Major front end noise - Volvo Forums

ZIGZAG · #1 03-08-2006, 03:04 PM

I doubt I can get an answer to this one. It started a couple of days ago and has been getting worse. There is a clunk kind of noice when I roll over some rough roads. Not all the time just depends. I first thought it was ball joint but had a look at them last night and could not see anything visiabley wrong. Has anyone had problems with the shock towers or control arms. I can for the life of me think what it could be. Car drives and handles the same and I dont notice anything in the steering wheel when it happens. I did hit a very large pot hole about a week ago but that was on the passenger side and the noise I hear now is from drivers side. I think I am going to have to have someone look at it but if anyone has any ideas let me know, I would like to at least have a bit of a clue.

hocbj23 · #2 03-08-2006, 04:02 PM

Loose strut/spring? Bad bearing?Broken end link on front sway bar or worn end link bushing(s)?Did you hit the pothole hard enough to damage one of the steel belts in your tire and it just sounds like it is coming from drivers side.?I am just guessing-could be most anything. BJ

ZIGZAG · #3 03-08-2006, 04:42 PM

I think there might be damage to both sides. drivers is way worse. i hit pot hole hard enough to turn the check engine lite on. pretty big hole and i was doin at least 60kph. I thought tie rod end. but it has to be something that is moving up and down when not side to side. minimal noice when turning. much louder when you hit bump head on. Could be the sway bar, is there a lot of motion up and down from the sway. i always thought it was for side to side. tire is damaged and so is rim, but they are not causeing the noise. maybe shock tower?

I appreciate any ideas here, not that i expect you to know exactly, just maybe you have had some experience with this kind of thing.

tierod ends are fairly cheap (if I can get them) most other parts are not available here in Canada. i am affriad this is going to cost me thousands.

tech · #4 03-08-2006, 08:43 PM

Check the Sway bar Bushings in the middle of the Subframe. They are known to Break. Get under the car and try to push/pull in the Sway bar. I am About 80% sure that is it.

gordon368 · #5 03-09-2006, 12:40 AM

whats the other 20% say? lol

tech · #6 03-09-2006, 02:05 AM

Bad upper spring Seat. But usually they will only POP while turning.

hocbj23 · #7 03-09-2006, 08:30 AM

I dont think it would be the shock tower.If you hit hard enough to turn check engine lite on I agree with Tech, it probably is a broken end link/damaged bushing or you actually broke a spring or strut itself. BJ

hocbj23 · #8 03-09-2006, 10:07 AM

I had one other thought,Zigzag. If you hit a pothole that hard, you may have broken a motor mount or the transmission mount.The shadetree way of checking for bad motor mounts is to chock the wheels of the car, start it, put in gear, have someone stand to the side of car with hood open,slowly apply gas and watch for excessive engine movement. Tech may have a better way to do this check. Just a thought.

ZIGZAG · #9 03-10-2006, 10:24 AM

that shock thing could be, it seems to happen on the upstroke of the bump more than downstrock. I have been hoping it was ball joint. could hiting pot hole on passenger side cause damage to drivers side. I guess it could or maybe just a coinsidence. I will have to take it in on saturday and get someone to look at it. I dont have a garage of my own. Can you replace just the bushing or do you have to get a new tower?

ZIGZAG · #10 03-10-2006, 11:04 AM

New idea here, I take car in on Saturday so I should know by Monday what it is.

Contest. who can guess what the noise is? Winner gets a cookie.

I think it is ball joint.