front end clunk??

[Jspeed17]

Ok, so i changed those sway bar bushings, wasn't too bad of a job on a lift....and still same noise. Going with the endlinks next.....i've worked on cars that produced a similar noise and have found play in the endlinks , but on a lift, they seem like they are solid on my car, unless the sway bar is putting so much tension on them i can't move them.....hmmmm

 

[Jspeed17]

well if your going slow over bumps, your probably hitting your brakes. So it might be the slider pins for your front calipers.

I say this because i had a clunk just like this when i would go through parking lots at slow speeds. I thought it was part of my steering, but after i greased the slider pins the sound totally went away. This might not be your problem but it sounds like it.

Nope, I'm not on the brakes, actually under light acceleration....thanks though.

 

[Spooler]

+1 endlinks, You can's tell if they are gone if the car is sitting on the wheels, but if you jack both sides up and remove the wheels, you'll be able to find very quickly whick side is faulty on just by shaking them

 

[gadget]

Ok, so i changed those sway bar bushings, wasn't too bad of a job on a lift....and still same noise. Going with the endlinks next.....i've worked on cars that produced a similar noise and have found play in the endlinks , but on a lift, they seem like they are solid on my car, unless the sway bar is putting so much tension on them i can't move them.....hmmmm

it's tough to tell unless they are really bad; I doubt the bar is preloaded, though. You'd know if it is b/c you would have had to crank on it to install the second end link after you put the new frame bushings in. Over clamping the frame bushings or under lubing them will cause you to pre-load during installation as well.

I used to check them by jouncing the front end up and down while it was on the ground, but this also only works if they are really bad.

Good luck in the hunt

 

[livelyjay]

i've worked on cars that produced a similar noise and have found play in the endlinks , but on a lift, they seem like they are solid on my car, unless the sway bar is putting so much tension on them i can't move them.....hmmmm

My end links have gone bad and I couldn't tell just by looking at them or messing with them while they were on the car. I just had a noise before, then replaced them, then the noise was gone.

 

[Jspeed17]

Lol....trying the endlinks today....hope this does it!!!!

 

[mgerst1]

try the easiest solution:

you hit a pothole so the weights on the wheel that hit may have come off, if the steering wheel is shaking that sounds like your wheel is unbalanced. check that

 

[Jspeed17]

OK so i replaced the endlinks. Same problem.....I started this thread to see if maybe this was a common problem, but that isn't the case. I definitely have come to the conclusion that it is from hitting the raised expansion joint on that bridge.....and my steering rack has play inside now---not inner tie rods, but where the pinion gear coming from the column meets the steering gear. I have heard this can be adjusted, but i'm a little nervous to try!!!! Again thanks for everyone's help.

 

[mgerst1]

have you had the wheels balanced since then? that may be an easy fix

 

[Jspeed17]

have you had the wheels balanced since then? that may be an easy fix

lol.....(stoned), dude, going slow in a parking lot while turning has nothing to do with tire balance at all, besides i have 4 brand new hankook's that are balanced...but thanks.

 

[BOOSTR]

Well at least now you have new bushings/endlinks. Still think the noise is strut/mount/bearing related, at least the one I have anyway.

 

[mgerst1]

lol.....(stoned), dude, going slow in a parking lot while turning has nothing to do with tire balance at all, besides i have 4 brand new hankook's that are balanced...but thanks.

well obviously, i thought you hit a friggin huge pothole and were driving on a normal road

 

[Jspeed17]

well obviously, i thought you hit a friggin huge pothole and were driving on a normal road

Sorry dude!!! Nah just turning though a bumpy parking lot or going across an intersection....

 

[nstygrnhatch]

let me know what fixed your problem...I have a 02 protege5 and have the same exact problem. I have been scratching my head, im leaning towards the ball joints because it seems only to happen when turning and when the suspension is being loaded and unloaded going over bumps and such. Only reason I say this is because the ball joint rotates with the knuckle and is also made into a socket which can wear out and cause a clunking noise. But please let me know what fixed your clunking

 

[Jspeed17]

let me know what fixed your problem...I have a 02 protege5 and have the same exact problem. I have been scratching my head, im leaning towards the ball joints because it seems only to happen when turning and when the suspension is being loaded and unloaded going over bumps and such. Only reason I say this is because the ball joint rotates with the knuckle and is also made into a socket which can wear out and cause a clunking noise. But please let me know what fixed your clunking

I'm still gonna keep fightin it until i get it....i'll let you know for sure. Your car feel normal on the highway too???

 

[Cloudland]

I'm still gonna keep fightin it until i get it....i'll let you know for sure. Your car feel normal on the highway too???

i have the problem with squeaking sound when turnning steering wheels, particularly when car warms up, at low speed.

i started to hear the sound occasionally 2 years ago, not long after i installed eibach pro kit with adjustable endlinks. it disappeared after a service, the guys said it's probably coming from top of struts.

the sound came back since this Jan. it's pretty annoying. i had it checked twice (2 month ago and today doing regular service). the first guy said it's a common problem and it's coming from top of the struts (where they are mounted) and said i'll need to remove the struts to check them out.

today the guy said it's probably coming from steering rack, that the pump need extra effort to pump the fluid - this view was mentioned a few times on the net but i'm not so convinced - each night when i carefully get off the car, i can hear the sound as i "unload" myself - so it's more likely coming from strut/spring or endlink/sway bar.

i might put stock springs back on at some stage cause i will have 4 ppl on board quite often from later this month. this is driving me nuts.

 

[blaineog]

Check the sway bar end links again, most likely item to be the cause.

 

[Jspeed17]

Sounds like dry sway bar bushings to me....take them out and lube them with grease, worth a try

 

[Cloudland]

Sounds like dry sway bar bushings to me....take them out and lube them with grease, worth a try

i hear the front sway bar is a pita - one of the bushing did break apart couple months ago and I had it reinstalled during the service. nothing changed.

how's your car going?

 

[Spooler]

Verdict is dry sway bar bushings. I had the same on my car, I greased them and the problem went away.....and now it's back, but that is definitely the issue. Good luck removing the darn brackets......perhaps someone can share a good tool to do this, there is very little room to do this with a regular wrench