in the shock. The seat is not perpendicular to the shaft, but is meant to be fitted so that the "lower" side is the inside (i.e. the inside face is lower down and clears the corner of the strut tower. Failure to do this results in the inside face of the spring seat fouling on the top corner of the strut tower on the body. None of this was obvious to me with spring compressors in place and the spring bent in odd directions, and my manual didn't mention anything, apart from marking the studs on the upper mount.
Also, jack-up both sides of the car and support under the body, even if you are only doing one side. This makes lowering the hub easier so the strut can be maneuvered clear at its lower end. Otherwise you are fighting the other side via the sway bar. And make sure you support the hub so it doesn't fall too far outwards and destroy your inner CV boot.
KSD

Thanks so much for your advice Dave, cheers

Deano, Just replaced my right outer steering tierod end ($25 from Repco). Old one had split boot, but actually seemed OK when checked by rocking the road wheel side to side. Symptom was clunking (but that was hard to trace amongst all the other clunks and rattles) and a shimmy through the steering wheel between 20 and 40 kph. Replacing tierod end seems to have cured both problems. Also tried glueing my rear pads to to the calipers with some orange anti-squeek goop from Repco. Seems to have stopped the annoying rattle. ABS wagons have different calipers from any other series 2s so finding anti-rattle shims at the wreckers is not easy. All mine are in place though and it still rattled like crazy.
Anyone else had this problem on a Verada or S2 wagon with ABS?
KSD

Hi Dave, thanks so much for your reply, I will check my tie rod ends tomorrow, second gen Magna/Verada's are great cars but never owned a car with so many clunks and rattles in the front end, the anti rattle springs in my r/h front brakes were not even in place and that was the cause of some rattles and a very easy fixed one, but the clunks in the L/H front have me really stuffed.