Scion xD with 168,000 miles - clunking sound over bumps

[Kurtatron]

Hey all.
I just bought a Scion xD with 168,000 miles. It has a very noisy clunk whenever going over bumps. The sound is impossible to replicate by slamming my weight against the car (front to back, right to left). The noise appears to be coming from the front left.

I have tried gripping and moving the following parts but found no looseness or noise.

Tie rods, cv axles, ball joints and A-arms, end links and sway bar. I could not replicate a noise or feel any looseness.

How do I go about figuring out what this is? The shocks and suspension are not bouncy, and driving dynamics are tight and have no slop. Noise doesn’t really occur at speed, such as braking hard or accelerating wot.

 

[supton]

Drive until the part falls off. That is what I do, especially on clunkers.

I wonder if it is a strut bearing?

I wonder if any of endoscopes might work here, tape into place, take for a drive. Don’t think so, but who knows, I’m still trying to justify one.

 

[Leo99]

I had a similar sound and experience on my old RAV4. The cheapest part to replace were the sway bar links so I tried that and it worked.

 

[Paco Pena]

Always check for cracked or worn bushings. Amazing how much grief they can cause.

Paco

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Are you 100% sure it's not coming from the steering column? Because I just had a clunk in the steering column of 2009 Pontiac Vibe. Apparently nearly all Toyota (Corolla, Matrix, Camry, RAV4, etc...) of that era have the clunk. It's a coupler at electric power steering.
Toyota's solution is a new $1500+ steering column. But people came with another VERY effective bandaid. I did it and very happy with results, no more clunk. And only cost me 1/2 can of Fluid Film.

Here is what that rattle sounded like. After Fluid Film it's silent.

 

[Nick1994]

Could be anything. Take the front wheels off and look closely. Some of the noisiest bad parts I’ve come across are control arm bushings.

 

[Number_35]

Did you check the stabilizer-bar end links with the suspension loaded (that is, with the wheels on ramps or a lift)?

If that corner of the car is jacked up, with the wheel hanging, the slack is taken out of the loose ball-and-socket fittings, and they (misleadingly) seem to be OK.

I've made this mistake myself in recent years. Live and learn.

 

[Kurtatron]

Are you 100% sure it's not coming from the steering column? Because I just had a clunk in the steering column of 2009 Pontiac Vibe. Apparently nearly all Toyota (Corolla, Matrix, Camry, RAV4, etc...) of that era have the clunk. It's a coupler at electric power steering.
Toyota's solution is a new $1500+ steering column. But people came with another VERY effective bandaid. I did it and very happy with results, no more clunk. And only cost me 1/2 can of Fluid Film.

Here is what that rattle sounded like. After Fluid Film it's silent.

It isn’t a rattle like that at all. Only makes a noise when the suspension is flexing.

 

[Kurtatron]

Did you check the stabilizer-bar end links with the suspension loaded (that is, with the wheels on ramps or a lift)?

If that corner of the car is jacked up, with the wheel hanging, the slack is taken out of the loose ball-and-socket fittings, and they (misleadingly) seem to be OK.

I've made this mistake myself in recent years. Live and learn.

I removed the left front end link from the car and drove it around the block. No change in noise with a removed end link. Could the sway bar bushings still make noises under that condition.

 

[Number_35]

I removed the left front end link from the car and drove it around the block. No change in noise with a removed end link. Could the sway bar bushings still make noises under that condition.

That's a very definitive test!

In my experience, a worn end link will make a knocking noise over speed bumps, whereas a worn stabilizer-bar bushing will cause more of a thumping noise.

 

[Kurtatron]

Guys this is almost exactly my problem.



The sound is the same, the causes etc. so you think it’s a bad control arm or a ball bearing?

 

[Kurtatron]

Oh yeah!! The problem is definitely the control arm. Look at the difference between these two bolts and tell me what’s wrong.

 

[Kurtatron]

I am thinking of using a dremel to cut a slot and use a metal plate to unscrew it. What do you guys think? The drill method risks damaging the threads.

 

[supton]

What is in the way of that bolt? that bracket that is. On one side it’s fully open, the other side… isn’t?

I have a concern here, that bolt head looks like it’s damaged. Is the bolt itself moving around? and is bashing onto that bracket? if so… is what it threads into broken?

 

[Kurtatron]

The bolt head is gone. The threads are on the body of the car. The control arm has no threads. I think I will use an easy out instead of a dremel. The body of the car is preventing a clean cut from a dremel.

 

[supton]

Yikes. I want to be wrong here—but something is seriously off here.

Oh I see now. The bolt should have a shoulder that sits on that “bracket”, like in the other photo. Instead, it is sitting on the bushing, and as a result, it’s moving around. At least that’s my take. If so: how did a bolt that didn’t have a shoulder get used, and what else is damaged as a result? That bolt is now in single shear, instead of double, and being pushed all around, and looks to be now bent. Has it pulled the threads out of whatever it goes into? and why is it the wrong bolt to begin with?

My guess: once you have the car properly supported, put a floor jack under the control arm somehow. I bet if you lift, you might get it to move around a bit. May have to pry a bit too. But that might move the bolt head around enough to get access.

 

[dumkid]

Threads and suspension parts usually have enough slack in them that I don't think the sub frame nut would be damaged. Soak it in penetrant for a few days before you start EZ out activities unless you enjoy drilling through broken ez out.

 

[Kurtatron]

Yikes. I want to be wrong here—but something is seriously off here.

Oh I see now. The bolt should have a shoulder that sits on that “bracket”, like in the other photo. Instead, it is sitting on the bushing, and as a result, it’s moving around. At least that’s my take. If so: how did a bolt that didn’t have a shoulder get used, and what else is damaged as a result? That bolt is now in single shear, instead of double, and being pushed all around, and looks to be now bent. Has it pulled the threads out of whatever it goes into? and why is it the wrong bolt to begin with?

My guess: once you have the car properly supported, put a floor jack under the control arm somehow. I bet if you lift, you might get it to move around a bit. May have to pry a bit too. But that might move the bolt head around enough to get access.

It’s a good question. If the bolt head is just gone, what effect does it have on the control arm? Maybe nothing? But perhaps the control arm was busted prior to the broken bolt. Then, someone was looking to replace it, then this happened, and they gave up. Either way, it’s clear replacing this control arm and bolt is the right way to go.

 

[Kurtatron]

Threads and suspension parts usually have enough slack in them that I don't think the sub frame nut would be damaged. Soak it in penetrant for a few days before you start EZ out activities unless you enjoy drilling through broken ez out.

Right, if I can get the part I need by next weekend, then I should spray it down a few days before.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Sway bar bushings & end links, strut top mount, struts themselves (a nearly new Gabriel strut clunked on my Shadow, replaced a bunch of other stuff before finally replacing it, and the clunk disappeared), control arm bushings (cured a lot of noise in the same car), ball joints (one went bad on my '18 Mustang, 35,000 miles). Unfortunately, putting it in the air and trying to move parts by hand doesn't always reveal much. Some components don't make noise until they're under the stress and weight of the car bring driven.