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Installed the new ones, took it for a drive, and..... it was disappointing.... same exact noise still.... I couldn't believe it.... I shook on just about everything i could, nothing was loose, bushings look fine. sway bar does have slight movement to it, but nothing raddles.
(forgot to take pics, yes I stole this from another post, hope no one minds.)
The only other things i can see that look worn are these spots circled in red. The circles with the "1" next to them are connected to that flat piece with the "camber/caster"? adjustments on them in the middle?? Theres that bolt going through the rubber bushing, and the bushing is definitely cracked and worn.
The circles with "2" look to be the mounting points for a lift I guess. or something to do with the frame? Same thing there, the rubber bushing around it is cracked and worm.
Does anyone know what these parts are called? or how hard it would be to replace the bushings? I have a FWD 2001, is this something I should just let a shop handle?
I had a bad clunk coming from the back that turned out to be the struts. Replaced with FCS quickstruts (no alignment needed after) and the noise is gone. Spent about $150 and took a few hours.
OK, is it safe to presume that clunk shows when you go over the bumps? In this case, you replaced wrong parts. it's the sway bar bushings that do that. Not links. 100%, I had them fixed on both my Camry and RX. I fix them. It is hard to find good quality AM ones and OEM ones are beyond ridiculous in cost. This is what I did. I took them out, not hard to do. I have sheet metal from Home Depot, about 1mm or so thick. It's quite soft. I cut strips, same width as bushing, long enough to wrap all around it. What it did, it made bushing thicker. Then reinstalled them. Done, clunk was gone.
I am not saying it is not struts. Nope. But, I have never encountered a clunking strut, unless it's damaged. Now, strut bearing plate is different animal, but not the strut itself. Again not saying they do not exist. But as many as I replaced of them, never had one clunk. Freeze, leak, not perform - yes. never clunk.
Oh, and you can't just yank or bang on components to find clunk. you need a 5 ft long narrow pry bar and then you use it to move them. Guaranteed. That's what they use at repair shops.
Like this one:
Clunk = sway bar bushing. Rattle = end links. To confirm sway bar bushing, disconnect one end of sway bar and securely tie it off. Test drive over bumps know to cause clunks. It takes only a tiny fit of play to cause a loud clunk. I wrapped my sway bar with a few laps of Teflon tape and it has been quiet for a year or more. I had brand new bushings but my sway bar is slightly worn. Tape took care of the play. I thought it would be a temporary repair but it continues to perform well.
Oh, and you can't just yank or bang on components to find clunk. you need a 5 ft long narrow pry bar and then you use it to move them. Guaranteed. That's what they use at repair shops.
Like this one: https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Jumbo-Pry.../dp/B075GZPQXP
The longer the better.
Ok, thanks for all the reply's, this clunking noise is really getting to me. Looks like I have a few things to test. But one question. Is it possible to replace the rear sway bar bushings, without removing the end links on a FWD? I didnt have the correct size wrench when I changed them, and rounded off the bolts. So removing them might be a problem, I might be able to use channel locks, I dunno. Im going to need new struts sometime in the near future anyway, so I was going to replace them again with moog end links when i do the quick struts. but for now, if it would be possible to change the bushings, with out removing the links, it sure would be nice.
I still need to know what these other bushings are in the picture, they are cracked and brittle, they will need replacing soon as well. I just have no idea what they are.
So took the RX to Midas today, really good mechanic there, let me watch him work and explained how everything works, really impressed. So for the good news, the clunking was just a rearmost lower control arm, is going, luckily he was able to just tighten the bolt for now.
For the bad news, I cant seem to find any rear lower control arms for a FWD 2001, everything is for a AWD. Are they the same?
Also said the right rear wheel bearing is going, Can I just replace the whole hub assembly so i dont have to press them? i could do both for around $100, from what ive seen its just a few bolts that hold the hub on. is that correct?
Couldn't i just do this?
Also had him do a smoke test for my evap leak. There is a leak somewhere above the gas tank. Im guessing either over fill check valve or I believe there is a hose running from the canister to the tank, either way gotta drop the gas tank...
They want $900 to fix the bearing and to drop the gas tank, JUST dropping the gas tank to find the leak, no fixing it. Im bummed....
Can anyone tell me what the rear wheel hub bolts torque specs are? Im trying to figure it out from a data sheet but im not exactly sure what it is referred to, "hub nut" or "axle hub set bolt"?
In the Haynes manual, I see 59 ft-lb for "hub and bearing assembly-to-axle carrier bolts." Other than lug nut torque, that's the only number I see that would seem to apply. Is that what you need?
In the Haynes manual, I see 59 ft-lb for "hub and bearing assembly-to-axle carrier bolts." Other than lug nut torque, that's the only number I see that would seem to apply. Is that what you need?
Yes I believe so, I found the same thing. Thank you for looking. Im about to venture into dropping my gas tank in order to replace the "over fill check valve" would anyone have any suggestions? I honestly dont know how im going to do it. My jack stands may not be tall enough, and the larger ones might get in the way of the gas tank when it drops. I dont know....
07-31-18 | 05:04 PM
Cant find rear clunk noise
