bad ball joints?
02-26-2003, 05:10 PM
#1
bad ball joints? help <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />
i have a banging/knocking sound when i go over slight road imperfections are speeds under 45 mph. sounds like its from front, drivers side.
when i push down on the front of the car, i hear the same kind of clunk.
i took the koni shock out and made sure the top bolt was tight. the upper shock mount bushing looked good.
this is driving me crazy. possible causes:
-ball joints (upper or lower, don't know)?
-upper and/ or lower control arm bushings?
any help you guys could give would be appreciated...part numbers, ease of installation, tools needed, etc.
thanx!
also what is the life expectancy of ball joints? i have 40k miles on my car with three years of autocrossing.
<small>[ February 26, 2003, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: 2MCHPWR ]</small>
i have a banging/knocking sound when i go over slight road imperfections are speeds under 45 mph. sounds like its from front, drivers side.
when i push down on the front of the car, i hear the same kind of clunk.
i took the koni shock out and made sure the top bolt was tight. the upper shock mount bushing looked good.
this is driving me crazy. possible causes:
-ball joints (upper or lower, don't know)?
-upper and/ or lower control arm bushings?
any help you guys could give would be appreciated...part numbers, ease of installation, tools needed, etc.
thanx!
also what is the life expectancy of ball joints? i have 40k miles on my car with three years of autocrossing.
<small>[ February 26, 2003, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: 2MCHPWR ]</small>
02-28-2003, 02:44 AM
#4
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Re: bad ball joints? Check the A arm bushings, swaybar bushing/bracket (I broke the driver's side swaybar bracket on mine once, don't know how)
endlinks tightness, upper a arms side bolts (that connects the cast iron vertical part to the upper a arms to the top of the shock/spring)
Have the shock checked out, It may be something loose inside the shock from the factory. Swap the shock/spring assembly from another car to see if the problem goes away.
endlinks tightness, upper a arms side bolts (that connects the cast iron vertical part to the upper a arms to the top of the shock/spring)
Have the shock checked out, It may be something loose inside the shock from the factory. Swap the shock/spring assembly from another car to see if the problem goes away.
02-28-2003, 01:54 PM
#5
Re: bad ball joints? thanx for the info chris.
i have a koni shocks. i will swap out that shock for a stocker to see if the noise goes away. and'i'll check out the a arm bushings and ball joints tonight/tomorrow.
if the a arm bushings are bad, i was thinking of getting the energy suspension Front End Control Arm Bushing Set .
LGM sells them for $60, tom byrne for $55. what do you think of these poly bushings?
the stock lower control arm bushings cost $45 for the up/down (rearmost) bushing and $20 for the left/right (front of the a arm) bushing. that is $65 just for the lower a arm one side only. doesn't even include the top bushings. so there is a huge price difference between the stock bushings and the energy suspension ones.
i see that LGM sells G2 Adjustable Front A-Arms for $600 but thats way too much for me and i don't even know if the bushings are my problem yet. BMR lowers are $400, but i like LG quality better.
i have a koni shocks. i will swap out that shock for a stocker to see if the noise goes away. and'i'll check out the a arm bushings and ball joints tonight/tomorrow.
if the a arm bushings are bad, i was thinking of getting the energy suspension Front End Control Arm Bushing Set .
LGM sells them for $60, tom byrne for $55. what do you think of these poly bushings?
the stock lower control arm bushings cost $45 for the up/down (rearmost) bushing and $20 for the left/right (front of the a arm) bushing. that is $65 just for the lower a arm one side only. doesn't even include the top bushings. so there is a huge price difference between the stock bushings and the energy suspension ones.
i see that LGM sells G2 Adjustable Front A-Arms for $600 but thats way too much for me and i don't even know if the bushings are my problem yet. BMR lowers are $400, but i like LG quality better.
03-01-2003, 09:44 AM
#6
Re: bad ball joints? what test can i do to see if the rear-most bushing of the a-arm is bad?
i jacked up the car, supported the wheel, and used a long screwdriver to move the bushing up and down. i guess it moved kinda easy, but i couldn't make it "clunk". i did the same on the other "quiet" side, but i think it moved just as easy. this is driving me crazy. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />
i jacked up the car, supported the wheel, and used a long screwdriver to move the bushing up and down. i guess it moved kinda easy, but i couldn't make it "clunk". i did the same on the other "quiet" side, but i think it moved just as easy. this is driving me crazy. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />
03-06-2003, 11:53 PM
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Re: bad ball joints? </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 2MCHPWR:
<strong> what test can i do to see if the rear-most bushing of the a-arm is bad?
i jacked up the car, supported the wheel, and used a long screwdriver to move the bushing up and down. i guess it moved kinda easy, but i couldn't make it "clunk". i did the same on the other "quiet" side, but i think it moved just as easy. this is driving me crazy. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You cannot simulate real road conditions test with a screwdriver, they deflect alot more than you think.
For it to clunk, it has to be loose then bang hard when subjected to bumps or impacts in the road.
I would torque all the bolts to factory specs in the area the clunk is coming from and see if that works. If not, there has to be a loose or bad bushing in it.
Who did the install of the front shock/spring? Has the nut been screwed all the way on the shaft with the springs compressed much enough to allow the shock rod nut to be screwed in all the way?
<strong> what test can i do to see if the rear-most bushing of the a-arm is bad?
i jacked up the car, supported the wheel, and used a long screwdriver to move the bushing up and down. i guess it moved kinda easy, but i couldn't make it "clunk". i did the same on the other "quiet" side, but i think it moved just as easy. this is driving me crazy. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You cannot simulate real road conditions test with a screwdriver, they deflect alot more than you think.
For it to clunk, it has to be loose then bang hard when subjected to bumps or impacts in the road.
I would torque all the bolts to factory specs in the area the clunk is coming from and see if that works. If not, there has to be a loose or bad bushing in it.
Who did the install of the front shock/spring? Has the nut been screwed all the way on the shaft with the springs compressed much enough to allow the shock rod nut to be screwed in all the way?
