Pop / crunch under braking
 

When I decelerate from speed, sometimes as the car slows down, there is a distinct pop/crunch coming from the front (drivers side I think). It's not always present, but when it happens, the body tips forward just a bit more. After having a GM shop around here take a look and tell me, uh, it's rusty up in thar...I could see I was getting no answers quick. I have new tie rods, ball joints, struts & mounting plates. Brakes are pretty new as well.

Anyone have an idea, something I could check?

Was this happening before you replaced the items mentioned or afterwards? Have you had the coil springs checked?

Trickster, you're all over everything. This has only been going on for maybe a month, long after these items were changed. The struts are 6 months old; the rest, at least two months old now.

Thanks for all your help thus far.

I had an 85 Z28 with similar problems and it turned out to be a strut bottoming out on the drivers side.

stupid question but in theory you are certain your trans is good? one that is blown can make such incidents on it's way out. particularly while breaking or when the trans is trying to downshift.

;)

I had a noise like that too. I was a combination of loose castle nut and bad bushings in the calipers.

Hey kandied, yeah, the transmission had better be good since it's less than a year old. That's a whole nother load of bull**** altogether though, and I can't get anyone to fix it.

just an idea you know. check the calipers then...could be sticking, ball joints can do that too and as an absolute last resort a loose idler arm or even the struts bottoming out. so many possabilities. hell even your motor mounts could be slightly loose and that can happen.

Just to add another possibility: Check your front control arm bushings. If they are worn you could get a popping as the brakes are applied.

Thanks for all your help. I'll get into the thing this weekend and get some new bushings for the calipers, new pads too since "they're shot" and maybe four months old. I love GM mechanics, really...they make my day.

Struts bottoming out, I'm guessing that means they're on their way out too?

Oh yeah, and the motor and tranny mounts were changed about 3 months ago, with the tie rods and ball joints...to the tune of a large part of my wallet.

:lala: