"popping" when slowing down

[nanner47]

Ive got a 90 s13 hatch, recently when im driving and i break rather violently.. i hear a sort of "pop/clunk" coming from the front suspension... it also happens when i turn the wheel all the way to the left turning.Are these common symptoms of bad ball joints or maybe tie rod ends??... im worried that the threads on the left side of the rack are worn out causing the shaft to make this noise when im turning and breaking... idk.. any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[ayuaddict]

do you have cut springs/aftermarket springs? if so, when you re-installed them, did you put the rubber cover between the spring and the upper perch/mount? also sometimes the spring will cut through this rubber cover. either scenario can cause the spring to make funky noises, although this not not necessarily unsafe.

keep in mind however, the noise can be caused by a variety of things but this is the best case scenario, and what i would check first.

[DP_Michelle G]

Tension Rods!!

[nanner47]

nope the car is bone stock.... ill check both tension rods and ball joints..

[Dutchmalmiss]

Jack up your car and just try to see if anything (ie. tie rods, control arms, tension rods, etc) wiggles or has play. Also, check your bushings; If they're bad, you might have periodic metal to metal contact.

[jskateborders]

I had that issue once, and checked everything. Happened to be that my stud in my hub was slightly tilted, causing the rotor to be slightly tilted. Barely noticable, but that was the issue. doubt its that, cause thats random, but just in case:)

[YUNG DRIF]

Tension Rods!!

Like the man said Tension Rods replace them, dont get new bushing

[nanner47]

why shouldn't i replace the bushings while doing the tension rods?

[slow_sr20]

why shouldn't i replace the bushings while doing the tension rods?

because the new tension rods shold come with bushings-buy spherical ones-they are a great improvement over stock mushy ones.

[bshotts]

Yes, without a doubt, this sounds like what has been mentioned before. Under braking (especially heavy braking), the chassis transfers alot of weight (forces) to the front suspension components in the forward direction. If any part could be rotated forward from the position it is installed in the forward/rear direction if it were to be loose (i.e. tension rod), then it will, in fact, move in that same manner when braking/accelerating with great force.

Like yung and slow_sr20 have mentioned, opt for any of the name brand tension rods with the spherical bushings as they make a world of difference under these same conditions. Just make sure you torque those nuts on the rods (in the neighborhood of 70-90 ft-lbs) so they don't reloosen themselves.

We hope this fixes your "popping"...I know it fixed mine!