Clunky Noise

[Pooponurhead]

hey guys...on my way home today, i noticed every time i would go to make even the slightest turn, i was hearing/feeling a clunk in the front end. it got worse the closer i got to my house...now we're talkin a 25 mile trip. It scared the **** outta me...I had to basically baby it, cuz i thought the front end was gonna fall off and leave me in the middle of nowhere in the rain/dark..I kinda had a feeling it had something to do with my sway bar, so i re-tightened all the bolts when i got home...All but one were completely tight...I tightened up the remaining bolt. and messed with the end links...I havent driven the car yet...but i guess ill be able to see if it worked tomorrow...if it doesnt...what do yall think it could be?

[94ludeguy]

it sounds like it could be ur axles

[92_prelude]

my first guess is a torn cv boot, it's on the end of your axle and holds grease that lubricates the joints in there. If all of your grease is out, the joints will click when you turn, but it usually takes a while for that to happen. If you have rims, you should see grease on the inside of the rim that the torn boot is on. it's pretty sticky stuff. when one of my boots tore, i just took off the rim and sprayed the inside with brake cleaner and it came right off.

[Pooponurhead]

Well, i looked under the car for quite a while trying to think of anyhting that could possibly be making that sound. But i didnt find anything besides one of my sway bar bushin bolts being a smidgen loose.

[92preludeSi]

ur broke ATTS perhaps

[Pooponurhead]

The ATTS has been broken for a few months now...why would it now be making noise?

Is my front end gonna come apart on the highway and kill me? Im so freeked out about it.:sigh:

[Prelude13]

it sounds like it could be ur axles

X2 :cool:

[prelude24]

ye ye this once happend to me in my civic.....except i just kept driving it through cuz i was broke until my gas pedal jus stoped working on a turn lol, everytime i would press my gas my car would just rev no matter what gear.....its def somthin to do with your axles lol

[Pooponurhead]

Well, crawled under the car a few days ago and couldnt see anything....got under there tonight cuz its still making that noise...and noticed that the end links on my sway bar are REALLY close to my axels and i could see where teuy had been hitting...I loosened the bar and scooted it over about an inch...to where it was now centered (im retarded). Seemed like it was gonna be okay...but took it for a drive...and its STILL makign that noise...MAINLY when i go over bumps...i can feel it in my left foot when its on the dead pedal. so i know its coming from right under my foot. But nothing seems to be out of place. maybe i need a Professional to look at it?

[94ludeguy]

u could need new bushings

[Pooponurhead]

Possibly...its weird. It made the same noise when i plopped down into the driver seat this morning. Bushings it may be...any idea where i could some decent ones?

[juniorlude]

i don't know too much about 5th gen, but on 4th gen they say that if you hear creaking or "clunking" when you turn at lower speeds it could be the front lower ball-joint needing to be replaced. I don't know if this helps any, but I am having the same problem with my 4th gen. Everytime I turn it sounds like creaking from my suspension almost as if something is about to just collapse.

[94ludeguy]

i would try some bushing 1st that might be the cheapest and easiest fix. if thats the problem

[sfields]

yea im still thinking something with your cv

[Pooponurhead]

Well...update update, heres the update.:eek: I talked my automotive genius friend Tim and he seems to think that it has something to do with the sway bar I installed (Suspension Technique). See, the end links of the sway bar are curved much further outward than the OE one, so what I'm thinking is the uhh...the little rods that connect to the end links of the sway bar (strut rods, I believe). Theyre on little joints and since the end links of the sway bar are curved so far outward, theyre causing the struts rods to be pulled outward to their limits and are clunking because they have no place to go...(its a painful sounding clunk). So...there.

Anyways...He recommended that I put the old bar back on and see if that remedies the problem...If not, then he's got something else in mind. Not sure about what it is though...:confused:

[Prelude13]

Hell no!!

Just adjust your endlinks a little so it's all gravy...

[shinna202]

from what i heard on civic forums ( used to have civic)
if you hear like clicking noise its becuase your shocks are bad.
because thats the same problem im having right now as well, when i turn it will make this cliking noise............:confused:

[Prelude13]

That's probably your axles Shinna. Shin-nat-da! :biggrin:

One way to see if your shocks are bad, is to press on that corner of the car(where you think the shock is bad). For example: press down on the fender of the front passenger side and let go - that shock(car) should go down and come up to the same position it was...if it bounces back up higher, then the shock is blown. That and every time you go over a bump, it feels like an Earthquake :sick:

[Pooponurhead]

Hell no!!

Just adjust your endlinks a little so it's all gravy...

Whatchu mean adjust the end links...?

[Prelude13]

I was under the impression you had adjustable endlinks poop...my mistake :redface:

Dont put the old sway bar back, that's a waste of money.
You said it was making noise from the front of the car...i have to put my money on the axles. A good way to tell if you DO need new tie rods is to jack each corner of the car up, with the wheel on. Shake the wheel sideways meaning:

--> [] <--

The wheel should not have any play if you shake it, kick it inwards...if it does, tie rod ends need to be replaced. But a faulty tie rod end shouldn't make the noise you are taking about...it should just give you headaches everytime you go over bumps :sick:

[Pooponurhead]

Well...its not totally when i go over bumps...its when the left front moves AT ALL...up or down. It clunks, and i can feel it in the floorboard. Its rather unnerving. I keep thinking the front end is gonna falll apart. I still think its the end links pushing the strut rods too far outward, which i cant control.
*sigh* :sadwavey:

[Prelude13]

Yah, i dunno...could be a host of things...or just 1 thing. Can u take a picture of your driver side with the wheel off? maybe we can "see" what you are suffering...

[Pooponurhead]

Umm...yea, I'll try and get to it this weekend...I work open to close tomorrow so itll be dark and cold as hell when i get home...so ill get to it this weekend and let you know. Thanks for helpin man.

[shinna202]

bump this up, i need help too. :biggrin: