I have some weird knocking happening at random times while driving. It almost seems like a strut mount or something...but I dunno. I have no clue. I wiggled the wheel side to side and up and down last time I had it on the lift (2 weeks ago) and it was pretty tight....that's good right?

I also pushed down on all four corners of the car and I didn't notice any difference in the cars 'spring back'...if it bounces a lot that means the struts are bad right?

Could it be my inner tie-rod (never changed)? Or motor mounts (never changed)?

Ball joints, tie rod ends (outer), lower control arms and related bushings where all replaced using a reputable EBay seller (pages of good things about said seller on this forum, it was like WorldAutoParts or something) 36k ago. Am I at the point where I gotta change em again? This is the only car I've ever really maintained, so I dunno how long some things last.

I do know that after doing the work 36k ago, whenever I went up an incline (like a driveway) with the wheel fully turned either way, I'd get this LOUD creek/pop noise. This was before my drop and 18" wheels.

I purchased my Illumina/H&R drop from a NYCMaximas member who had new strut mounts (Maxima in the front, Miata in the rear?) put on and the struts cleaned up/maintained. I've been riding them on the softest setting since getting them.

I'm on my 215/55/16 winters tires now. I don't think I heard these noises when I was on my 18's (stored for the winter). I noticed the noises right after I put my 16's on.

I'd appreciate the help.

I'm thinking of taking the car to Sears to have them do a check on my suspension components and take it for a ride. They do my alignments and have been pretty good with my car, so I trust them.

 

To tell you the truth it sounds like tie rod ends but if I was you I would replace them anyways, there old and wore out. My car needs them also, there in pretty rough shape.

 

I heard the same pop while taking an interstate exit at a high speed, my friend who was in the car told me it was my inner tie rod... funny thing is I can't repeat the noise...

 

Does this include sway bar end links?

Also do you have a specific area on where it is happening? Im sure your suspecting the front end but might be a good idea just to clarify.

Sorry if you did list this but i didnt see it anywhere. But then again i skim alot

 

Yes sorry. The kit included those as well. The only thing I didn't change (from my knowledge of suspension components) was the inner tie-rods (although I have them). I just didn't wanna hassle with them and buy the tool.

It's definitely the front end, passenger side.

Some folks are saying it may be my strut mount. They said if the strut bolt is leaning to the side (and not straight) that would signify a bad mount. I'm going to look at that today. By bolt I mean the thing in the center between the three mounting holes.

 

Are tie rods a difficult DIY job?

 

im having noises too only i think their coming from the Rear end???? wtf? its kind of a clunking and only since it got cold out.. I just replaced the Inner tie's, stab bar bushings, and my ball joints are pretty good.. i know ones got a small amount of play.. that and i have ALOT of in car noises to deal with.....

 

I have a funny noise to, its a metal rattle and it happens if I go over a bumpy road or sometime if I set the car in nuetral I hear the noise. When I really hear the noise is going down a hill in 1 position. The noise is coming from right behind the radio it seems but I took everything apart there and found nothing loose. I had lower control arms, sway end link, front and rear suspension, motor mounts all done.

This was part of maintenance, not to find the noise. Annoys the crap out of me. A friend of mine ia a mechanic and works at Nissan and he put the car on a lift and couldnt find the source. So I dont know where the problem is.

 

I actually laughed out-loud from that. Sears is for magazines to keep in the bathroom. When does the car make the sound? under acceleration, cornering, hitting or rebounding from bumps? going slow, fast?? What kind of sound, metal on metal, rubber on metal? squeek with a knock? Can you recreate the sound?

Strut mounts will usually squeek when they start to fail, they won't suddenly start 'thudding'. If it's a balljoint you'll feel a slight wobble at HWY speeds and, if you jack the car up, should be able to tell if the joint is good or not ( jack it up and use a pry bar under the LCA to see if there is play) They don't last forever, and you'll feel play and a metal knocking sound going over bumps when they fail.

That pop from before, sounds like a tie-rod issue. Jack the car up with the wheels free, lie under the car, and get someone to fully turn the wheel each way, and hold onto the tie-rods to feel if it pops at the peak of the turning radius. Use common sense while doing this.

Are your turning stops (the bolt/stopper that limits your turning radius) at the stock setting? Also, check to make sure there is rubber left on your sway bar bushing. if they are totally worn, the sway bar would be hitting metal. Also, check you're end links for play, and check the bushings on your LCA, (the OEM ones shred after awhile and can lead to a metal on metal clunk) and finally, put your weight on the motor in all directions to see if the mounts have any play. G'luck. Keep us posted.

 

So you stated your sway bar links were replaced? Usually they make the most noise at first.
Reason to why you cant hear with the noise with the vehicle in the air is because the suspension is uncompressed.

 

Inner? Kind of. Outer? Not really if you've done some semi-tough jobs before.

It makes it over bumps...which means when accelerating, slowing down, cornering, etc. It's more of a knock...doesn't sound like anything rubbing. It's more like a pop or a knock. And yes, I can recreate it 20 times on a 10 minute trip (every decent bump).

The ball joints look good, but I didnt' pry them with a bar. When I push on my car when it's parked, I do get squeeking, but I thought that was normal.

The pop ONLY happens on inclines. If I'm on a flat parking lot and crank the wheel all the way either way, it does not happen.

I'm assuming they are. I've never touched them.

All the rubber bushings look good. That's the first thing I checked as that is the stuff I replaced as part of that suspension kit I got on EBay from WorldSuspension.

Someone suggested I hold brake and rev the motor a bit to see if I can recreate the knocking (this would mean my motor mounts are bad). I've been out of town on business the last two days, so I'll try to get to this stuff soon. It's been like 5 degrees here, so we'll see.

Thanks for the tips/posts guys. Looks like I'm not the only one having these issue(s).

Yes they were replaced.

 

Okay so I had the car on the lift today for some brake work and here is what I found.

Everything under the car looks good. There isn't any play in any of the components. The strut tower bolt (the middle one) is straight in it's spot, so this isn't a dead give-a-way that the mount is bad.

When I got off the lift, I held one foot on the brake and gave the motor some gas. I didn't hear any funny noises, so this means my motor mounts are good.

As for the loud suspension bang I've been having since replacing the suspension components (stated in original thread). I did some testing:

1) Standing still, turn wheel all the way left, give gas. Bang happens in the beginning then stops happening as I get higher in speed (say 5mph).
2) Standing still, turn wheel all the way right, give gas. No noise.
3) While slowly rolling, turn wheel all the way left. No noise.
4) While slowly rolling, turn wheel all the way right. No noise.

So it ONLY happens when start from a stop (say entering a driveway super slow) going left. I'm pretty sure it happened the first time going right (up a driveway in Charlotte, NC) but I could be wrong.

Any other ideas folks? I'm still thinking about taking it to a shop and have them test drive is and look it over.

 

You mentioned your LCAs were recently replaced. I replaced mine & got a metal clang in certain situations at low speed. Solution: The big nut on the LCA wasn't tight enough, causing the LCA to shift on the link pin.

 

The one that goes through the bushing? I'll give it another go with the air gun next time I have it on the lift.

 

Evidently my passenger side ball joint was F'ed. Sears replaced it and the control arm (only $10 more) and everything is much better. I still hear a faint sound, but I wouldn't be surprised if that is my driver side one.

I'll probably have Sears do the driver side in a few weeks just to get that EBay crap outa there. It only lasted 1.5yrs and ~40k. Should have been more than that no?

$330 was the cost (alignment included). When I go back, I'll try to talk em into not charging for an alignment since I'd still be within the warranty period for alignments.

 

Well glad to hear that fixed it. I was going to say strut mount and bearing. A way to check the mount is to open the hood and bounce the suspension and watch the bolt in the middle of the strut mount. since it is in a rubber bushing it will have some minimal travel and i do mean minimal like +-1/16'' anything more and it is bad. It will make kind of a metal knocking sound when you go over bumps and it will trail off. the bearing will make a wrenching metal sound with a pop at the end when you make tight turns at slow speed, (when parking).

 

Eh, I spoke to soon. The noise is still happening. But much less often. Gonna continue to look around.

 

ebay is crap for suspension parts.
What you should have did was have pressed in ES bushings and a Moog ball joint into those ebay control arms.

 

when i had my previous 4th gen, i wd hear a low pop whenever i was parked and jus rotated the steering wheel all the way to the left.

I felt like i wd have to replace the rack and pinion.

 

Well I do have power steering rack 'sweat'. Meaning, when it's REALLY cold out and steering is tough at first, it sweats out a little fluid if I start to drive.

That's why I give my car a good 10-15 minutes of idling before I drive it.

 

Original Equipment when it comes to suspension parts... Springs, struts and bushings are another story....

 

I'm not sure it's a ball joint anymore. And the strut mount looks fine. I opened the hood yesterday and pushed down the car and it seemed like the strut was standing in place.

I dunno what it could be. Sears did a full front end inspection (or so they say). Only thing he mentioned was the ball joint.

 

funny i got the same problem. i took it to work and shook down the front end and determined the the left side inner tie rod end was the cause. on slight left turns and some minor bumpy roads i would notice a slight clunk nothin too noticable but for me if its not perfect its broke i also feelit in the floor if this is what your feeling you should try the inner tie rod

 

I feel it in the pedal/floor too.

Hmm. I never changed my inner tie rods. Only the outer.

 

hey i had a knocking noise coming from my car also and i could feel it in the floor board it only happened when it rained(I KNOW WIERD RIGHT) i replaced everything from struts tie rod ends inner and outer ball joints come to find out it was my passenger side cv axle replaced it and have not had the knockin since when it did knock almost sounded like someone tapping under the car with a hammer i hope this helps before u spend a lot of money

 

Well if anything, I'm going to do parts as preventive maintenance. That's the kind of car owner I am.

Thanks for the post though. I'll keep that in mind.

 

i have never been so much into preventative maintenance until i bought my first maxi. Must be in love lol. I do anythin for my maxi haha

 

I'm meticulous with my maintenance. However, lately I've been wanting to just move on to another car so I don't WANT to maintain it as much, but I still do . lol.

 

also check your rear hood, if it opens correctly

 

What?

 

Im having the same issue....rear passenger side

 

Interesting you have this problem - I came here to look for threads on that.

I replaced CVs (raxles), LCA+Bushings+Ball Joints, Sway-Bar Links, Outer Tie-rod ends, wheel bearings/races/seals...

Same thing you described.

I noticed someone posted about the LCA mounting bolt on the front. The drivers side was hard to get to - tranny was in the way. I thought I cranked on it pretty good - but maybe that is why I'm getting the creaking/knocking.

Hope you find your problem - interested to see what you find.

 

I haven't been able to find anything. I don't even know where to look. I have to go to a shop and have them look, but funds are limited right now.

 

Sounds like I'm am having a very similar noise. I hear one loud pop/creek when I put the car in reverse and back out of a parking space with the wheel to the right and then put the car is first and turn the wheel to the left. After I give and gas and the car moves maybe 5 feet, it makes the noise coming from the right front suspension. I've replaced the front struts(KYBs), strut mounts (OEM), inner and outer tie-rods(OEM). The only thing left is the LCAs with ES bushings which I already have waiting to be installed. And I know for sure the lower control arm bushing are shot and the ball joints boots are torn. Maybe my right front ball joint is causing the noise.

 

Well Sears replaced my passenger side ball joint already. So if it's not that, then it's either my driver side or it's something else. I have shook the car, did the wheel check, etc.

Sears supposedly did a frontend check and the only thing they mentioned was the ball joint and rear struts (go up and down when the tech pushed up on em). That's it.

 

I have a similar noise from the front driver side area. Knocks once or twice when accelerating from a complete stop. Did anyone solve their issue completely?

 

i'm having this also. i'm fairly certain it's the ****ty ebay lca i've got on the car. it'll be coming off asap!

 

I just my LCA, ball joint, and end links...neither of which fixed my issue. Next up would probably be the passenger side motor mount (someone in the 5th Gen forum changed that for a similar noise).

 

Better check your blinker fluid, it might be getting low.

that black 95 SE is a beaut BTW.

 

Trying to get to post 15 huh? Get lost.