Whats wrong? I really need your help.

[19Cutlass94]

Ok guys well today from driving home from work, I noticed this banging that occurred in the passengers side front of the car. I got home to look at it, and when you push the car down, let it come back up etc etc, you can hear this knocking noise. You can also push the top of the tire in, and youll hear it more, and something really does feel loose. Now could this be a bad hub? I mean this is what Ive had replaced on it so far,

 

new cradle, struts, bearing plates and insulator, new hub/knuckle assemblies. and an inner tie rod end a few months ago, not even.

 

I had an alignment done on it not very long ago. I check a few things with some wrenches and everything is tight/feels tight. Now could this be a bad strut or hub/bearing or what? Im lost and I really need to get this fixed.

[jdcutty]

Jack the car up and check for play in the tire. It could be a ball joint, tie rod, or wheel bearing, depending on where the movement is.

[19Cutlass94]

I did jack it up, and I was moving the wheel, and the whole car moved before I got the same sound as when the car is on the ground. I basically got no noise from it on the jack. But once I lowered it down, maybe there was the right amount of pressure somewhere, because it didnt make it again. But once the car was moved, it started doing it again.

 

 

But when since you can basically make the car do this, me and my dad looked at it, and you could feel the knocking as well. I dont know if I want to drive the car like this because I dont know exactly whats going on with it.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

hmm yeah I dunno if I would drive it either....

 

Seems like you know what you are looking at.. (I was gonna suggest balljoint also).

[19Cutlass94]

Right now Im kinda thinking, like you said, balljoint or maybe a wheel bearing. But if it was a wheel bearing, wouldnt I hear some kind of noise, like that whining noise, or is that not always the case? But I cant see it being the strut anymore, because if it was that, it wouldnt make the knocking when the wheel moves. But what I think Ill do is buy a balljoint and wheel bearing tomorrow and see what happens. I mean everything is tight so theres only a limited amount of things that it could be.

[RJansen658]

Ok when you had it up in the air, noise isn't important. Did you get any play in the tire? Free movement anywhere? If not the it is most likely the ball joint or the upper strut mount.

 

To check the ball joint jack it up in the air on that wheel, leave the tire on. Come at the ball joint from the center of the car with a small prybar, and attempt to pry the strut assembly up away from the lower control arm. It should not move apart.

 

To check the upper strut mount, lower the car onto the ground again, take off the 3 nuts under the hood on top of the strut tower and remove the metal plate. Bounce the car a little on the strut and the strut piston rod and upper mount/insulator should pop up and out. Make sure its in one piece and the end of the rod isnt hitting the top plate over bumps.

 

Other than that, check your cradle mounts, and lower control arm bushings. You can also jack up the front wheel, reach into the wheel well thru the spring and pop up the plastic accordian like strut bellows, make shure the strut cartridge retaining nut is in place, and everthing looks normal in there.

 

Good Luck

[19Cutlass94]

Both upper strut mounts where replaced a couple weeks ago. We took off the plate with the 3 bolts and bounced the car a little bit, although I dont think enough to make it pop up and out.

 

When the car was in the air, there was no movement of the wheel. The whole car moved before the wheel did. I should probably also mention that on that ball joint, the boot is all ripped to hell, and Im suprised theres even rubber on there still.

 

But like said, the strut mount was replaced a few weeks ago, and the hub, knuckle assembly was replaced a few months ago. Seeing as how there brand new ( even though sometimes you get defective parts ) I dount its those parts.

 

But from all the info, you think its something really as simple as a ball joint?

[marcusa]

Sounds like a strut to me. I unseated the spring on my Saturn (long story..) and it would clunk, sqeak, and pop. Maybe your new mount was defective and failed prematurely.

[terryk2003]

if the boot on the balljoint is all torn up, i'd replace it anywayz, even if that isnt the problem, its gonna be soon if its getting water in there...

[RJansen658]

Yes, on W's it is almost impossible to tell a bad ball joint without a prybar, or the car on the ground, you need the cars weight to pull up on the ball joint. If you are confident it isn't the new parts, or installer error, then I should assume ball joint.

 

If its a spring popping noise make sure the spring is parallel and not twisted between the two seats, that will look ok outwardly, but pop and creak like all hell.

[19Cutlass94]

Well Im not saying it couldnt be the new parts, as it could be I dont know yet. But when you shake the tire, doesnt matter where on the tire, the ball joint does not move. You can put your hand on it, and you dont feel any knocking, anything. But when you put your hand on the strut, or here the isolator is, you can feel it knocking there. ( I looked at it again today with a co-worker ) He looked at it while I shook the tire.

 

It needs to be inspected next month, so Im sure next month Ill be buying ball joints. When the guy did it, he marked the spring with a yellow crayon, and you can see there in a straight line so the spring isnt twisted. So I would think its gotta be the spring mount/bearing plate/strut, something in that region.

 

Hopefully tomorrow Ill be finding out exactly what it is.

[RJansen658]

Ok well then that sounds like the lower spring seat bearing. Watch the lower spring seat while someone turns the wheel back and forth, with the engine on, you should be able to see the lower spring seat snagging and popping if that is the case. When the wheel turns the lower spring seat should stay still to keep the spring parallel, the spring seat should not turn with the wheel.

[19Cutlass94]

Well I guess from the combination of old and new parts, something just loosened up. ( According to the tech. But the took both sides apart and re-tightened everything. Noise is gone, which of course Im happy about. I also got free tie rod ends out of the deal and didnt have to pay anything. Ok well except for an alignment tomorrow, but thats no big deal. I can shove out $60 for everything that was done for free.

 

But I dont exactly remember where he said it was loose, but I think it was where the strut assembly meets the knuckle.

[RJansen658]

huh? The strut and knuckle are one piece.... he must've meant where the strut cartridge tightens into the strut tube....

[19Cutlass94]

Could be. I didnt talk to the tech himself. I talked to the lady that does the paperwork