Darkshot

iTrader: (4)

I have a seemingly random knocking noise coming from what SEEMS to be the front end, what SEEMS to be the passenger side but its hard to tell from inside the car where exactly it is coming from. It usually happens when stopping, right before the car actually stops at about 5mph or so. It wont do it if I make an effort to stop extra gentle, however an average every day stop it will do it. I also sometime notice it when I steer slightly (such as changing lanes at 35mph) and sometime when accelerating, an sometimes when going over dips. All the latter situations are more rare, maybe it will do it about 50% of the time, however when stopping is the most common, maybe 90% of stops it will do it. It seems to be getting worse, but I think I may just be noticing it more.

I have jacked up both sides of the front end individually, and taken the wheels off to check things out. I grap everything I can and give it a good shake, tie rods, sway bar, rotors, etc and everything seems rock solid. I put the tire on and shook the wheel around pretty good (off the ground) and I hear what I THINK it the sound. When I have my right hand at about 1:00 and my left hand about 7:00 on the tire and shake hard back and forth in that direction there is a very minimal ammount of play (but enought to notice) and I hear the sound, but I cannot tell where it is coming from, even when I am standing right there in front of the tire!

I'm not sure what else to check. I found the crossmember bolts that come loose and gave them everything I had with a torque wrench (I could only find 2 on each side?) and they didnt budge. What else can I check??

FireBirdKnight

i had that issue and it turned out to be the cars U-joints

Darkshot

iTrader: (4)

Doh! The previous owner even mentioned something about the U Joints to me when I bought the car and had 2 new ones in the back seat for me! I completely forgot. I guess I should change them before taking any more action. I also checked my tranny mount, it looked alright from what I could see and I wasnt able to move the tranny around, however I was in a very akward position (damn low ground clearance on these cars) and I couldnt put much, if any muscle into it. How much does it take to move the tranny around to tell if the mount is busted?

Also, can I test U joints by jacking up the rear (stock open diff), having one person hold one tire while I turn the other tire back and forth to see how much play it has, and take note of any noise I hear?

irocznickv8

i never herd of that one but i had a tranny losse before on a 63 valiant i dont know if that can be used as a perface but i doubt it whould make that noise i meen if u jack it up in the back and do what u do to furgure it out more power to u
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does it sound differnt like in park and u change the rpms???

Wadebryant

Couple of ways to test the u-joints; With the motor running, one foot on the brake, open the drivers side door, put the car in gear. Try reverse too. Hear a clunking noise from under the car? Or, jack up the car, put it on stands, access the drive line. With the trans in park, can you move the drive shaft? Put the trans in neutral (not running) and rotate the wheels. Hear any clunking noise or feel any binding when the driveshaft is being rotated?
If still in dought, now that your under the car, remove the drive shaft and have the new u joints installed. Cross it off your list.

While the driveline is out, take a large prybar and wedge it between the cross member and transmission near the trans mount. Pry up and down gently. It shoud be obvious if the transmission mount is bad. Here again, an easy and inexpensive part to replace. Put a jack under the tail housing to support the trans, remove the cross member and mount bolts. Install new mount, etc.

Shouldnt take more than an afternoon to be back on the road with new u joints and trans mount. If that didnt fix the knocking noise well, at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you did some needed maintenance.

If the noise is (still) coming from the front end...have you inspected or replaced the sway bar end links? Those are a common source of noise and trouble, mostly due to neglect. Also, often overlooked front end noise cause are failing upper strut mounts and loose wonderbar / sway par bushings and bolts. From your description, I'd have a good 2nd look at the upper strut mounts...

Good luck

xplane

I have the same problem and the only things i have yet to replace are the Swaybar bushings and the drivers side Strut mount, but i gave it a good inspection and it looked ok. i had to replace the pass side cause i tore it when i was replacing the A-arm bushings and ball joints. I also replaced the Swaybar endlinks and installed a wonderbar. the sway bar bushings are a bit smushed but not horribly bad. they are up next on the agenda when i gets some cash back in me pocket.

Stevo

iTrader: (45)

I agree they are really not that hard and thats a great place to start since you have the u-joints and the trans mount are cheap.

When my u-joint started bothering me it was hard to get outta gear and clunked pretty loud changed em and it made a big difference.

When the trans mount went it was very obvious. Everytime i hit the gas to hard THUNK THUNK THUNK real loud coming from under the car.

Darkshot

iTrader: (4)

I've narrowed the noise down further. It is definitely coming from the front end, most likely the steering linkage. Remember this is coming from the RIGHT SIDE only. Sometimes at a stoplight if I repeatadly jerk the wheel about 1/8 turn left and right (enough to make the power steering engage and actually turn the wheels a bit) I will hear the noise. Its really hard to tell where its coming from when I stick my head down there and have somebody else try to make the noise, mainly because its my car and I know exactly what to do to create the noise and its really hard to explain it to somebody, it requires a little brake pedal action at just the right time while jerking the wheel. When I have them go down there they cannot tell where its coming from because it only seems to make the noise when the wheels are straight and they cannot see behind them. I will drive it up on blocks eventually, but I just havent been able to do it yet.

Does this sound like tie rod ends that have play in them? I have given them both a real good yank back and forth and they dont move. Maybe the steering forces are just stronger than myself, enough to bring out the play in the ends? Keep in mind this happens most of the time while driving in a straight line right before I reach a stop. If I EXCESSIVLY granny the stop (by that I mean an easier stop than anybody would normally do) it wont do it. Sometimes it happens while turning. Sometimes it will happen at random at speeds under 30mph. It doesnt make a peep at highway speeds.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

U-Joints!!!!

These cars don't have U-joints in the front.

Sounds to me like a strut. I had one do that once, a brand-new one, started doing it within a few weeks of being installed. The Monroe rep told me it was the bushing that the shaft slides in, was worn; and had side play. If I jacked up the car by the lower control arm on that side, and grabbed the tire, I could move it and make this little clunking noise, and I could see the 2 halves of the strut moving with respect to each other.

When driving, it would mostly do it if I was going around a real gentle curve I think it was to the right (remember, it was the left strut), and hit some bumps.

Monroe warrantied the strut and that took care of it.

Try jacking the car up with a flor jack under the control arm, out at the end near the ball joint. That takes all of the force off of all the parts; the ball joint, strut, bearing, etc. are all unloaded when you do that.

You can check the ball joint on that side by jacking it up that way, and levering up on the tire with a 2x4 or some such. If the BJ has play, you'll be able to see it bang up and down.

Joez88Camaro

If you want me to give it a quick look PM me, I live in walnut creek. I don't want to deal with a ball joint or a-arm bushing but I can help you find the noise. You said you can make it do it at a stop light sometimes?
A-arm bushings, idler arm, wheel bearings, the strut, ball joint, centerlink/tierods. It should be pretty easy to find. BTW I charge a case of good beer for labor.

da.slyboy

iTrader: (1)

Though the issue has probably long been solved, one possibility are the ball joints need greased or replaced. I remember I took my car into a shop had the ball joints replaced and they didn't add enough grease to them. A couple months after the installation I kept hearing this knocking sound when I would stop at low speeds, sometimes when turning and going over bumps. After I greased them up good, I never heard knocking again.