My car makes a funny little noise when I am maneuvering with the steering wheel turned all the way in either direction. If I crank the wheel and drive slowly, there is this quite clank, clank noise coming from the front of the car. The clanks increase in frequency when I drive faster (in a circle because the wheel is turned all the way), and go away as soon as the steering wheel is straightened at all. My car is a 94 SE with 88K miles. Has anyone had this problem, or does anyone know what it might be? Thanks

 

sounds like a busted cv boot

 

Check your steering stops on your control arms. There's an adjustable screw on your wheel hub that turns with the wheel. With the wheel turned far enough, the screw will hit the stop and you can't turn the wheel further. I'm pretty sure there should be a nylon cap on the screw so there is no metal to metal contact. Your cap probably fell off with age. Probably a buck or two at your nissan dealer.

If it's not that then check your CV joints, tie rods and all your bolts on the suspension, something could be a bit loose.

 

yup, what they said. jack up the front of the car and check the boots for cracks and tears. that'll be the first place I'd look.


also possibly wheel bearings. mine made some weiiiird noises when they went bad.

 

Definitely check the wheel/axle bearings, just had mine replaced a few weeks ago, they were making all kinds of noise.

 

I say you need new CV's or have your old ones rebuilt if you haven't damaged them yet. They are quite expensive $250 parts and at the shop about $700 parts and labor. Good DIY'er if you got skills. Oh CV stands for constant velocity axles.

 

exactly...but thats way too much to pay...i paid less than 400 4 new axles...not sure how long u can go on them b/f they break and you r really screwed, a friend has a sentra and her axles have been ticking for months...but a new boot wont fix the prob, they is broke like....i think anyway

 

Yo, Check your belts they might be bad.

 

check the axles. just had that repaired on our other car (slow *** mazda 626). same sounds you described.