I've just taken the wagon for a test drive after fitting new front struts.

The nasty hollow noise that I used to have when going over bumps has stopped, but when turning at low speed the passenger side strut clunks. I've read the several threads here saying that means that the top spring seat isn't installed correctly, but I can't see how that can be the case.

I've got the strut off again and the spring pretty compressed so I can see where it is located in the seats top and bottom: it appears to be in the right place. The top cap can only go on one way with the straight edge on the piston rod, so I know that's in the right place too.

The only other thing I can think of is that the passenger strut was installed with the rubber nipple on the top bearing cap NOT facing outwards as it is supposed to (the drivers side was in facing out).

I installed as it was previously (the struts have not been removed in the 6 years we've owned the car).

Should I turn the top plate 120° so the nipple faces outward? Would that cause the spring clunk?

Any help appreciated...

At the base of the strut where the spring seats you will notice a hole, that hole needs to line up with one of similar size on the strut top bearing plate. These have to be aligned and this will stop the clunking at turning speeds your experiencing

I can see the hole in the lower strut, but my upper spring seat has 5 holes: one big one (like in the base) and 4 smaller ones. I guess one of the small ones is lined up with the base hole, but the big one is pretty much opposite the base one. But the upper spring plate can only go in one way because of the straight edge on the piston rod.

I read other threads earlier today describing just what you said, but I don't have a way of turning the upper spring plate :-/

You'll pretty much have to compress the spring as much as you can and undo the strut top plates. Enough so you can turn the bearing plate around.
It's the reason why I mark what I'm working on so I know which way it goes back on.

So does the piston rod turn inside the strut?

Yes it does.

D'oh. I wish I knew that a few hours ago :-/

Time to wind on some more compression...

D'oh. I wish I knew that a few hours ago :-/

Time to wind on some more compression...

Thanks!

just enough to take the pressure off, the more you compress, the more pressure is built up.

All done. Test drive check OK

Thanks again :-)