Front suspension rattle

Ramrodfunk

My 1993 240 wagon had been laid up for a long time.I have got it back on the road with new front suspension components (mostly).. Since putting it back together I've had a persistent rattle from the front left strut. I checked the lower ball joint and realized the strut is from an earlier model and has a free floating spacer.The '93 strut should have a built in spacer.
Should the spacer be loose at the bottom of the strut?
Would the loose spacer be causing the rattle?
I have checked all other components including wheel bearings and all seem good.
I have put a spacer between the ball joint and the spacer but nothing changed.I might put another in at least to see if it makes a difference.
If grab and shake the tire at "9 and 3 " o'clock ,no movement.If i grab and shake at "12 and 6" no movement.But I give it a healthy kick I can hear the rattle (see video).
My new KYB strut top bearing is also showing signs of wear even though they only months old.
Any advice
cheers
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youcut-20250528-213142725.mp4

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jamesinc

I've never seen a free floating washer like that in the bottom of a strut in any year. Maybe someone has added it?

The only parts at the bottom of the strut are a seat for the shock, and a snap ring. If the shock has free play up/down in the tube, but the gland nut at the top of the tube is screwed all the way in, then likely someone has removed or lost the seat.

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In this '93 strut, part 21 is the seat, and part 19 directly below it is the snap ring. Both of these parts live inside the strut tube, not under it.

If you look at an early strut, there are three different arrangements:

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ALTER 1 includes part 14
ALTER 2 includes part 16
ALTER 3 includes parts 16a/b/c

The spacer you have is not any of these, maybe someone has taken an early-style strut (why though???) but not realised they need the taller coupling at the bottom (part 16)?

If the shock isn't held in the tube securely usually rocking the front of the car up and down should reproduce the sound reliably.

If the big gland nut that holds the strut in the tube bottomed out on the tube? If it is that would suggest the spacing at the bottom is the issue.

Ramrodfunk

jamesinc I put the washer in.Trying to take up the space at the bottom of the strut and the coupling. I knew the struts are from an earlier car but didn't know the earlier struts have a taller coupling.I'm going to try putting another washer in to see how it goes.
I'm pretty sure the gland nut is fine but how do I check it without completely dismantling the strut and spring because of the protective shroud on it?
If that works then ,ideally,I would need to find the coupling with the taller seat.
This noise has been driving me crazy try to cure it.
I've just remembered I have spare struts at my fathers house.They came with the Kings lowering springs I bought .The guy wrecked his car and couldn't be bothered taking them off the strut.
Cheers

jamesinc

Ramrodfunk just lift the bellows up with your hand, that should get it enough out of the way to check the nut - it should be fairly easy to see.

Ramrodfunk

jamesinc Success, The washers seem to have done the job.
Yep it wasn't as hard to see the gland nut as I thought it would be and there are some threads showing.
I'll check to see if the other side matches tomorrow but i was sure I had tightened the gland nut down because I didn't want to do that strut removal job again.
At least I now know what the problem was and how to fix it.
cheers James