[slow_solo_focus]

hey all, my car makes a clunk under acceleration and deceleration on the front drivers side. i can feel it in my left foot a little bit on the floor.

car also randomly makes a rattle which sounds like the same front driver but i cant feel it and it sounds like its coming from the top. could be the filter i put on the EGR hose (valve cover to airbox) or my recently installed camber plates.

it also pulls MAINLY to the Left when i accel and MAINLY to the Right under decel. however there is no rhyme or reason to it... sometimes it pulls annoyingly, other times, nothing at all.

i had the car aligned 2x, take a look @ pics and the mechanics also tightened some loose bolts. helped out with some of the noises the car makes. a subframe bolt was supposedly a full turn loose, a front driver control arm that was a quarter turn loose.

this is my suspension mods list, dont know if necessary or not:
Vogtland Springs
KYB Struts
Eibach 22mm Front Sway - not greased.
Eibach 25mm Rear Sway - greased
Master Select Pro Sway Bar Endlinks.
Focus Sport Strut Bar
FSWERKS Front LCA Polyurethane Bushings - greased
FSWERKS Dogbone Polyurethane Inserts - greased
Nitto Neo Gen Tires
Ingalls 1* Camber Plates
CFM Front Steel Braided Brake Lines

 

[Texas Ranger]

Wheel bearings? If not then maybe you have more loose bolts. Personally I would be freaking out if I knew that I had loose bolts on my car. I suggest that you start there. Maybe check the camber pates too.

 

[sailor]

Sounds like something's still loose, good check of the ball joint comes to mind.

Accel/Decel clunk with subframe & arm already checked is the reason.

 

[cheap sleeper]

If it randomly sways left or right like you described I would check the lower control arm bushings, check the ball joints, tie rod/ bearing wiggle test, sway bar bushings, tire pressure, or the two bolts holding the steering rack, axle nuts.

 

[slow_solo_focus]

Woke up sick again, I'll do another ball joint check, don't think its wheel bearings as the whir is not there.



Ill tighten every bolt on the car again.



Tips on checking camber plates?



Lca's are rather new poly bushings. That fixed several clunks when I did them.



Ill redo the tie tod test.



Sway bar bushings don't have grease. Big job there to grease them.



Pressure is good and even.



What two bolts on the steering rack? I'd check that.



Axle nuts?

 

[Mazdamike0831]

End links?

 

[slow_solo_focus]

End links last I checked were fine

 

[cheap sleeper]

Woke up sick again, I'll do another ball joint check, don't think its wheel bearings as the whir is not there.



Ill tighten every bolt on the car again.



Tips on checking camber plates?



Lca's are rather new poly bushings. That fixed several clunks when I did them.



Ill redo the tie tod test.



Sway bar bushings don't have grease. Big job there to grease them.



Pressure is good and even.



What two bolts on the steering rack? I'd check that.



Axle nuts?

It's the two bolts that hold the steering rack in its home. It's the only two it has.

Also, an easy way to grease ball joints is to put a ball inflator needle on your grease gun and stab the needle into the boot and fill 'r up!

 

[slow_solo_focus]

smart!!^^

ill get under and look.

 

[cheap sleeper]

smart!!^^

ill get under and look.

I can't take credit for the greasing trick. I learned that from another awesome member on here!

 

[slow_solo_focus]

havent been able to crawl under the car yet. illness is still holding me down. i decided to try and feel where the clunk is coming from more or less. i felt it the most on the floor when i stuck my foot underneath the brake/ clutch pedal.

 

[slow_solo_focus]

ok finally crawled under the car

found 2 loose bolts. tightened them down. everything else seemed fine. there is a small hole in the ball joint but when i pull on the wheel it still remains firm.

ill get out the hammer and torx screw to get a better look at it on a day where i dont have work. :/

camber plates are still holding up.

clunk is still there. pull isnt so random now. if i make a tight turn it will then pull in that direction...

ideas?

 

[sailor]

Check the rack mounts as someone mentioned earlier.

Seen some pictures posted of mounting bolts backed out.

 

[slow_solo_focus]

Not steering rack bolts. Don't know what other mounts would be there.

 

[Caulkins]

Can there be some kind of slippage inside the rack itself? Does stopping and turning full lock make a change?

 

[slow_solo_focus]

Yea... Changes which way it pulls.

 

[Caulkins]

ford dealer has the svt unit new for around $300 up here in Portland. Standard car should be same price or less, I have never had one apart to know how it works but I assume they can slip and that it's the issue. Nothing else should be affected by going full lock

 

[Caulkins]

I feel like mine is doing something close to the same but I want to be a lot more sure before changing it, does not look like an easy job. I'm going with the rack on mine or the brakes are sticky but brembos are way to expensive to just guess and replace.

 

[sailor]

Let's confuse the thread more with TWO peoples problems...

Rack has a solid bar from one side to the other, the only "slip" possible is in how the outer section mounts to the frame.

Can't follow all that's been done clearly, sub-frame seems to get loose repeatedly - is that the case?

 

[slow_solo_focus]

You talking to me or him?



Caulkins, dropping sub frame isn't as hard as it looks. A floor jack will work to hold it up while you lower it enough to take out what you need.



I suggest you create your own thread so that we both can get the proper help we need.