'03 Century. 130k mi on the chassis. So is this a tie-rod end issue, cv-joint, or hub problem?
Clunk when turning (particularly if hitting bump)
- Thread starter buickman50401
- Start date
- Status
03 didnt have electronic assist steering did it? Huge issue on my 05 Malibu. If not then it sounds like a tie rod.
Nope no electric assist, just standard power steering.
Well at least the parts are cheap if it is a tie-rod and I've got a mechanic that'll do it on the cheap.
Well at least the parts are cheap if it is a tie-rod and I've got a mechanic that'll do it on the cheap.
JHZR2
Staff member
Pretty sure a bad ball joint did that to me.
Just replaced a stabiliser bar on one. Broke right at the end. Common I hear. Hopefully you just have a broken stabiliser link to the LCA.
Shannow: Nope, the steering on that car should be limited by the rack and pinion unit.
buickman: It's not a hub or bearing. A basic description of the noise behavior might help with suggesting items to check. Is it a loud clunk or quiet clunk? Do you only hear it or hear it and feel it in the steering wheel? Does it clunk only when turning in one direction? If not is it louder when turning in one direction than the other? Which side does it sound like it's coming from? If you go over a bump while going straight do you get a clunk? If you repeatedly swerve side to side do you get a clunk? If so, describe the relationship between the clunking and the swerving. If hitting a bump with one wheel only, do you still get the clunk? If so, does it matter which wheel?
Some common issues would be the steering column intermediate shaft, outer tie rod ends, and lower control arm bushings. If it's the steering shaft, you can probably get it to make the noise with the engine off and stopped in neutral by swinging the steering wheel back and forth.
buickman: It's not a hub or bearing. A basic description of the noise behavior might help with suggesting items to check. Is it a loud clunk or quiet clunk? Do you only hear it or hear it and feel it in the steering wheel? Does it clunk only when turning in one direction? If not is it louder when turning in one direction than the other? Which side does it sound like it's coming from? If you go over a bump while going straight do you get a clunk? If you repeatedly swerve side to side do you get a clunk? If so, describe the relationship between the clunking and the swerving. If hitting a bump with one wheel only, do you still get the clunk? If so, does it matter which wheel?
Some common issues would be the steering column intermediate shaft, outer tie rod ends, and lower control arm bushings. If it's the steering shaft, you can probably get it to make the noise with the engine off and stopped in neutral by swinging the steering wheel back and forth.
I also find that an upper strut mount, lower ball joint, or control arm bushings.
In addition to all that has been mentioned, check your lower control arm bushings. I believe on your car, the ones to watch for are the front ones. They are vertical and the rubber part of the bushing will tear away from the steel shell.
Originally Posted By: yonyon
Shannow: Nope, the steering on that car should be limited by the rack and pinion unit.
buickman: It's not a hub or bearing. A basic description of the noise behavior might help with suggesting items to check. Is it a loud clunk or quiet clunk? Do you only hear it or hear it and feel it in the steering wheel? Does it clunk only when turning in one direction? If not is it louder when turning in one direction than the other? Which side does it sound like it's coming from? If you go over a bump while going straight do you get a clunk? If you repeatedly swerve side to side do you get a clunk? If so, describe the relationship between the clunking and the swerving. If hitting a bump with one wheel only, do you still get the clunk? If so, does it matter which wheel?
Some common issues would be the steering column intermediate shaft, outer tie rod ends, and lower control arm bushings. If it's the steering shaft, you can probably get it to make the noise with the engine off and stopped in neutral by swinging the steering wheel back and forth.
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
No sound when going straight and hitting bumps... though tonight I had to take it (other car is at mechanic buddy's house) and it did make a soft thunk when leaving the stop light under mild acceleration.
Sawing the steering wheel back and forth with or without the car running produces no noise. I visually checked the top strut mounts under the hood on Friday when I noticed it. I grabbed the frame braces under the hood and rocked the car up/down/side to side and no noise nor did the rubber bushings in the mounts appear to be damaged judging by their uniform movement during this exercise.
One other thing I forgot to mention was that about 10k mi ago the mechanic buddy of mine fixed the brakes (ground off the outer edge of the pad because of squealing). At that time he inspected everything including checking for play in the tie rod ends. He said they were a-ok at the time.
Shannow: Nope, the steering on that car should be limited by the rack and pinion unit.
buickman: It's not a hub or bearing. A basic description of the noise behavior might help with suggesting items to check. Is it a loud clunk or quiet clunk? Do you only hear it or hear it and feel it in the steering wheel? Does it clunk only when turning in one direction? If not is it louder when turning in one direction than the other? Which side does it sound like it's coming from? If you go over a bump while going straight do you get a clunk? If you repeatedly swerve side to side do you get a clunk? If so, describe the relationship between the clunking and the swerving. If hitting a bump with one wheel only, do you still get the clunk? If so, does it matter which wheel?
Some common issues would be the steering column intermediate shaft, outer tie rod ends, and lower control arm bushings. If it's the steering shaft, you can probably get it to make the noise with the engine off and stopped in neutral by swinging the steering wheel back and forth.
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
No sound when going straight and hitting bumps... though tonight I had to take it (other car is at mechanic buddy's house) and it did make a soft thunk when leaving the stop light under mild acceleration.
Sawing the steering wheel back and forth with or without the car running produces no noise. I visually checked the top strut mounts under the hood on Friday when I noticed it. I grabbed the frame braces under the hood and rocked the car up/down/side to side and no noise nor did the rubber bushings in the mounts appear to be damaged judging by their uniform movement during this exercise.
One other thing I forgot to mention was that about 10k mi ago the mechanic buddy of mine fixed the brakes (ground off the outer edge of the pad because of squealing). At that time he inspected everything including checking for play in the tie rod ends. He said they were a-ok at the time.
Lower control arm bushings are known to go out on that vehicle, definitely look into those first. But as others mentioned can be ball joints, top strut mount among other things.
It's time to change your front center transmission mount.
As others have pointed out look at the front lower control arm donut bushing (front).
The design is so poor even lifting the car on a lift or jacking the front wheels is enough to tear them if they are even slightly tired.
A worn inner tie rod can cause noise, its common enough in the W bodies.
The design is so poor even lifting the car on a lift or jacking the front wheels is enough to tear them if they are even slightly tired.
A worn inner tie rod can cause noise, its common enough in the W bodies.
Thanks for all the info guys.
Today new rear springs are going on our Taurus wagon to correct the notorious "butt-sag" common in them. Once those are done, the Buick is getting parked for a while until I have the time and spare cash to fix it.
Today new rear springs are going on our Taurus wagon to correct the notorious "butt-sag" common in them. Once those are done, the Buick is getting parked for a while until I have the time and spare cash to fix it.
The buick might not be that expensive to fix, really. Your response to my questions has me thinking it's very likely a lower control arm bushing. That won't cost you a whole lot to fix if you have basic hand tools and the Taurtus is there to drive you around.
If you jack up the car (let the suspension hang) and remove the wheel. You might need a flashlight to see the bushing well, but if the rubber is torn or it has separated from the sleeve it will be easy to see.
To fix it? Not all that big a deal. You don't need to replace the whole arm. I'd recommend doing both sides at the same time to avoid introducing brake pull. You will need a wheel alignment afterwards. The bushing itself is pretty cheap and if the local auto parts store doesn't have a pair in stock, they can have it next-day. I can understand the labor cost of paying for a bushing replacement can sound bad, but you can probably do the job or at least most of the job yourself. I am assuming you have basic auto-service hand tools and do not have a lift or a press and probably no air compressor either. If you have any of those, it will make the job easier.
The first thing to do is to get the car jacked up and supported on stands or other safe equipment. Then you remove the wheels, loosen the axle nut, and take the arms out. Having a bungee cord to pull the knuckle away helps with removing the arm. With the arm out, compare the two arms. On one arm the bushing is pressed in from the opposite side compare to the other; make note of that. Use a file, center punch, or similar tool to mark the control arm indicating the clock position of the old bushing. Do not use paint or Sharpie to mark as your marks may disappear before you need them. This is important because installing the new bushing in the wrong clock position will change handling characteristics.
Now, if you're okay with spending a little more money take the arms and the bushings to the local garage to have the bushings pressed in. Remind them to clock the bushings correctly and agree on a price before you let them do the work. About a half hour at the standard shop labor rate is fair. A dozen bagels along with some cream cheese and butter or maybe some coffee "for the guys" just might buy a little extra care and attention when the job is done. It's your call if you want to spend a couple of extra dollars in hopes of getting better work. When the pressing is done, check that the bushings are pressed from the correct side and aligned with your marks before you leave. If they're not, well, somebody owes you new (not the same ones) bushing put in the right way.
If you're prepared to do it yourself that shouldn't be too big a deal either. Without a press to push the bushings in and a pneumatic chisel to remove the old ones plan on maybe an hour and a half instead of the half hour the shop might need. You also might need to make a trip out to the local plumbing supply house or home improvement store for a tool, but a little planning ahead can make that unnecessary.
If the rubber's separated from the sleeve removal is as simple as nicking an edge and peeling the sleeve out with a vise-grip in the manner of opening a canned ham. If not, well, you could use the awesome power of fire to remove the rubber then do it that way, but I wouldn't as it's nasty and stinky. It's more pleasant (but more work) to use a narrow sharp chisel and a hand sledge (hammer with a heavy head, hard face, and short handle) to remove the complete bushing from the arm. You'll need to mount the arm securely in a vise or whatever you can work out as a suitable substitute if you haven't got a vise.
To install the new bushing isn't too difficult. Before you begin you'll do well to deburr the hole and consider lubing either the hole or the bushing for ease of installation. You could maybe start a new thread to discuss at length the relative merits of thread locker/grease/antifreeze/whatever, as suitable lubricants. Without a press you're going to be pounding the bushing in with a hammer, maybe the hand sledge I mentioned earlier. Ideally you want to use a socket that can butt against the outer sleeve of the bushing while missing the rubber completely. Use this socket as a drift and hammer at the center of the socket. A suitable peice of pipe will also work, but you'll be tapping around the circumference of the pipe as you go constantly correcting for the bushing going in slightly cocked. The straighter you drive the bushing in, the less force you need to apply. If you used lube it might feel good to stake the bushing into place once it's in, but isn't necessary
With the bushings installed in the arms, whether by you or by a shop, it's time to put the arms back in the car, tighten the CV axle nuts, put the wheels on, then drop it down and take it for a wheel alignment. These bushings do not bear the load of vehicle weight and do not require any settling time before the alignment.
If you jack up the car (let the suspension hang) and remove the wheel. You might need a flashlight to see the bushing well, but if the rubber is torn or it has separated from the sleeve it will be easy to see.
To fix it? Not all that big a deal. You don't need to replace the whole arm. I'd recommend doing both sides at the same time to avoid introducing brake pull. You will need a wheel alignment afterwards. The bushing itself is pretty cheap and if the local auto parts store doesn't have a pair in stock, they can have it next-day. I can understand the labor cost of paying for a bushing replacement can sound bad, but you can probably do the job or at least most of the job yourself. I am assuming you have basic auto-service hand tools and do not have a lift or a press and probably no air compressor either. If you have any of those, it will make the job easier.
The first thing to do is to get the car jacked up and supported on stands or other safe equipment. Then you remove the wheels, loosen the axle nut, and take the arms out. Having a bungee cord to pull the knuckle away helps with removing the arm. With the arm out, compare the two arms. On one arm the bushing is pressed in from the opposite side compare to the other; make note of that. Use a file, center punch, or similar tool to mark the control arm indicating the clock position of the old bushing. Do not use paint or Sharpie to mark as your marks may disappear before you need them. This is important because installing the new bushing in the wrong clock position will change handling characteristics.
Now, if you're okay with spending a little more money take the arms and the bushings to the local garage to have the bushings pressed in. Remind them to clock the bushings correctly and agree on a price before you let them do the work. About a half hour at the standard shop labor rate is fair. A dozen bagels along with some cream cheese and butter or maybe some coffee "for the guys" just might buy a little extra care and attention when the job is done. It's your call if you want to spend a couple of extra dollars in hopes of getting better work. When the pressing is done, check that the bushings are pressed from the correct side and aligned with your marks before you leave. If they're not, well, somebody owes you new (not the same ones) bushing put in the right way.
If you're prepared to do it yourself that shouldn't be too big a deal either. Without a press to push the bushings in and a pneumatic chisel to remove the old ones plan on maybe an hour and a half instead of the half hour the shop might need. You also might need to make a trip out to the local plumbing supply house or home improvement store for a tool, but a little planning ahead can make that unnecessary.
If the rubber's separated from the sleeve removal is as simple as nicking an edge and peeling the sleeve out with a vise-grip in the manner of opening a canned ham. If not, well, you could use the awesome power of fire to remove the rubber then do it that way, but I wouldn't as it's nasty and stinky. It's more pleasant (but more work) to use a narrow sharp chisel and a hand sledge (hammer with a heavy head, hard face, and short handle) to remove the complete bushing from the arm. You'll need to mount the arm securely in a vise or whatever you can work out as a suitable substitute if you haven't got a vise.
To install the new bushing isn't too difficult. Before you begin you'll do well to deburr the hole and consider lubing either the hole or the bushing for ease of installation. You could maybe start a new thread to discuss at length the relative merits of thread locker/grease/antifreeze/whatever, as suitable lubricants. Without a press you're going to be pounding the bushing in with a hammer, maybe the hand sledge I mentioned earlier. Ideally you want to use a socket that can butt against the outer sleeve of the bushing while missing the rubber completely. Use this socket as a drift and hammer at the center of the socket. A suitable peice of pipe will also work, but you'll be tapping around the circumference of the pipe as you go constantly correcting for the bushing going in slightly cocked. The straighter you drive the bushing in, the less force you need to apply. If you used lube it might feel good to stake the bushing into place once it's in, but isn't necessary
With the bushings installed in the arms, whether by you or by a shop, it's time to put the arms back in the car, tighten the CV axle nuts, put the wheels on, then drop it down and take it for a wheel alignment. These bushings do not bear the load of vehicle weight and do not require any settling time before the alignment.
Originally Posted By: buickman50401
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
time.
That's why I made my comment above, because of what you said right there. You can go ahead and change the lower control arm bushings if you want to, but you'll still need to change that mount if you want the noise to go away.
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
time.
That's why I made my comment above, because of what you said right there. You can go ahead and change the lower control arm bushings if you want to, but you'll still need to change that mount if you want the noise to go away.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: buickman50401
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
time.
That's why I made my comment above, because of what you said right there. You can go ahead and change the lower control arm bushings if you want to, but you'll still need to change that mount if you want the noise to go away.
Where's the sense in replacing either part without first looking at them?
Originally Posted By: buickman50401
Makes a clunk on left turn only. The clunk/rattle is heard and felt though heard more so than felt and is most definitely coming from the front driver's side. It is most frequent/apparent when the turn is coupled with a bump/change in elevation of the pavement.
time.
That's why I made my comment above, because of what you said right there. You can go ahead and change the lower control arm bushings if you want to, but you'll still need to change that mount if you want the noise to go away.
Where's the sense in replacing either part without first looking at them?
Problem solved - though fix will be a few weeks until mechanic pal can get around to it.
The sway bar is busted - clean break on the drivers side and the passenger side is starting to let go. While we were looking it over, my mechanic friend checked the tie-rod ends. They're starting to get worn to the point that he said probably around another 10k mi one if not more will need replacing.
So, I'm ordering the sway bar kit, and 4 new (inner and outer) Moog tie rod ends from RockAuto. Total with shipping is only $221 and he's doing the work for free since I take care of their "computer janitoring" needs and have been helping him remodel his bathroom.
The sway bar is busted - clean break on the drivers side and the passenger side is starting to let go. While we were looking it over, my mechanic friend checked the tie-rod ends. They're starting to get worn to the point that he said probably around another 10k mi one if not more will need replacing.
So, I'm ordering the sway bar kit, and 4 new (inner and outer) Moog tie rod ends from RockAuto. Total with shipping is only $221 and he's doing the work for free since I take care of their "computer janitoring" needs and have been helping him remodel his bathroom.
- Status
Similar threads
