Patient: '97 GT Convertible
Symptoms are as follows:
Noise, best described as I can manage, as "clunking". As best as I can ascertain this sound is coming from the front.
There doesn't seem to be a particularly strong association with speed. Can be heard moving slowly or at moderate speed though the cadence or volume doesn't seem to change much. Once higher speed is reached I'm sure there could be changes but road noise might be concealing it somewhat.
There is no discernable change regardless of going straight or around curves.
No change in sound regardless of gear or, in fact, in gear at all. (same sound if coasting out of gear)
Jacked up all wheels and they spin fine with no sound associated with the problem. Of course, they aren't under load at that point either.
The above would seem to rule out bearings or CV joints. Axle? But here's where it gets really good:
It was last night when I jacked up the car and spun the wheels. So I drive the car to work this morning and...the sound is gone. OK, let me qualify that...I mean the sound "as previously heard" is most certainly gone. I was listening so intently I thought I could still make out "something" that didn't seem quite right but at that point I might have been paranoid at the idea it "just went away". That's not an idea I'm mechanically comfortable with.
I appreciate any input. It's shaping up to be the nicest weekend of the year so far and it's really chapping me to think my convertible is having issues.
UPDATE:
Went out for lunch and while "something" happened between yesterday and today (having to do with jacking up the car somehow?) the "clunking" is still there. While rolling out of Arby's on a smooth surface at low speed I got several distinct clunks. It's a conundrum.
Last edited by justsomedude; 03-16-2011 at 11:56 AM.
is it only when moving straight? any bumps or any uneven surfaced that you're noticing this on?
As best I can tell steering angle doesn't seem to play a major role. I should probably just hit a parking lot and try some full-lock turns in both directions to see what happens but in "normal" driving I've notices little difference between straight and turning.
Earlier today I did go over some speedbumps at low speed which didn't seem to make things any worse. When moving quicker over "road bumps" I sometimes think I might be hearing something but to tell you the truth I'm not sure how much of that is the "problem" and how much of it is simply hitting a bump. Just driving down a normal road I can't particularly associate any specific surface condition with the noise. It's really driving me nuts that it's now gotten more intermittent. The most obvious time I notice it is if I am just trundling along at low speed, though I'm certain at least "some" of that is the lack of any ambient road noise at that speed.
I would jack the car back up again, check for any play in the ball joints and tie rod ends, while jacked up grab the wheel on the top and bottom and push/pull it back and forth, and do the same side to side, there should be no play. Double check the boots around the CV axles, make sure they aren't tore as thats the primary cause of cv joint failure. Also while there I'd check the sway bar end links for play, check the mount bushings for that too (just grab the bar and try to move it, again should have no play). Even take a look at the bushings where the control arm meets the frame. Also grab near the top of the strut from inside the wheel well and try to move it about. These should just about cover all the bases.
Does it sound like the noise is coming from down low or up higher near the top by chance? you can usually tell from inside the car
I would jack the car back up again, check for any play in the ball joints and tie rod ends, while jacked up grab the wheel on the top and bottom and push/pull it back and forth, and do the same side to side, there should be no play. Double check the boots around the CV axles, make sure they aren't tore as thats the primary cause of cv joint failure. Also while there I'd check the sway bar end links for play, check the mount bushings for that too (just grab the bar and try to move it, again should have no play). Even take a look at the bushings where the control arm meets the frame. Also grab near the top of the strut from inside the wheel well and try to move it about. These should just about cover all the bases.
Does it sound like the noise is coming from down low or up higher near the top by chance? you can usually tell from inside the car
I'll try mucking around more per your recommendations. As for location I'm not under the "impression" that's it's high up. Another thing I thought of; would the axle where it meets the gearbox fit that description above? I have no idea what that would sound like. I also wonder how that wouldn't be pretty dependent on speed. OTOH it's one of the only other things I could think of that would be independant of brakes, engine, transmission and (I think) steering angle. (axle rotates either way) Still stupified as to how it seemed to improve literally overnight by me doing nothing but taking the load of the wheels for a little while.
Does anybody that would know (I've honestly never had the issue before) if the above described characteristics could be attributed to a bad inner cv joint?
^Yes.
However, that doesn't always mean that it is actually the inner cv joint.
I am having the exact same issue as you with the "clunking" noise.
I changed out my cv axle, thinking that was it for sure b/c that's where the noise was coming from (or so I thought).
Check your front and rear sway bar bushings too. I had this issue once before and worn bushings were the culprit. This time around though, I'm still trying to source the problem, but I do believe it to be a worn rubber bushing component somewhere.....good luck
Changed my front sway bar bushings today, but that wasn't the problem - the noise is still there. This is pissing me off...
Next up: check the strut mounts....
SOLVED!
My noise was an exhaust support flange that was bolted to the cat. It had rusted through but was still attached by two rubber hangers. It would clunk only at certain engine speeds, independent of what the suspension was doing, hence the conundrum.
Check you exhaust brackets and hangers!
Actually thats a very good point. My downpipe where it connected to the manifold/converter had a bolt sheer off a year ago and clunked around quite a bit before I finally replaced all of it.
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