clunking comming from front footworks / suspension area.

[redsuns3838]

ok so ill try to make it easy to follow.
S14, NAMS tension rods, silk road coilovers. everything else stock.

When i turn the wheel at maybe over 45 degrees in either direction, i hear a clunking/popping noise comming from near my brakes/ footworks area. This happens on either L or R depending on which way i turn. This only happens at low speeds under maybe 10 MPH , ie when im driving in parking lots, going into a driveway or making a U turn. It also happens from either side when i brake at low speeds. if i brake at a light, the clunking/popping sound wont come until under 10 MPH. it also sometimes happens when going over speed bumps which i take very very slowly.

i know for a fact my brake pads are worn down (im putting front Z brakes on this weekend so i havent bothered to replace the stock pads)

so does this sound like its definately a brake issue? the only thing that gets me is why does it do it when i turn the wheel? even if im not moving and just turn the wheel ill hear the popping sound sometimes.
my springs are tightend down, arent moving on the perch from what i can tell.., and nothing seems to be loose on the multilink below. im wondering if it could be warped rotors on both sides... or just worn out brakes.

i didnt drive my car for 4 months as i was away on business, it was started and let run but never driven for that 4 months, and this problem happend about a week after i got back and its been going on for a week now. luckily im replacing brakes and rotors in 2 days but still it would be nice to know a way to check if thats the problem or be ont he lookout for certain signs...

thanks everyne

[dct223]

tie rod ends blown???

[wickedik1]

i have a siimilar sound on mine and cant figure it out. let me know if you come up with anything.

[redsuns3838]

dct223 thanks for the idea. ill check tie rod ends when i change oil on sat. if it were the brakes i would understand it making noise when i brake, if it were tie rods id understand it making noise when i turn, but sinc eits BOTH thats whats confusing me. but i will check and let you know.

wickediK1 - does yours make noise durring both braking and turning? or just 1 or the other? how are your brakes and rotors?

[fatalfury64]

I have a similar problem. I only have it when i make right turns on the driver side area only. I think it is the tie rods.

[wickedik1]

mine is during turning ony and yes its on the driver side. it kinda sounds like its comming from the springs though.. happens more when i turn the wheel left. brakes are fine i guess. new pads went in a month ago. rotors are stock.

[Ricks15]

I have the same problem but I just recently put in the megan streets 3 days ago, Ive allready had allignment and just like you said when you make a turn to the right there is a somewhat loud clunk type of noise.

[zads]

anyone try replacing tension rods?

[kabukie]

anyone try replacing tension rods?



Agreed!

I repalced my tie rods thinking the same thing, turns out my tension rods are shot as well. Since it still clunks in the front even with new tie rods


Also if your steering vibriates at 65 mph or so, even after a re-balancing all 4 tires, then your tension rods are shot

[redsuns3838]

zads, i got NAMS tension rods installed about 10,000 miles ago so i doub its those.. tie rods r still original ones tho. ill check em out tomorrow.

[Prok0]

Check afformentioned stuff, could also possibly be the lower control arm ball joint. A worn ball joint will cause the arm to clunk and shift under braking and turning..

[Turkey22]

Humm.. I get that same clunk, but its under high G's when i'm at the track.. usually coming from the side that isnt under the higher load (IE: right side clunks when turning right)

[fatalfury64]

anyone try replacing tension rods?

I've replaced the tie rods, got kazama tension rods along with the nismo tension rod brackets, and i still have the clunk. ProK, maybe it is the lower control arm ball joint, but could it be anything else?

[redsuns3838]

ok, so brakes replaced, same symptoms. im almost sure it is tie rod ends at this point.

[EchoOfSilence]

you still haven't checked them? takes 30 seconds, man

[redsuns3838]

to be honest im not exactly sure what to check for....

[dct223]

if the bushing at the ball joint is blown or not....

[aznpoopy]

look at the tie rod end.

wiggle it around. it should be stiff and hard to wiggle. if it rotates every which way very easily, it's shot.

[FaLKoN240]

Check afformentioned stuff, could also possibly be the lower control arm ball joint. A worn ball joint will cause the arm to clunk and shift under braking and turning..

That's my guess.

I've got pretty much everything that SPL sells for front suspension. My car STILL clunks. It's the lower ball joints from what I heard from my friend. I thought it was my tie rod hitting the metal outside the exploded bushing, so I got Kazama ends. Didn't fix it. Got Kazama tension rods. Didn't fix it.

I'm going for the ball joints next. PDMracing.com has a special on brand new LCAs with new bushings in the arm, and a ball new ball joint as well.

http://www.pdm-racing.com/products/pdmcontrolarms.html

[redsuns3838]

well just checked tie rod ends, theyre very chewed up. but strangely there doesnt seem to be any play in them. altho ill hvae to check that LCA joint just incase. i mean its a car with over 100k miles, so most of the joints are pretty crappy, but yeah i dont want to endanger myself and passengers

[dct223]

if they are chewed up, they are blown, replace them, should solve your clunking problem... I suggest just getting tein tie rods and the tein tie rod ends, install them and get an alignment...

LCA should be alright but u can check them as well...

[EchoOfSilence]

it was blown shocks for me.

my shit clunked like no other. i replaced tension rods, got PDM's LCA's (which I should have paid 50 more for for ES bushings) and shit clunked. I knew my shocks were blown, but my tie rod ends were massively blown. so i thought it was those. Anyway, i got agx's, clunking gone. tie rods still fucked up.

[NIK90s13]

My shock top nut backed off and was clunking. You can try that, it wont cost a thing.