andy92782

Hi all,

My totally bone-stock '02 makes a loud "clunk" that comes from the front end of the car. It happens when I back up out of my garage or a parking space and turn the steering wheel to either side. This definitely isn't that TSB that covers the bolts on the rear diff/axles. Any idears?

Thanks,
Andrew

djpeak10

you know i just did my rear hub nuts and i had clicking like mad but i also had a clunking noise when turning my wheels like you have described. I am not saying that is the fix however doing that cured both problems for me.

xviper

At what point in this process, exactly, does this clunk happen?

andy92782

1) Start engine
2) Put transmission in reverse
3) Start backing up, say a car length
4) turn steering wheel hard to the left or the right, while continuing to back up
5) CLUNK

xviper

OK, so not rusty brake caliper on rotor.

Does it happen only the first time of the day when you do this or can it be repeated after the car has gotten to operating temps.
OEM rims and tires? Stock suspension height?
Could be a control arm bushing, sway bar bushing or ball joint.

andy92782

It's fairly repeatable. I don't think it's temperature related. The car is completely stock. Wheel alignment had a little more negative camber than the stock specs but that's it. 36K miles on the odo. I had it into the dealer last year for the problem and they said they tightened everything down on the suspension and couldn't find anything. Unfortunately my car is out of warranty now.. It's not my daily driver so I haven't really been that motivated to fix it.

Sometimes it will clunk "back" after you start driving it, like if you hit the brakes.

I thought I read some stuff here before about subframe bolts being loose and the symptoms of that resembled my car's problem. Does that sound familiar?

xviper

It's possible but this is not a common problem. Worth a check, though. You should have the ball joints and control arms inspected. Something has come loose or cracked or broken.

andy92782

Sorry to revive this old thread, I was hoping to bring it back to see if anyone had any other ideas...

I had the clutch replaced in my S just this past week and while they were at it, I asked to have this chassis clunk investigated. The car still does it but both the mechanic and myself still don't have a clue where it's coming from. We inspected everything underneath the car with it up on a lift, and we made sure that pretty much every bolt in sight that concerned the chassis or the suspension was tight.

To refresh, my car makes a clunk, almost a "pop", when driving it slowly in parking lots. You can even feel it in addition to hearing it. It manifests itself the most when I back out of a parking space and start turning the steering wheel to either side. Any other idears? Motor mounts? Bad struts/shocks? Anything??? Going crazy here

jyeung528

you've said several times that it clunks when you turn the steering wheel...

have you checked the steering rack?

headon

Everything you described, I've experienced with my 03. Here's how I cured it...

Find the front-end caster AND the camber alignment bolts. Snug down the self-locking nuts for each bolt to 58 ftlbs.