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HybridZ

Clunk from front left when steering


Guest KEINoze

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Guest KEINoze

I jacked up the car last night to see if anything's loose, but I've found nothing so far. Here's what happens:

 

While making right turns or putting load onto the front left wheel, I hear a single "clunk" as if something is settling into place. It does this every time I put more load onto that wheel while turning the steering wheel.

 

The alignment guy had told me that my left tie rod was "stripped." I went home that same day and checked it out myself. I found that the threads for the adjustments were stripped, but the nut was torqued in tight. Didn't seem like it'll break loose at all.

 

The car doesn't pull to the left or does anything abnormal. There's only that "clunk" that bothers me.

 

I spent a good 15 minutes looking over that area of my car last night, but I can't put a finger on anything.

Can somebody point me in the right direction?

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I assume you checked the ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, TC rod bolts, TC rod bushings and steering rack bushings. Might try retorqueing all the front end bolts (including those on the cross member). Wheel bearings could also be a possiblity.

 

My Z had a similar problem when I first got it. Couldn't figure it out for the longest time. Turns out the strut isolator nut was loose and the strut shaft was wobbling around in the top of the isolator. Try retorqueing all the bolts at the top of the strut mounts. Guess along the same lines the strut gland nut could be a culprit too.

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Check the gland nut that holds the strut cartridge into the strut housing. I had that problem with my Z years ago after I bought it - the previous owner didn't tighten the gland nut enough and it eventually loosened and made clunking noises while driving.

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Guest KEINoze
I assume you checked the ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, TC rod bolts, TC rod bushings and steering rack bushings.

 

Those are I things I visually checked. I need to go buy a new torque wrench since I broke my old one.

I'll go check the strut insulator gland nut right now and see if that'll fix it.

 

If the car does pull to the side, then I can narrow it down a little. But it doesn't do anything at all except make that "clunk" noise!

 

Otherwise, I'll just go ahead and buy new ball joints. It won't hurt ro replace them when I do the urethane bushings and new struts. Probably should buy new tie rods too.

 

Thanks for the pointers! I'm off to do the dirty work now!

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