metalgod3082

So I'm having this strange sound coming from the front right of the vehicle somewhere. Sounds like it is near the firewall but I can't be sure. This only happens when the wheel is turned slightly to the left or more. It sounds like 2 peices of metal clanking together like if a bolt or nut was hanging from a string and it is rocking back and forth hitting metal. It is not constant and it doesn't happen all the time but it seems to happen 80% of the time. It also seems to be louder when i'm turning left and the road is bumpy or I hit some bumps during my left hand turn. It also seems to only happen at slower speeds.

I looked everywhere I can and don't see anything that is loose that could cause this noise. I've tied down many things near the firewall that I thought could possibly be clanking. I've been under my car about 10 times trying to find this thing with no luck.

Here is what I replaced right before this started happening:

Front and rear struts/mounts
driver and passenger axles
LCA bushings
LCA ball joints
end links
swaybar bushings
low pressure rubber power steering return hose

Any ideas what could cause a clanking noise? I know this is probably a shot in the dark but thought I would try. I'll try to post a video later of the sound when I get home from work.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

If the noise is in the firewall area, maybe the LCA isn't bolted on tightly.

metalgod3082

I'm going to double check that, but I'm 99% sure I torqued everything down to spec.

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

It's that 1% that will get ya.

I'm always hearing about mystery sounds turning out to be heat shields.

mmgio

did you torque everything down with the suspension loaded? Make sure your ball joint nut is tight. If loose it will do as you described. Also may be a strut mount.Did you replace them when you did the struts?. Hope this helps. I see you did do the mounts.

metalgod3082

Yeah torqued it while suspension was loaded. Yes I replaced the strut mounts with the struts.

Here is the sound it is making:


You can hear it right around 9 seconds until about 11 seconds. The other sounds are just the road.

It's not the best example as sometimes it is much louder and lasts a lot longer depending on the turn and how bumpy the road is.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

Does the suspension have to be loaded or will it occur with the wheels in the air?

... hint hint ...

metalgod3082

I put the car on jackstands and put it in Drive but only the left wheel was spinning. Right wheel was moving about an inch every few seconds. Is this normal? I guess I should have put it in neutral and manually spun the right wheel. I've got a few things to try and will report back. THanks

metalgod3082

Updating thread to see if anyone has any other ideas. Got under the car while it is on ramps and everything is torqued down to spec.

Here is a video I found on youtube of a different type of vehicle but it has the same exact sound I hear.

Also I cannot reproduce the sound by turning the wheel and bouncing or putting the car on jack stands with the wheel turned left and rotating it.

Peter Cooper

make sure you didnt leave anything like tools round the wheels...I did that once and left a screwdriver on the hub and it made that exact same sound when hitting the wheel rim

Flab59

Check your axles. My car was doin the same , I couldn't figure out what the noise was. Turned out it was the axles now they clank even louder.

metalgod3082

No loose tools in there anywhere. Yesterday I replaced the passenger side axle seal in the transmission which required taking out the axle. Axle looks fine and is actually brand new. Just replaced it a month ago when I did the struts, endlinks, and all suspension bushings.

Since I can only hear the noise when the suspension is loading I am assuming it is either the end links, ball joint or struts. Unfortunately I replaced so many things at the same time it's hard to pin point what it is. Is there anyway to test these components so I can pinpoint this? I'm kinda at a loss here and been under the car many times trying to find it. If not may just need to take it in somewhere. I'm so close to having everything perfect on my car! Spent the last year fixing a ton of stuff. Oil leaks, suspension parts, steering parts, etc.

Thanks again for the help!

theWalkinator

Could it be engine mount?

metalgod3082

all 4 mounts were replaced about a month before I did all this suspension stuff. This started happening right after replacing: LCA bushings, axles, endlinks, sway bar bushings, Lower ball joint, struts, strut mounts, strut boots.

mmgio

Did you remove the ball joint cotter pin and retighten those as you can't get a torque wrench on there. That is exactly what my car did when I left the ball joint nut was too loose. I would also check for play in all the things you replaced with a pry bar as if things are worn. Check for play in the wheel grabbing 6 and 12 o'clock and 3 and 9 and push wheel in and out. With that much noise you should be able to find the culprit unless it's the axle. Good luck.

metalgod3082

Ok I'll give those things a try next time I'm under there. Thanks

Flab59

Also might wana check your crossmember. See of bushings are worn out nd if it's all button up.

theWalkinator

Also check the brake pads, they can make clunking noise too.

Patm-a32

Mine did this for a while it was a combo of a horrid wheel bearing and control arm, but mabey check heat shields, dust shields ect...

metalgod3082

Ok thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to check these out on Wednesday. I'm also gonna take the axle back to autozone and get a new one as I've been searching google and have come across other people with similar sounds and it was the axle. Even tho the axle is brand new (reman) I guess it could be bad out of the box

jfactor

Check steering rack bushings

Patm-a32

i was told a bearing was bad when i had this issue, and spent a whole day on my back changing it. didnt solve my issue. Later on found out it was the hub asssembly it was destroyed

metalgod3082

Steering rack bushings already replaced. Any way to tell if the hub assembly is bad? Isn't the only part of the hub assembly that can go bad is the wheel bearing? Getting under there in about an hour to replace the axle and check for anything else going on.

Patm-a32

They can go bad, or they can get dirt inside them. If u dont feel like taking it completly apart, u can go get a can of wd40 with a straw nozzle and put it in etween where the axle meets the hub there is a small area where u can spray some wd40 in, and it will get rid of any dirt or anything up in there. Dont use to much though. Im not sure how to see if u have a bad hub except for visually, but if its bad u will usually know . this is just based off what i did to cure my issue

Patm-a32

Could also be strut bearings mabey?

metalgod3082

Ok will try that when I get the axle out. Yeah that's the only other thing I can think of is the strut bearing even tho I replaced it when I did the struts recently. Might have to take the strut assembly apart again. Thanks for the suggestions

Patm-a32

Take the wheel off and push back the dust shield behind the brake disk... It should bend fairly easily, even if it visually doesnt look like its rubbing it still can
Be. Check brake caliper hardware those little clips can bend very easily especially that u took the brakes off most likely to do all this work

metalgod3082

Ok replaced axle, disassembled and reassembled the strut. Bearing and strut mount are fine. Checked calipers and dust shields and nothing wrong there.

It sounds like it is coming from behind the center A/C vents or somewhere in that area but it's kinda hard to tell exactly. I've wrapped any hoses or lines near the firewall with rags but it is still making a really bad rattling/clanking sound when turning left. It sounds even worse when turning left and going over rough road or bumps.

I'm at a loss now and probably will just need to take it in to a shop and hope someone can find it. Maybe they can somehow simulate the noise while it is on the lift to find it.

Won't be able to take it in for awhile tho, any other suggestions?

Patm-a32

Any play in ur tirods ? The boots can so tear on the inner tirods i know mine did caused a lot of noises

metalgod3082

No play in the tierods. I've replaced inner and outer tie rods and dust boot.

I forgot to do the WD40 thing like you recommended on the hub. Am I still able to do that with the new axle in or does that need to come out again? Do you think maybe a bad wheel bearing could cause this? But it doesn't really sound like it is coming from the wheel area it sounds like in the middle by the firewall.

barnone

Might be off the wall but did you clock/angle the end links correctly?

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...-how-pics.html

Patm-a32

Yes cut the wheel all the way left and go under the car behind the wheel and there will be a slight gap between huh & axel wd40 in there then cut wheel all the way right and go under in front of the tire this time and repeat

Patm-a32

Yes cut wheel all the way left go under and behind the tire and spray in gap between axel and hub then cut wheel all the way right go infront of the tire this time and repeat

Max_Gator

I'm thinking that might be the wheel bearing. Jack up with wheel off the ground and check for play up/down. Not side to side.

metalgod3082

There is no up and down play at all in the wheels. When I was poking around near the firewall last night I noticed there is a heat shield a little ways down on the firewall by the header (I think that's what it's called, where the exhaust goes out). It looks like it is attached by 2 bolts at the top and the bottom is kinda just loose. Not sure if the bottom is supposed to be attached to something or not but i can bend it back and forth very easily. I'm gonna try to remove that and see what happens as that is kinda where it sounds like it is coming from when sitting in the vehicle (middle of the car by the firewall). Doesn't really make sense tho since it only happens when turning left or going over a large bump when going straight, never when turning right. I guess it's worth a shot tho.

slfalco

Are you sure you mounted the springs correctly on the perches on the strut? I had done my rears a while ago, and had a clunk that turned out to be a problem with the alignment of the bottom of the spring in the perch.

metalgod3082

Positive they are installed correctly. I even took it back apart last night and double checked. I guess I need another alignment now after doing that cause my car is slightly pulling to the left now

metalgod3082

Yep end links are aligned and torqued to spec

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

You said it is after you replaced all these parts so its only reasonable to assume either the parts are bad(cheap) or you installed them wrong

metalgod3082

Exactly, I would assume it had something to do with the parts I replaced just unable to find out what part it is and don't want to throw more parts at it. I've gone through and triple checked everything I have replaced and don't see any problems and retorqued everything. Even put in a 2nd axle becuase that is the only cheap part I got (autozone). Everything else is MOOG and the struts are KYB GR2. Maybe one of the struts itself is bad. For some reason they shipped me a black one and a silver one.