Loud pop/clunk on low speed turning

[ligardner]

OK, I am out of ideas now and can't seem to track down the cause of this noise, hope some of you all have a clue. Sorry about this long post. The problem: in this 2006 Focus wagon, when doing a low speed turn at full steering lock, when I apply the brakes I get a loud clunk or pop. This is definitely coming from the driver side wheel area. The noise is loudest when the steering wheel is turned all the way hard left. On a shallower turn I get a softer clunk. The other part which I think would help in figuring this out is that the clunk noise is loudest when doing this test on a hill. Hard turn either forward/backward on a hill. Only get the clunk when brakes are applied. Cannot get this noise when wheel is straight.

Although I am a bit skeptical there is a possibility its the CV joint. I went under the car yesterday and noted that a very slight amount of grease has oozed out of the CV boot on driver side. The boot isnt cut, the oozing is coming under the front clamp--but just barely enough to notice.
There is no classic clicking or ticking sound like I would expect from a CV joint on the way out.

What I already replaced: both outer tie rod ends, both sway bar end links. The end links on the car were bad, but that is no surprise. The noise was not affected by replacing these parts. The inner tie rod was nice and firm when I had the outer tie rod off--so its not from the inners. The alignment is firm, no unusual tire vibration, no other front end/suspension noises.

Any ideas about whether there is more diagnosing I can do to pin this down? I replaced the struts in March but not the mounting plate/bearings. Any way to distinguish a strut mount vs. the CV joint?


(here's older thread on strut mount noises)
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...strut+mount%22

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[sailor]

Ball joints?

Just a thought....

[ligardner]

Yeah, I forgot to mention ball joint. I guess that should be in the top 3 suspects. I pried up on the tire (while it was lifted about 2 inches) with a crowbar, but could not detect any looseness. So I am leaning toward the CV joint.

Suppose I just do nothing for the next year and wait for the cause to reveal itself. Other than this clunk, the car drives just fine.

[2003 Ford Focus]

Originally Posted by ligardner

So I am leaning toward the CV joint. Suppose I just do nothing for the next year and wait for the cause to reveal itself. Other than this clunk, the car drives just fine.

If it's a CV, it will reveal itself real soon. Nasty when they come apart on the highway. Easily fixed before it falls apart too.

[2003 Ford Focus]

One tell-tale sign that it may be a CV is a boot that is split, or wet with grease. If you grab the CV there may be some play in it up, down or side to side.

[SilverST05]

Most probably the CV joints.

[focusauto01]

I just solved a problem that sounded very similar. It almost sounded as if the motor mounts were bad. When I would hit the brakes, are make a hard turn, or go over bumps and pot holes. I did the same thing with you. Started at the cheaper tie rod ends and sway bar end links, then went to the cv axle, and control arm ball joint. My culprit turned out to be a busted upper strut mount. I did some research and found that the upper strut mount is common to blow on these things.

To me yours sounds like either a control arm ball joint, and upper strut Mount. Try the upper strut mount first.

[SilverST05]

Originally Posted by focusauto01

I just solved a problem that sounded very similar. It almost sounded as if the motor mounts were bad. When I would hit the brakes, are make a hard turn, or go over bumps and pot holes. I did the same thing with you. Started at the cheaper tie rod ends and sway bar end links, then went to the cv axle, and control arm ball joint. My culprit turned out to be a busted upper strut mount. I did some research and found that the upper strut mount is common to blow on these things.

To me yours sounds like either a control arm ball joint, and upper strut Mount. Try the upper strut mount first.

This sounds like a very plausible cause as well.

[smurf91]

My 00 se is doing the same. I replaced control arms,end links,tierods only to find it was the strut mount! My car has 109,000 on it. The rubber around the mount is cracked and showing age.

[amc49]

If dogbone then you will catch the clunk on and off power going straight ahead too.

Turning only at full lock says strut mount or balljoint. Sometimes you swear the joint is tight but you cannot replicate the exact forces on a ton and a half car with a crowbar. BTDT.

Not CV, if clunking there is no way you won't catch it going straight or close to straight too. The wear in CVs is mostly in the straight ahead position, once you vary from that even a little you would run into the clunk long before you get to full lock steering. In CV the clunk is the ball snapping from a worn slot to the relatively unused new part of slot towards the ends. There is an edge that develops there from two arguing slot patterns, the ball snaps across it. The edge should generally show around a half turn or so, not full lock only.