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<title> Front strut groan</title>
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<font color="red" size="+2" face="tahoma"><b><b>Front strut groan</b></font></b>

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<p align="left">It is common for the front struts to making a
load groaning sound when turning at temperatures below about 40
degrees. You may be tempted to replace the upper strut bearing in
an attempt to fix the problem, but that probably won't work. The
noise is actually coming from the rubber coating on the outside
of the strut bearing rubbing on the strut tower. Spraying this
area with a silicone lubricant can provide a temporary fix.</p>

<p align="left">The permanent fix is to install a spacer that
goes between the upper strut bearing and the strut tower. The
part number is F3DZ18A027A - about $11 each and you need one for
each side. The TSB says the strut assembly must be removed to
install the spacer - this is not true! Just jack up the front
subframe letting the wheel/strut unload, remove the three upper
strut to tower nuts, let the strut drop down (it may need a
little help) and slip the spacer onto the studs. it may be wise
to have the alignment checked after installing the spacers.</p>

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