re: CGT rant- front end clunk

[Dave Conner <conner@cfm.ohio-state.edu>]

Do you know the history of the car?
What struts are installed in the front?

Is the car a recent acquisition?
Has the clunk been there since you got the car?
Under what conditions do you hear the clunk?

Reason for these questions is this...
I had a baffling clunk in an Audi (91 200tq), and the noise was there when
I got the car.

Turned out the P.O. had installed non OEM struts...using KYB.  
These have a smaller diameter than OEM and require a spacer/collar to be
placed over the top of the strut tube.  Guess what...his favorite German
car repair specialist had not installed them.  I imagine upon opening the
box and seeing the spacers the "mechanic" looked at them, scratched his
head, shrugged, and tossed them in the trash.  

I checked nearly every possibility before pulling the struts out to look at
them.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw they were free to flop back
and forth inside the strut housing.  I checked with KYB and they confirmed
the struts were the correct p/n for the car.  Later talking to a friend
with experience using non OEM struts in his Audi rally car, he
said..."didn't they install the spacers?"
He then rummages around under the workbench and pulls out a couple which
were the exact right fit and hands them to me. 

Good luck tracking it down.
Dave C.



Columbus, OH 

87 5KS 
89 100E 
86 4KQ