99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

My Kia beater has a clunk some times in the front end when I'm driving it. Sounds like a wheel or something. ? maybe a drive axle? how do you check that and raplace it?

OSUBraden

Yeah, sounds like you need to replace w/e it is in the front axle that is worn out. A buddy of mine used to hammer on his POS honda and he'd constantly break his front axle (I guess they call it a CV joint?) and also screw up w/e it is in that boot that connects everything together and it would make the clunk sound you're hearing (especially when turning). It's no big deal to replace either, those honda morons would snap the joints like candy in all of their front wheel drive blunders.

So..yeah.. if that answers it.. I know what it is but have no idea what it's called. Sorry!

NWDragRacer

Check the motor mounts.

DrEvyl

iTrader: (5)

I'm gonna say CV joint... especially if it gets louder when you turn. It's not the axle, it's the piece that connects the axle to the wheel. Very typical issue in a FWD car with a lot of miles.

howierd42

CV joint +1.

My Eldorados were FWD and my mechanic warned me about that sound. (Uber expensive on the Caddys, probably not so on a Kia.)

OSUBraden

Yeah, they are right, it's your CV Joint (not axle as I mentioned above--wrong choice of words) Like I said though, its an easy fix for the most part.

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

damn it now thats two things I have to fix on it. Loss all my cooling fluid either through a broken hose or head gasket and suspect the hose over the gasket as it runs fine unitl it gets hot.... car only gets driven about 3 miles at a time. Just the runabout car. How long can I go before its real issue on the cv joint? Whats the worse that could happen with it? I know nothing about FWD's. IT clunks when turning but not going straight.

DrEvyl

iTrader: (5)

Definitely a CV joint then... the worst than can happen is that it will break and you won't be able to drive the car at all because the axle will be flopping around all over the place inside there, or it could sieze and make it so you can't steer. Not something I'd recommend letting go for a long period of time.

Here.... read up on how they work. Then you can decide whether you want to let it go or not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_velocity_joint

crazylane

iTrader: (19)

CV joints are not really that hard to replace either.