# MKVI GTI / Airlift Performance struts - knocking sound



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

I installed the new Airlift performance series front struts in my 2011 GTI over the weekend, and I'm getting a knocking/clunking sound coming from the driver side front strut area, I can actually feel it through my pedals. It happens at all heights but mainly at lower speeds when going over any bump or uneven road surface. I checked all bolts twice for the proper torque and loosened and retorqued them as well. Can anyone shed light on this? Also, my swaybar is disconnected but still installed. 
Here's a pic of the car in question:


----------



## LeonGtii (Oct 19, 2012)

Is it happened because you have a too small stroke range?:screwy:


----------



## itzkv (Oct 16, 2009)

swaybars may be hitting the LCA..


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

itzkv said:


> swaybars may be hitting the LCA..


 OP stated swaybar is disconnected


----------



## itzkv (Oct 16, 2009)

connoisseurr said:


> OP stated swaybar is disconnected


 OP stated swaybar is still in but not connected


----------



## OVRWRKD (Jul 1, 2010)

It may be the sway bar hitting the control arm, I had mine in like yours years back until I had the chance to take it out. Did the same thing. Just curious as to why you went through all the trouble to install the performance struts and leave the sway bar links out, I though the kit came with shortened ones?


----------



## jun_1.8T (Oct 31, 2003)

OVRWRKD said:


> It may be the sway bar hitting the control arm, I had mine in like yours years back until I had the chance to take it out. Did the same thing. Just curious as to why you went through all the trouble to install the performance struts and leave the sway bar links out, I though the kit came with shortened ones?


 ^^^this. just connect the swaybar and see if the noise goes away.


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

Be sure to check out:

Locking collar (should be hand tight) 
Jamb nut (gold nut - 25lbs/tq)
Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

I figured it might have been the sway bar smacking into the LCA. I'll put the new shorter ones in and see if that helps. 

Andrew: I'll check those bolts as well. 

Thanks for the responses everyone. :thumbup:


----------



## [email protected] (Feb 19, 2010)

OVRWRKD said:


> It may be the sway bar hitting the control arm, I had mine in like yours years back until I had the chance to take it out. Did the same thing. Just curious as to why you went through all the trouble to install the performance struts and leave the sway bar links out, I though the kit came with shortened ones?


 This is the issue I suspect. I would see if hooking the swaybar up makes any difference.


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

Well I connected the sway bar end links and it didn't help. It actually started making a different noise, similar to the axle smacking the frame on the passenger side...what is going on? 

I tried to take a video of the knocking sound...it almost sounds like wind buffeting, but my windows were up. This was taken while traveling at about 10mph, maybe a little slower. A better way to describe it is that it almost sounds like taking 2 of your knuckles and knocking against a wall. 

Video:


----------



## LeonGtii (Oct 19, 2012)

did you try a lower ride height? 

I guess, 
the piston rod inside is hiting its end if your threaded body is too low and you have a too high ride height 


Good luck


----------



## CodeGLI (Feb 28, 2013)

i get the same noise lower your psi and stiffen up the dampening and you will lose the noise i believe it is as said above the end of the shock hitting its limit. if another solution is found id love to no.. i used to ride 70 front 45 rear now 60, 45. no noise except when i enter the bridge by my road large hump in the road (i go slow) and still a small clunk. i have the shortened end links in.


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since it's happening at all heights, wouldn't that mean the shock isn't hitting its limit? I'll stiffen it up tonight and lower the PSI anyway...I'm desperate at this point.


----------



## LeonGtii (Oct 19, 2012)

golfcar5 said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but since it's happening at all heights, wouldn't that mean the shock isn't hitting its limit? I'll stiffen it up tonight and lower the PSI anyway...I'm desperate at this point.


 Maybe you should check the Installation guides, page 6, term 8:beer:


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

One question for you: 

Did you adjust the threaded body height between opening the box and installing it on your car?


----------



## Coderedpl (Jul 9, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Be sure to check out:
> 
> Locking collar (should be hand tight)
> Jamb nut (gold nut - 25lbs/tq)
> Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)


 I vote you check all three of these. I had what sounded like a rubbing noise after it switched to a knocking like sound. Made sure all is correct torque and its great now.


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

Will say I definitely hear the knocking noise - I also don't have that much clearance with the performance fronts so I will be removing and spinning the theaded bodies down a little bit (if applicable) 

Have tried driving at a few different heights and the noise is still persistent. Have NOT attempted driving without the sway bar as of yet.


----------



## 20rabbit08 (Feb 23, 2009)

Any luck figuring out that clunk noise?


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

Mine went away as soon as I raised the front struts about 3/4" and also removed the FSB end links, traded right for left/left for right and reinstalled. Haven't heard a noise since.


----------



## DroppinTheSasquatch (Oct 5, 2003)

I have mine 4 threads lower than they came (still 1" away from laying frame on 215/40/18 however.......) and have no knocking sounds, my full lift is about 2 finger gap with swaybar.


----------



## RationalReason (Sep 12, 2008)

Had a similar sound in mine but that was due to a subframe bolt that i missed (derp) when i reinstalled the FSB. Check your subframe anyways. :thumbup:


----------



## 20rabbit08 (Feb 23, 2009)

So it sounds like we're shortening the strut? I really don't have much lift now with the struts from factory setting. Doesn't help that I'm on 19's though. Really don't want to run without a swaybar but that might be my only option since I don't want to loose any more lift


----------



## mKvI_nOoB (Jul 18, 2012)

same problem here! I get a clunk sound from both sides when I go slow also. I can feel it harshly. I tried raising the dampening and it kind of went away but didn't like how stiff the ride was. I also get a clunk sound when turning the wheel even while at full stop.


----------



## mKvI_nOoB (Jul 18, 2012)

Ok so last night I decided to lid the car up and check everything out. I noticed that the sway bar is hitting against the axle. So I'm going to be removing the sway bar this weekend and see if it makes a difference

sent from your sister's room using Tapatalk 2


----------



## palma (May 16, 2010)

Anybody figure this out yet? 

I have my endlinks completly off and letting the sway hang free. I didn't adjust the struts from factory left them at the height they came. shortly after 70 psi of air in the front bags and you can feel the struts hit their max extension. This sucks because even if I run 60 psi in the front if I hit a bump I will still end up hitting max extension on the strut. 

Is my only option for this to raise the strut body a inch or so? If I do this will the car go as low in the front as it does now?


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

I raised my fronts up 3/4" and I can still get the same low.


----------



## 20rabbit08 (Feb 23, 2009)

Raise them up? I thought they sent them out at max height and by adjusting the collar would lower them. Any idea how many threads you have showing? I counted mine tonight and I have 18 threads left and right.

I reversed the sway bar links and it took care of about 90% of the noise IF I ride real low. When I ride at a reasonable ride height, I still have the clunk most notable on the passenger side.


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

The only clunking I get is when I'm at max height - which was a given.

I will post a picture this weekend of how much I threaded the bodies down. To give you an idea, the leader lines slipped right on - no need to line up the locking collar with the bag inlet like they are right hit of the box.


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

Sorry for getting back to this so late, but what got rid of the clunk was the locking nut that was mentioned, at the top of the strut tower where you adjust dampening. It's the silver nut - 40lbs/tq.


----------



## mKvI_nOoB (Jul 18, 2012)

golfcar5 said:


> Sorry for getting back to this so late, but what got rid of the clunk was the locking nut that was mentioned, at the top of the strut tower where you adjust dampening. It's the silver nut - 40lbs/tq.


So you removed the locking nut? Or torqued down more?

sent from your sister's room using Tapatalk 2


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

Sorry, forgot to mention what I did...I torqued it down to 40lbs, it was somewhat loose, and it seemed like it was causing the entire shock assembly to move inside the strut. Not sure if I'm explaining that right...

With the problem side lifted up and put on a jack stand, and with the wheel removed, I would put one hand under the rotor, one around the strut assembly, and basically lift up on the rotor. That would move around ever so slightly and would produce the noise I heard while driving. I had someone else lift while I looked at the dampening adjustment and you could see it lift up and down. Tighten that silver nut and you should be good to go! :thumbup:


----------



## connoisseurr (Jan 18, 2008)

I will definitely be checking out my struts this weekend to see how tight they are.

Thanks for the helpful info.


----------



## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

golfcar5 said:


> Sorry, forgot to mention what I did...I torqued it down to 40lbs, it was somewhat loose, and it seemed like it was causing the entire shock assembly to move inside the strut. Not sure if I'm explaining that right...
> 
> With the problem side lifted up and put on a jack stand, and with the wheel removed, I would put one hand under the rotor, one around the strut assembly, and basically lift up on the rotor. That would move around ever so slightly and would produce the noise I heard while driving. I had someone else lift while I looked at the dampening adjustment and you could see it lift up and down. Tighten that silver nut and you should be good to go! :thumbup:


Can you post a pic of which nut you torqued down to 40lbs? Also are your strut bodies all the way up or down?

I'm getting the clunking also but this is only when I raise the fronts all the way up. On my elevel if I press setting 3 it raises it to about 10% of the full height and I don't get the clunking. But if I manually press the fronts to max that's when I get the clunking.


----------



## golfcar5 (Mar 15, 2008)

Yeah, I can post one later today for sure.

But, what I think you're hearing (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is the shock inside of the strut assembly hitting it's max extension. Mine do the same thing if I manually air all the way up and go over a bump. Is that what you're hearing?


----------



## SoSoA3 (Sep 10, 2012)

golfcar5 said:


> Yeah, I can post one later today for sure.
> 
> But, what I think you're hearing (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is the shock inside of the strut assembly hitting it's max extension. Mine do the same thing if I manually air all the way up and go over a bump. Is that what you're hearing?


Yes that sounds like exactly what I'm hearing. There's 2 bolts that I saw yesterday when looking at the top of the struts. A stainless looking locking nut then a zinc colored bolt below that, I'm assuming you're talking about the zinc colored one right? 

Haha I should have read the whole thread before posting. I'll try torquing them down to the stated tq specs.


[email protected] said:


> Be sure to check out:
> 
> Locking collar (should be hand tight)
> Jamb nut (gold nut - 25lbs/tq)
> Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)




I took a pic this morning before work.


----------



## [email protected] (Sep 1, 2012)

If you are hearing or feeling a clunk out of the MKV/MKVI Threaded Body Struts it is because the strut rod is topping out. The way to fix this as some people have suggested is to thread out the lower mount so that you bring the strut into the usable range. A 10-15mm adjustment usually does the trick (each turn will give you 1.5mm) 

With the wide range of wheel, tire, and offsets that people are running on these cars some people will need to adjust the lower mount so that when the car is laid out you are truely reading zero psi in the bags. Ride pressure should only be 45psi in the front, if you are riding around at 55-70psi in the front is it TOO MUCH. 

Another way to check to see if the strut is adjusted out too long is to compress the strut with the car suspended from a hoist or jack stand and measure the total dropped height (center of hub to fender) compared to when the car is laid out on the ground. Measure the max extension (ME) and the max compression (MC). Take ME-MC for the total stroke (TS). That number should be about 103mm +/-2mm. This will help determine if they are in fact using the entire strut travel. ME should be measured by lifting the axle set off the ground and allowing the suspension to fully droop. 


*Edit for more content.


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

Refer to this post for further clarification of what Tom is speaking of with regards to lengthening the struts. :thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## prospal (Mar 8, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Be sure to check out:
> 
> Locking collar (should be hand tight)
> Jamb nut (gold nut - 25lbs/tq)
> Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)


The "Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)" is the silver nut all the way at the top of the strut assembly, correct? 

The installer forgot to put this back on during some troubleshooting with the popping noise and he's too far away for me to go get it. 

Does anyone know what size nut this is so I can go pick it up at a Home Depot or something? Is it not safe to drive without it?


----------



## prospal (Mar 8, 2011)

So for anyone interested, that silver nut at the top is a 12x1.25.

Picked one up at a local hw store and threw it on.


----------



## youknowigotit (Feb 8, 2014)

Kind of off the mark here, but i have a 2014 Jetta, i put HR Sport springs and get a similar noise when turning at low speed or carrying speed into a turn. It is inconsistent but when it occurs its a knocking sound from the passenger front side. Noise identical to that on the video.

Would bolts be the same thing to check as suggested with the air suspension. I have been researching hard on the right fix and hope to find it soon. Probably put it on a lift and check all the bolts etc..

Car just seems to new to have these issues


----------



## inyourfacematrix (Apr 12, 2006)

When I had a clunking sound the vw dealership said it was my camber plates not being properly tightened down


----------



## mentos876 (Oct 20, 2013)

i have the same issue on my performance fronts that i installed on my cc this sunday. Tried different psi in the front . i have a noise coming from my passenger strut, similar to the noise you guys are getting, however only on a low speeds, going thru some bumpy roads.


----------



## car54on (Aug 27, 2012)

hey all,

i am getting the same issues, i will try what tom said, to ride at 45 psi in the front and see if that solves the issue, I currently ride at 63 63 50 50 cuz of the roads in queens NY :banghead:


----------



## Paulbag (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm running the airlift performance series struts and v2 management in my GTI. 

I originally had the bags screwed right down when installing the kit but the ride was hard as hell the lift was poo so I set about screwing the bags up. (1 inch roughly)

Now when I go from being airred out to ride height there is mighty bang or pop. I looked at the car over a pit last night and you can see the bottom bellow of the bag pop out after there is some pressure in the bag. 

Anyone have any ideas of why or how to go about stopping it?

Any help would be great


----------



## mk6_myke (Jul 16, 2009)

Any solution to this happening on slam XLs? I have been having a clunking and have been told it's the strut mounts. Fixed that and the noise still persists. I ride around at 55-60 psi up front and have no sway bar. Can't seem to figure it out.


----------



## RBGolfR (Apr 3, 2012)

This just started happening to me. I will try to tighten the bolts as suggested. But mine feels bad. Similar to hitting a large pothole. 

Did this solution solve the OP issue ?


----------



## Buck Russell (Feb 24, 2003)

Have you lengthened your struts?


----------



## RBGolfR (Apr 3, 2012)

Ok after locking down the the nut .
It has resolved the issue for me. 
No more knock .


----------



## Clewley8 (May 21, 2008)

RBGolfR said:


> Ok after locking down the the nut .
> It has resolved the issue for me.
> No more knock .


I just did the same thing today in my GolfR....... Solved my knocking sounds too....... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## RBGolfR (Apr 3, 2012)

Clewley8 said:


> I just did the same thing today in my GolfR....... Solved my knocking sounds too.......
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Excellent :thumbup:


----------



## mihneagabriel (Aug 7, 2009)

So I had this same problem on my 2014 passat. Sure enough, after tightening that nut the sound went away.


----------



## mihneagabriel (Aug 7, 2009)

*duplicate post*


----------



## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

Had this start happening today. Glad this thread exists because it saved me time and pulling off the wheel to check. Jamb and lock nuts had come loose. Used that opportunity to make sure both sides were good. :thumbup:


----------



## lubelord (Jun 11, 2013)

[email protected] said:


> Be sure to check out:
> 
> Locking collar (should be hand tight)
> Jamb nut (gold nut - 25lbs/tq)
> Locking nut (silver nut - 40lbs/tq)


To confirm, this is in ft-lbs?


----------



## Buck Russell (Feb 24, 2003)

mattclifford said:


> To confirm, this is in ft-lbs?


Yes sir.


----------



## efa5 (Feb 13, 2015)

My driver side is missing the locking nut (m12x1.25). I must've shipped it back with the strut that I had replaced under warranty. 

I've tried looking at local stores but couldn't find this locking nut (only the standard thicker version available). Where were you guys able to find one? (Located in Canada, but occasionally will be in WA)

Thanks everyone.


----------



## OhhShagz (Jun 15, 2017)

*Knocking*

Did you solve this problem? Just installed my air suspension and im getting the same exact sounds. all bolts and nuts are tightened, the only thing we didn't do was put in the aftermarket sway bar end links. Im still riding on the stock ones and i think that is whats creating the problem. We couldn't figure out how to fit the airlift sway bar end links since they are like 2-3" shorter then stock. I might just have been retarded and did something wrong but can someone help out cause now i have that same problem. Is it anything to be like deathly worried about?


----------



## granli (Sep 22, 2015)

Hey shagz, you gotta lift up the other sides sway bar with a jack or something. Then it will raise and you can fit the sway bar end links


----------



## Tomacono (Nov 14, 2016)

I did my install last week and i have been getting all kinds of noise. when driving any little bump i get this annoying sqeaking noise that sounds like rubber is rubbing and im also getting a small clunk when turning the steering wheel side to side. I will be adjusting the struts to 2.25 like everyone is doing and see what it resolves. I am also getting a noise when i turn the steering wheel sise to side and cant figure that out. I belive it could be the sway bar but not sure its mostly coming from the right side. what can it be? i been reading up on it but still cant figure it out.


----------



## GintyFab (Jun 30, 2016)

Tomacono said:


> I did my install last week and i have been getting all kinds of noise. when driving any little bump i get this annoying sqeaking noise that sounds like rubber is rubbing and im also getting a small clunk when turning the steering wheel side to side. I will be adjusting the struts to 2.25 like everyone is doing and see what it resolves. I am also getting a noise when i turn the steering wheel sise to side and cant figure that out. I belive it could be the sway bar but not sure its mostly coming from the right side. what can it be? i been reading up on it but still cant figure it out.


make sure your top nut on the strut is torqued properly, as well as making sure the collar lock(on the strut body) is tight as well.


----------

