After 2yrs I finally replaced my rack and pinion
10-24-21, 05:40 PM
#1
After 2yrs I finally replaced my rack and pinion
95 LS.I kept putting it off and after 2 yrs of this car sitting I went ahead.I bought two from the junk yard but when I saw theior condition, I vbought the bullet and bought a reman from Auto.Took me 3 days.Difficult level to me is about 6/7.I still hear this bump going over bumps,not sure if it's the front struts , right side engine mount or upper control arm.For that amount of sound, I doubt it's the
stabilizer bar bushing. $384k miles on the car.Owned since 2007.It mostly sits since I drive others
stabilizer bar bushing. $384k miles on the car.Owned since 2007.It mostly sits since I drive others
10-25-21, 09:54 AM
#3
Hit the brakes at low speed. A clunk there is commonly the control arm bushing AKA "strut bar".
Bumping\rusty door hinge could suggest the shock mounts. Take the little rubber cap off of the top of the shock tower in the engine bay and take a look to see if they're cracked.
I also found that the lower ball joints would make a bump\rattle noise going over bumps. It typically was a faster "jitter" noise, rather than a one-and-done. My worn ball joints were more sensitive to tramlining on the highway, allowed excessive body roll in corners, and strangely, my steering column had some loose play vertically which would make noise (I could grab the wheel and 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down and get a quiet clunk). Replacing them fixed all of this and made the car drive a LOT more firmly and securely.
It's also possible it's the control arms themselves.
Engine mounts typically don't make noise. One of mine was completely sheared and the other was severely cracked. They weren't making noise. The primary test for this is to rev the engine in park. If there is any vibration at all, the mounts are shot. The allowable tolerance is zero.
Bumping\rusty door hinge could suggest the shock mounts. Take the little rubber cap off of the top of the shock tower in the engine bay and take a look to see if they're cracked.
I also found that the lower ball joints would make a bump\rattle noise going over bumps. It typically was a faster "jitter" noise, rather than a one-and-done. My worn ball joints were more sensitive to tramlining on the highway, allowed excessive body roll in corners, and strangely, my steering column had some loose play vertically which would make noise (I could grab the wheel and 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down and get a quiet clunk). Replacing them fixed all of this and made the car drive a LOT more firmly and securely.
It's also possible it's the control arms themselves.
Engine mounts typically don't make noise. One of mine was completely sheared and the other was severely cracked. They weren't making noise. The primary test for this is to rev the engine in park. If there is any vibration at all, the mounts are shot. The allowable tolerance is zero.
Last edited by 400fanboy; 10-25-21 at 10:08 AM.
10-25-21, 05:56 PM
#4
It's strange that this sound always starts in the passenger front, but if it's the clunk that you hear going up gradual bumps or small dips in the road, it is most likely the p/s upper control arm's ball joint.
If it's a clunk you feel when hitting the brakes or when the car's weight transfers forward, it's the strut rods.
edit: 384k miles? That's awesome. Is she in decent shape otherwise?
If it's a clunk you feel when hitting the brakes or when the car's weight transfers forward, it's the strut rods.
edit: 384k miles? That's awesome. Is she in decent shape otherwise?
10-25-21, 06:08 PM
#5
10-25-21, 06:09 PM
#6
10-25-21, 06:11 PM
#7
It's strange that this sound always starts in the passenger front, but if it's the clunk that you hear going up gradual bumps or small dips in the road, it is most likely the p/s upper control arm's ball joint.
If it's a clunk you feel when hitting the brakes or when the car's weight transfers forward, it's the strut rods.
edit: 384k miles? That's awesome. Is she in decent shape otherwise?
If it's a clunk you feel when hitting the brakes or when the car's weight transfers forward, it's the strut rods.
edit: 384k miles? That's awesome. Is she in decent shape otherwise?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post