Could a bad strut mount cause wheel shimmy?

[zrozof]

I've been trying to diagnose some front end play that I've got. It will cause wheel shimmy at any speed over about 45 miles per hour, and clunking noises over bumps which can be also be felt through the steering wheel. The clunking/play is worse when I hit bumps at an angle (such as in the middle of a turn) and is a lot less severe if I hit bumps straight on.

I've read a bunch of threads about strut mount failure. Almost all of them mention an audible clunking sound, but I don't think that I've read any that mention any other type of symptoms (shimmy, instability, etc.).

The reason I think it's the mounts is because everything else up front is essentially brand new. I've been refurbing the suspension and the mounts are the only thing I haven't replaced yet. When I press down on the strut tower I get a definite clunking sound but it's hard to tell whether it's coming from the mount or lower down.

Also, I've got another strange steering wheel shimmy associated with it that I forgot to mention. When I move the steering wheel slowly back and forth like in a slalom(sp) motion (any speed above 40) steering wheel shimmy gets noticably worse.

Sorry about the long post. So, can these symptoms be caused by a bad strut mount, or if anyone has any thoughts on what it might be I'd really appreciate it.

[zrozof]

bump

[mmark.]

Lower control arm ball joints, rear bushings for the lower control arms, and the top strut mount bushings are your suspects. The tierods could also cause a shimmy but not the clunk.

m

[zrozof]

Thanks. I don't think it's control arm related as I just replaced the complete arm and bushings about 7000 miles ago, but maybe the nuts came loose.