Just had car lowered with new struts. Lowered front and back 2 inches. Drives perfect and smooth, still needs alignment, but turning left does a knocking sound not click sound. The same mechanic said its the left axle. Those axles were replaced in October last year. It didn't do that noise with old struts and springs, and the more people in car the more you hear sound. What could it be? Insist that it's axles again?

 

Is there any chance the sound could be from a tire rubbing the strut? What size rims and tires are you running?

 

I m running the stock rims and tires. Tires are 215/55r16 in front and back. I believe the stock rims are 16 inch rims

 

Lowering means more angle on the CVs. An axle that sounded fine at stock ride height could very well make nose lowered.

 

So putting other ones won't stop the problem?

 

so it's possible that somethings out of whack with the drop. if you just got the axle then you should have a warranty on it. make sure it's not a wheel bearing or another loose part up front. put it on a lift and turn wheel side to side and spin the tires to see that there's no excessive play. did you replace the strut mounts? that's a common issue with our cars. check all the tie rods and end links and suspension work, cars old so anything is possible. gl

 

How many times is the knock? Once knock could be ball joints or tie rod ends. More then one might be strut mounts or CV. I agree its odd that it started all at once, as the CVs don't get touched to swap struts. I've seen odder things though.

 

I got my car lowered recently too and during the process, they fixed a "knock" sound that wasn't there at stock height, it was the strut mounts that were installed new and bolt on tight.. after that it went away, runs like a dream and no noises even turned all the way left or right.

might wanna check that.

 

Strut mounts are replaced. The drop looks like it damaged left axle. I hope he's right. Now back to parts store again for one axle. He said it was getting loose. Tie rods are all new together with new rack and pinion.

 

It's constant more than one knock. And ONLY when turning left at lights. But I do turns on freeway at 75 and no knock. It's only on left turns not right. Strut mounts were replaced too. Happen first day after drop. I didn't have to drop it but I included custom look since I needed springs and struts

 

What your describing sounds like CV half shaft. Only other possibility I can think of is the tire rubbing, sounds like you ruled that out.

 

Very much sounds like the axle is the source of your problems. What brand did you use to replace it with? Some brands, at least from ive read when researching what to buy for my car, simply dont last (ie: autozone). If the noise happens almost exclusively at slow speeds, like pulling out of your driveway, id put my money on that. Impossible to say for sure without hearing it in person, but from what youre describing it sounds like the axle is on its way out.

Also the fact that youre lowered 2 inches is a huge factor; a drop that low puts the cv joint at a relatively extreme angle which as has been already stated will wear the axle down much more rapidly than a stock ride height or even a modest drop. It also puts alot of strain on pretty much all the other suspension components - just something to keep in mind and be willing to deal with if youre going to ride that low.

Anyways in summary id strongly suspect the axle. Also let us know what brand you put in there if you can.

 

I have no idea what brand. But the shop that I go to, I once waited for master cylinder to be done and they got a autozone lady bringing part. So most likely its a duralast. 375.00 to parts and labor. Part is like 62.99

 

I hope it's the tire. But it's on left turns. Sometimes it wouldn't makenthe sound after driving for a while

 

sounds like duralast, which would be lifetime warranty if you bought it yourself

I love my A32

 

Probably not it but what about a bad strut bearing? (pretty sure thats what it is called) Me, being the genius that i am, forgot to put the drivers side in when i installed my struts and when i took her for a test drive i had a knocking sound during left turns.

Side note: I have never had to deal with/diagnose a bad CV axle so i wouldn't really know what it sounds like.

 

Sounds like metal knocking. Clicking is cv axle sound. I don't wanna do these again. It's only if I push gas pedal while turning left though, what u think?

 

Seems like more weight makes it worse. I'm the only one that should be driving the car. With me inside it just makes that noise while pushing gas turning left, I'm only 155 pounds. With my friend who's 350 pounds it even does that sound when just going straight for a few seconds and the left turns are terrible. Even if I put my other friend who's about 170 same result as the 350 pounder. Put back old springs?

 

Re-check the strut mount bearings and strut mount orientation. Also, what type of dustboots are you running? They could be banging around loose as the suspension compresses.

If those look good and are installed and functioning properly, it does sound like the cv shaft is going since you mention the noise gets worse with additional weight, which would put more angle on the shafts regardless of turning or not. Can you tell which side is making the noise? If it makes noise turning left, than it should be the passenger side axle making noise.

Also check if it makes noise while accelerating through a left turn vs. just turning left with foot off the accelerator.

 

Everything from old strut is being used on new strut, all the boots and rubber parts except for strut mounts and they seem to be in the middle right now. Turning left with foot off pedal doesn't make any noise. But will make noise if I press gas while turning left. The sound seems to be from left but you said right? When making right turns I can make them as fast as I want and no noise.

 

My CV axles make a popping sound as well but that's turning the wheel either direction all the way. Main reason is that I have to change them because the boots are ripped open and vulnerable to getting road grime in it. They are beat to hell.

 

Mine are not even blown to hell. The boot looks very good and they look new. They're only about 5 months old in the car. I don't wanna jack the car back to normal height now. That's good I kept other springs.

 

Will putting back my stock springs help eliminate that knock?

 

Typically cv axles click, knocking noises are typically a strut mount or strut mount bearing. Many strut mounts have to be indexed (or clocked a certain direction). If they aren't indexed correctly you might think they are tight and then they will loosen up when you start driving. I would have the shop double check the strut mounts first. But as the other posters mentioned with out actually hearing it myself, it is hard to say.

 

It doesn't make click sound. It makes knock sound but only when pushing gas during the turn.

 

I have the same problem you have immediately after swapping from lowering springs to coilovers and going lower. From what I can tell, it should be one or both axles causing the noise. Upon research on these forums, other have also experienced the issue after lowering past a certain point. Where the noise of a bad CV joint sounds like a "click-click-click...", the noise I have is a "cluck-cluck-cluck...". I also get the noise on left turns under light engine load and straight under light/moderate load.

I will eventually be replacing one/both axles as the noise has gradually gotten louder over time. Unfortunately, Raxles no longer offers them so I will have to find another source.

 

Yeah I get that. But it's only when I push the gas while making a left turn. Under very heavy loads it sounds worse. Even after making left turns the cluck noise is still there going straight and then it goes away till I make another left

 

U sure the spring seated correctly in the top perch? Did the installer wrap the springs in rubber or tubing of some sort to minimize metal to metal whining? Could be strut bearing. Autozone and KYBs are are crap.

A bad strut mout or suspension noise wont make noise with car speed, only under certain other conditions like going over a speed bump or turning the wheel all the way in one direction or hard braking.

 

Had it checked out today and aamco said its the lower control arms but then they also said transmission mount might me possibly. The sound is to the right passenger side bottom and transmission is on the left bottom.

 

But it's only if I push gas. Which is it really

 

Loosen the control arm bushing nut and retorque with the suspension settled, weight on the tires.

 

As someone new to DIY like me, how would I do that ?

 

You loosen it and retighten it to spec. Thats it lol. Its just a nut, theres nothing special about it. Check the fsm for the proper torque spec, youll need a torque wrench.

 

These people quoted me 864.00 just for both control arms. 3.9 hours of labor, do they really take that long?

 

"These people" are people to avoid lol. They can be done in an hour, easily, if you know what youre doing. Two or three per if youre going in completely blind. Maybe in bizarro universe control arms would run you 800+ but certainly not here.

However you should be starting with that single nut like asand1 said. Its just a nut. A monkey could do it. Start with the little things and work your way up from there, you dont even know if the control arms need to be replaced.

 

^+1

DO NOT LET AAMCO TOUCH YOUR CAR! Had a very bad personal experience with them and 99% of the time they are trying to bend you over on what "needs" to be fixed.

Take your time and research/ask questions as you have been doing. You can fix your max by yourself with 3 things. This website, basic hand tools (sometimes air tools), and some patience/colorful language, guess that's 4. Whoops.

 

just smack these a$$holes in the back of the head and say, " that's from max ride, he said to do that" seriously. wtf, 2 rules of thumb here, if the shop is too clean or a chain stay the *** away, period.

 

Oh they might. Because most components are from 200k ago. They didn't find a problem with the axles.

 

And you know what else? The paper said it takes 22 hours to do the oil pan gasket, transmissionpan gasket, valve cover gasket and rear main. Really? That quote was over 3k $. My car only leaks like a quart every 2 to 3k miles

 

Well I put back some other struts and springs and noise totally went away. I hate moving that floor jack back and forth. Now the car Looks horrible jacked up from the front. Over a hand can fit there. So it couldn't have been the axles. Any other thoughts? When lowered it immediately has that noise but when back to stock height it doesnt.