Author Topic: Clunking, squeaking... (Read 4424 times)

spanish_pants · « **on:** November 26, 2010, 05:17:20 AM »

This car is going to be the end of me. I recently had the front springs and shocks replaced. About a week ago the car developed a harsh clunking from the front right side as well as an annoying squeaking from the same side of the passenger cabin. I thought it might be the control arms and bushings but these are less than a year old.

Any thoughts?

DesktopDave · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:44:20 AM »

Roll bar bushings or mounts maybe? I'd get a pry-bar & check all the joints for wear. If they move, they're bad. Have you isolated the bearings, steering idler arms or brakes? Once Pep Boys sold me some undersized brake pads that clacked & rattled like crazy.

What brand CA & CABs? If it was that Hamburg Technik garbage I'm surprised they lasted this long. Meyle and Lemfoerder have given me the best performance over the long run.

spanish_pants · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:53:11 AM »

Quote from: DesktopDave;99001

Roll bar bushings or mounts maybe? I'd get a pry-bar & check all the joints for wear. If they move, they're bad. Have you isolated the bearings, steering idler arms or brakes? Once Pep Boys sold me some undersized brake pads that clacked & rattled like crazy.

What brand CA & CABs? If it was that Hamburg Technik garbage I'm surprised they lasted this long. Meyle and Lemfoerder have given me the best performance over the long run.

Hi Dave, the CABs are M3 parts from the dealership, the arms are Lemfoerder and the brakepads are new Ferodos. I have the parts to replace the rest of the steering components that weren�t replaced last year, but it burns me that a control arm might have gone bad in less than a year, when the original had been on the car since new.
I was wondering, perhaps the bolts weren�t properly tightened after the spring/shock install it might cause this.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2010, 08:31:38 AM »

There's no way a control arm could go bad in a year, though it's possible you installed a defective one. I've driven BMWs with twenty-year-old arms that were in decent shape. I'd just get under the car & test some stuff out. Maybe the rubber spring seat/isolator worked it's way out and the spring is rubbing metal-to-metal on the seat or hat?

monty23psk · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:27:33 PM »

How about the front swaybar links. They can clunk if they are bad when going over bumps or bumpy road. If the arms for the orginal ones, the links might be too and worth the swap. Also did you replace the upper strut mounts? Mine are clunking after 3 years, as when I took the dust cap off, the bearings are all rusted out. Water must have gotten in, under the cap from washing my engine bay throught out the years.

spanish_pants · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2010, 07:23:03 AM »

Quote from: monty23psk;99021

How about the front swaybar links. They can clunk if they are bad when going over bumps or bumpy road. If the arms for the orginal ones, the links might be too and worth the swap. Also did you replace the upper strut mounts? Mine are clunking after 3 years, as when I took the dust cap off, the bearings are all rusted out. Water must have gotten in, under the cap from washing my engine bay throught out the years.

The upper strut mounts were replaced at the same time we put in the new shocks and springs and i�ve got a box of parts sitting in the trunk waiting to be replaced..outer tied rods, sway bar links all made by lemfoerder.

I took a look at the control arms as best as i could (no ramps) and discovered two loose nuts, one on the control arm and one on the outer tie rod. I tightened them back up as best i could and it was ok for a day...now things are worse. I have clunking coming from the back end as well as both sides of the front end and the car sounds as if it was driving on flat tires.

What i wouldn�t give for a good competent canadian mechanic again, sigh...

monty23psk · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2010, 09:31:53 AM »

If you havent changed the links, you might be giving them more stress now that everything else is new. Just a thought.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2010, 10:09:53 AM »

Both strut attachments were loose? WTF? Something seriously wrong there...what happened to your last mechanic?

Those parts are taper-fit though, even with loose nuts they should be pretty solid. Since that didn't fix the problem, I'd agree with Monty - fixing a few problems right has made other problems worse. Is the upper strut mount new?

The rear-end clunking, does it sound like a repetitive dull thumping after bumps? If so I'd guess the upper shock mount is damaged or the shock nuts are loose.

Without lifts in this season you'll mostly have to deal with it though. There has to be a competent shop close by, any Euro specialist should do a pretty good job.

spanish_pants · « **Reply #8 on:** November 28, 2010, 12:14:10 PM »

The funny thing is...I AM IN EUROPE!:( Spain to be exact, and finding a competent mechanic here is like finding a needle in a hay stack.
This is one of the things i miss about North America...the car culture and mechanics who know what they are doing.
I had both upper mounts replaced as well, even though the old ones looked fine.
I�m going to the shop on tuesday and i�m going to have them remove every bit of the front suspension and have it put back. I don�t know if i should go ahead and order new control arms...again.
Can the CAB�s be re-used?
The rear end was re-done last year as well, new mounts, shocks, pads, springs, etc. I�ll have them take a look there as well.

spanish_pants · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2010, 01:15:40 AM »

Clunking = loose brake caliper, and the squeaking is gone too. On the negative side of things, i slammed the car into a post.

monty23psk · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2010, 05:34:44 PM »

easy fix, cool.