Diagnose My Clunking

[G-MaC!]

Sooo, I am having some front end clunking issues. Before someone tells me to use the search button, I have read tons on this. I am hoping it is not directly related to the steering rack; I do not have the dreaded steering rack creek, it is a definite clunk. Especially prominent when driving slow over potholes, or cobble stone. I have brand new A-Spec coilovers and tie rod ends. My car is not dumped and the clunk was present before the suspension change. One of my front sway bar endlinks seems to have quite a bit of play. I do no know if that means it is shot or not. I have not checked any mounts. I am hoping it is a bushing or an endlink. I also have 190,000 KM. Any help would be awesome.

[blueandgoldep3]

did you replace the strut mounts when changing the suspension? i live in new york so the potholes take a toll on my mounts had to replace both already lol

[G-MaC!]

Yes, the whole coilover was brand new.

[blueandgoldep3]

well its hard to diagnose clunks without actually having the vehicle to look at but yea your best bet would be to check ball joints control arm bushings and tie rod ends, you said you had play in the sway bar links start with those lol

[03civicdopejmd]

well its hard to diagnose clunks without actually having the vehicle to look at but yea your best bet would be to check ball joints control arm bushings and tie rod ends, you said you had play in the sway bar links start with those lol

check all the sway bar mounts and bushings, and the subframe bolts... also the lower control arm bolts.. I had a clunk and it was the lca' and the subframe..

[WPB EP3]

almost everything possible was mentioned...wheel bearing or front and rear engine mounts??

to me, a clunking noise sounds like a loose bolt, but may not be the case.

[27rocks]

You said your sway bar link was bad. There's your clunk. Especially if you hear it over bumps... as the suspension moves so does your sway bar.

[talonXracer]

You said your sway bar link was bad. There's your clunk. Especially if you hear it over bumps... as the suspension moves so does your sway bar.

BINGO, and the TS noticed this himself........

[cjohnst]

You said your sway bar link was bad. There's your clunk. Especially if you hear it over bumps... as the suspension moves so does your sway bar.

probably your sway bar... if that isn't it, as dumb as it sounds, take your strut off and check it out again. I had a clunk so I replaced my suspension with coilovers and still had a clunk. Ironically enough it was just a bad coil. 1500 dollars later after swearing there was no way it was a coil on the same side in the same spot... I learned it was in fact the coil haha... trial and error

[NEO_FOLLOWER2]

if its not the sway bar links...its the lca bushings most likely

those are very easy things to see once you're underneath the car.

i had to replace both of those along with my aspec install

good chance to upgrade the lca bushings. it helps alot, but it is pricey.

i got hardrace lca bushings

[G-MaC!]

Thanks for the replies. Our roads are absolutely loaded with salt in the winter so it might have something to do with the bushings as well. Here is a picture of the endlink with play in it, the other side I cannot even budge. Does it look toast?

009.jpg

[eternal780]

I'm having the same problem riding on h and r and Komi yellows when got my car a few months back the car rides great now every time I go over bumps it clunks. How do you know if your lca bushings is messed up? Is it better to get new control arms or just get new bushings ?

[bizzle]

Thanks for the replies. Our roads are absolutely loaded with salt in the winter so it might have something to do with the bushings as well. Here is a picture of the endlink with play in it, the other side I cannot even budge. Does it look toast?

009.jpg

Grab the swap bar and move it back and forth like this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTQMM...layer_embedded

If it does what it does in that video, it's the end link.

[AKAahlecks]

im having the same problem, except in the rear (it never did this till recently), it clunks and creaks when i go over speedbumps. ive yet to check out the problem. but ill be sure to check my bushings and endlinks?

[NEO_FOLLOWER2]

i had my whole endlink break off lol and i drove around for a couple days ...

i wouldnt say your endlink is toast but it looks like its going out soon

in fact in the picture it looks like its rubbing on your lca...that could be your clunk

if you drive in salted roads it very well could be various bushings