Background: I installed coilovers one weekend. A week later I uninstalled them and I am now on my OEM stock suspension. No other suspension modifications. Stock OEM wheels and good tires (~10k miles).

The drivers side front suspension fork (what the bottom of the shock sits in) got bent during the coilover install. I replaced it with a new one.

The drivers side rear sway bar bracket bolt got cross threaded. I had a shop use a tap to re-thread the bracket bolt and they re-attached the rear sway bar and re-tightened 1 of the sway bar end links that I had partially loosened.

Alright, onto the issues:
These are noises that are hard to explain through text, so I'm going to sound really dumb when describing. Don't take the words literally - just the sounds they may make.

1) Drivers side front: Metal-to-metal semi-clunking when the car is turning over an imperfect road surface i.e. when the suspension is twisting (either grade change or bump - i.e. entering a driveway or turning into a parking lot with a lip in the road) OR right after going over that described surface and the car is straightened up - it will then make the sound.

It's as if something metal is either popping out of another piece of metal or coming back in.

There is some metal rattling noise as well - but that almost sounds like it's coming from the middle of the front. The "clunk" is clearly more in the drivers side wheel-well area.

2) Drivers side rear wheel well area: A subtle but annoying soft-clunking sound when going over a bump of any size. Think of the sound that a tire makes when it hits a bump - or a basketball bouncing - kind of like an airy clunk. It sounds like that - but exaggerated. I do have the rear seats out for the previous coilover install - so maybe it's louder than I would normally hear - but I don't hear it on the passenger side.

3) Vibration when driving. Really it's throughout the speed range. It's especially noticeable at 75-80. It's no worse when accelerating - it's consistent - just vibrating in my butt and you can see the wheel jiggle a bit. From what I recall, this vibration was present before I did anything with coilovers - I don't know if it was quite as obvious/annoying then as it is now.

I'm fairly certain my rotors need a nice resurfacing. If I am to believe my Dad's memory (who I bought the car from) - the rotors are original to the car (2005, 90k miles)

The car drivers straight, the steering is just as responsive as ever.

I haven't yet taken it to any shop. I want to get a better idea of things before hand. Soo, any valid ideas?

 

I always mention the stabilizer end links as a posible cause for metallic noise when a sharp bump is encountered. Another, make certain the shock nuts are tight, same with the end links, they need to be tight.

 

what turbo said ^^

trust me it doesn't take a lot for a rattle to come from a slightly loose end link (think 1/4 turn at most). i had this...it annoyed me for 10 days before i finally crawled under the car with a ratchet and started wrenching on the bolt. low and behold it was a hair loose ( i kid you not...a hair).

check all the suspension (shocks) bolts (i did this one too, mine were tight).

i wouldn't have salvaged the old end link. OEM ones are only $20. why not start new?

 

Are you guys referring to the front links or the rear? I didn't touch the front links.

I did some poking around just now to see if I could see or shake anything or knock on things to reproduce the sound.
The only thing I noticed was the thin rubber "dust cover" that's on the transmission mount is torn - it's real thin rubber that probably just dried and cracked. But could that be a sign that the tranny mount may be cracked underneath?

 

both

 

Any ideas or suggestions regarding the issue with the metal clunking in the front when the suspension flexes?

 

No other ideas? :/
Taking it into the shop on Friday for issues 1 and 3.

 

sway bar bushings, suspension bushings, bad shock...

 

So it was sort of this...
The shop said the sway bar "bracket" was loose.
Without looking under the car, I can't remember doing anything with the sway bar bracket up front - there would have been no need - there are only 2 bolts to undo and the shock is out. Unless they were thinking of the rear bracket that they fixed a few weeks ago (I had to get the nut re-threaded). Anyway, if it was the sway bar bracket up front, while the car was on the ground under load, the sway bar was tight and pushed the bracket into place and didn't wiggle - which is why I didn't notice it when I crawled under there and hand janked and wrenched on every piece of suspension component.

They re-balanced and rotated the wheels. That helped the vibration a little bit - but still there - now it's bearable at 70mph. Rotors may be little warped. Rotors and pads are ~90k old. Kind of impressive. (Acura replaced the rotors at 1,000 miles under warranty in 2005)

So it's all good for now