My car is still ****ing clunking after numerous **** that should have fixed it.

Front suspension set up is as follows:

Koni DIY coilovers
Bilstein Control arms (new)
IPD sway bar links (oldish, but putting in brand new OEM links didn't help anything)
Solid strut mounts and spring seats (just took them out yesterday to check them, no play)
IPD sway bar
IPD strut brace

New right lower engine mount
Front and rear engine hydraulic mounts replaced this summer during my engine swap

As far as I know, still have the original power steering rack (I would assume still has original inner tie rod ends too). I put on aftermarket tierod ends this summer. I have gotten multiple alignments since then.

Now, what it's doing. Coming to a complete stop it clunks right as I come to the dead stop, almost when everything is "torquing" back into place. When this happens, it feels like it's coming right from the middle of the car down by my feet (but towards the middle of the car). When I go around a turn slowly and the turn is bumpy, there will be a clunk or two sometimes, appears to be coming from the passenger side. When I back up and have the wheel cranked.

What it is not doing. It's is not clunking between shifts/hard shifts, taking turns at cruising speeds, as far as I know I have not heard it clunk just from going over a bump, if I'm just going in a straight line, zero clunking. I cannot mimic the clunk if I push up and down on the fenders and make the suspension work.

Because most of the clunking takes place only when I'm turning, is it possible for the tie rod ends and inner tierod ends to clunk? The clunk does not sound like it's coming from up top, but from down low.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I am ****ing lost right now.

 

driveshafts?

 

Brand new passenger axle yesterday. Driver side is not making any indications of being worn out.

Something keeps telling me the steering rack assembly/inner and out tie rods. Mainly for the concentration of clunks are when I am turning.

 

the problem with hearing where in an engine compartment (or front end as a whole) clunk is coming from is that sound travels so easily through the metal parts...You might think it's coming from one spot, but that's just where it's being transmitted to.

Inner tie rod ends are certainly a possibility, but the problem there is that they are not "torquing" when you come to a stop.

My only other ideas might be a transmission mount or the torque mount on the upper part of the motor. Check over by the back of the cams where that bolts on and make sure everything is snug. Also check the lower transmission mount. When I did my cam swap, i had some clunking when id come to a stop. turns out that i had forgotten to completely tighten down the upper mount where it bolts to the motor.

 

+1 with ibified.

 

My wifes has been doing the clunk when coming to a stop and taking off for years.
I have changed every mount on the car and a few other things and cannot get rid of it. I feel hers through the steering column. Everything in the front end it tight and subframe bushings are good. I am beginning to wonder if hers is internally in the steering rack. I cannot feel any play in anything at all. Also are your steering stops lubbed?

 

ibified makes a good point about how the steering components really aren't under torque when you accelerate. I think I am going to replace the lower trans mount and the firewall mount to eliminate those two mounts.

No, my steering stops are not lubed, but at the same time, I don't think I can get anywhere near full lock anymore with my set up. I'll do that though, again, just to eliminate those possibilities.

 

Hopefully you figure it out.Also how much of an angle is the inner tie rods at? You might have some pressure on them since you are so low. which would put a little extra pressure on them.

 

The inner tie rods? I Have no idea. I think I'm going to order a new trans mount, firewall mount, and inner and outer tie rods, just to eliminate all of those possibilities.

 

Yes the inner tie rods are normally about level under normal ride height but when you lower the car it will tilt the outer part up more putting some extra pressure on it.

It is almost like lifting a truck when you go higher and higher you have to add a different steering box arm on the older trucks to straighten the steering arm angle so it is not to great.

 

Gotcha. As far as I know, this is still the original steering rack and inner tie rods. So I'm going to toss on some aftermarket ones for now, just to see if they help, if they do, I'll rock them for a bit and then get OEM. Just the way it clunks, I just feel like it is something with the steering....and also because every SINGLE piece of the suspension is otherwise new.

 

I hear you!

 

My Dad has an extra LH outer tie rod end, so I just need the RH tie rod end, and then both inner tie rod ends. Also going to do the firewall mount to see what that solves, and then want to do the trans mount and I don't know if I should go with the IPD HD one right away, a couple of the reviews said that mount stopped the clunking from stopping and starting. Hmm....think I will get that one right away and be done with it.

 

I had problem that seemed to be the same as Gilber33. It turned out the problem was due to the strut mounts. I bought a pair for approx $ 52.00 each online and had them installed. The clunking sound disappeared.

 

New OEM strut mounts and spring seats in the last few weeks. It is nothing suspension related. From the control arm over, everything is brand new.

 

Hey, I had to tighten the crap out of the two bolts that hold the lower control arm to the sub frame. I was clunking if you remember about a year ago. I thought they were tight enough and they were tight but not enough when the weight of the car tried to move them. Just another spot to check/double check.

 

when I have it jacked back up to do this other stuff, I will go over all of the bolts to tighten everything down. I need this clunk gone

 

When I put control arms, struts and all that goes with struts on I still had clunking also. I had everthing tightened to torque specs. My son in law, who is a mechanic, said to retighten everything and not to use a torque wrench. Several nuts/bolts tightened a little, but one went about 1/4 of a turn. Sure enough the clunking was gone. I will never use a torque wrench again for suspension.