Noticed it a couple days ago. On a left turn, I will hear a random knock/pop...or not coming from the passenger side in the area of the wheel and you can feel it through the floor of the car like a light tap. Sometimes it will do it as I accelerate through a left hand turn when I first start out, sometimes it will do it as I am straightening out the car. May do it 4-5 times, maybe just once and most of the time, not at all. Took it by my mechanic's shop on Friday, other than some very light grease seepage around the outer boot on the axle, it seemed fine. He raised up my car and made sure all the suspension and frame bolts were tight (only charged me $8.50 to do it).

The wheel bearing seems good too, no play when you yank on the wheel or try to rock it side to side.

I read the other thread that seemed to narrow that noise down to the strut bearing. However, my car isn't lowered so I'm not sure if that makes it likely the strut bearing is the problem. As far as I know, my car has the original struts. The only suspension work I've had done is the outer tie rods and put in an FSTB (which seems to be very tight, plus the noise is lower than it would be if the FSTB was loose).

The problem is the noise is so random other than it occuring on left turns which makes it hard to diagnose. When I gave my mechanic a ride, it made the noise when we first turned left then not again after that, even basically running the car in a circle to the left like on a skid pad.

Thoughts?

 

sway bar end link?

 

That's my vote. I've had clunking in my front end twice and have had to replace the end links both times.

 

Odd that otherwise there is no noise, not even over bumps. When the end links went bad in the Chevelle I used to have, you could hear them all the time. Cheap fix though, I guess I will get the Moogs and see if that cures it.

 

Now I am hearing the knocking/popping more often, even when accelerating in a straight line. The harder I am on the gas, the more I hear it, even though it still doesn't do it all the time. Maybe once when I first hit the gas, sometimes several times. My first thought is the wheel bearing but there is no hum or roar like when it went bad the last time. Maybe the axle?

I only hear the noise when I accelerate, not when just driving along.

 

I'm having the EXACT same issues. I bought some Moog endlinks and bushings and I'm actually in the process of putting them on. I'll reply after the install and let you know if it worked for me.

The noise under acceleration makes sense because you are unloading the front and allowing the endlinks to move/rattle.

 

I heard that a few times, but it was when i accelerrated from stop and when i would come to a stop. oddly enough it was the rear caliper guide pin and screw that was broke. might want to look into that.

 

Just got done with the road test and my knocking is GONE!!!!! NEE HAWWW!!!!
I've been trying to get ride of that knock for months now.


**I also just did the GAB intake mod and I must say that I'm pleased with it.

 

I looked at the end links and they look fine but obviously that doesn't mean they are. I'll have to order the Moog end links and see if that eliminates the noise. Definitely sounds more like something is banging underneath and not the typical clack you hear when an axle goes bad.

 

cv joints or tie rods?

 

Mine looked fine too. They were tight as they could get and I couldn't get any movement out of them when I yanked on them. The new, beefer Moog's got rid of the noise and helped the car to handle a little tighter. Not much, but a little.

I also installed the Moog sway bar bushings. They were a tad too small, but they still fit fine.

 

CV joint is less than a year old and the boots look good, no tears. I just had the outer tie rods replaced. My mechanic didn't see any problems with the inner tie rods or the ball joints. I guess I will swap out the end links and at least eliminate that as a possible cause. Hopefully it fixes it. Otherwise I'll have to keep poking around.

 

Post up if it takes care of your noise, would you? Mine's been doing the same thing off and on for some time and every time I take it in I get told everything is a-ok 100% fine because everything LOOKS fine. So I'm thinking sway bar links may be a possibility.

I've had problems in the past with the axle nut staying put and that causing some noise issues, but it's lock tited on there now so I'm fairly sure that's not it. It's a pretty pronounced, obnoxious noise but apparently invisible.

 

For the money, you might was well swap them out with some stronger aftermarket links and bushings. If you get Moog, it will cost around $40 and take an hour...if you don't have to cut anything off.

 

Well, it definitely isn't the end links.

Swapped the old ones out with the much beefier Moogs and the clunking is still there. I called my Dad's mechanic (who is very good at diagnosing stuff) and he said it is probably the strut bushing or the lower control arm bushing. Taking it by his shop on Monday.

 

I am going to jump in and say strut mount or strut bushing.

 

Well, sounds like it would be worth it in any case - even though it doesn't sound as though it will necessarily take care of the problem. For about $40 and an hour, worth it anyway.

For me, at least, this problem has been a nightmare diagnostic. I think everyone thinks I am crazy because I can't actually MAKE the car make the sound - meaning when I try to get a second opinion (well, any opinion) it doesn't happen. Ack.

 

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