worn tophats creaking?

[Dirtbag]

So my truenos rattling a bit at the back, and squeeking/creaking at the front, after a search i found couple of threads, saying to replace rear sway bar bushes and the superstrut arms, thats all fine and dandy.

But...
Could some of the creaking and knocking (seems to come from in front of passenger well) be in any part due to worn tophats on the struts? Sadly enough only TRD makes new tophats at 165 a pop from revhead, if they were cheaper I would replace them, but at that price only want to replace them if I really have to.

Any help much appreciated

[postfach]

the top hats on my car (z20 soarer) are really stuffed and it sounds like someone banging with a hammer when i drive, if you put your hand on top of the hat and bounce that corner up and down you can feel the shock moving inside the hat (feels like someone hitting the other side of the hat with a hammer)

[Dirtbag]

sounds like someone banging with a hammer when i drive,

yeap, when i move off from lights etc it gives a good bang, almost seems like a bone slipping bak into place kinda thing.