Midengtoy

iTrader: (3)

So I picked up a 97 sc400 and figured it needed front LCA's because it clunked at low speeds and while turning the wheel side to side at low speeds. Pretty much every time I parked the car it clunked. After a lot of research I lifted the car up to double check the bolts and everything before buying any LCA's and what I found were the lower control arm bolts were not tight. Looks like maybe the tech before that did the alignment did not tighten down the nut when adjusting the camber/caster. I tightened them down and now the clunk is completely gone. I also checked for play in the ball joints and they were tight. This makes sense to me since the rear struts were replaced right before I bought the car so they probably aligned the car and did not tighten down the nuts. Does this make any sense to you guys on here? Did I find a solution or is this a temporary fix that'll harm the car? I am not a tech so I wouldn't know if those nuts are suppose to be tight or not but when I check I could easily move them with a hand wrench. Please chime in with knowledge as I do not want to over tighten these bolts and ruin the bushings. The bolts I'm talking about are on the lower control arm and they are eccentric bolts.

BattleVer

If they where loose then id have the alignment done again.

The other thing to watch for is those bolts. I've had a couple cars come in with the bolts loose, tighten them up, then a few weeks later the car would come back with the bolt loose again. We bought new factory bolts and nuts and didnt have a problem with it coming loose again.

6SOARER

iTrader: (20)

I been having this problem ever since I dropped the car on coilovers. I had the car aligned twice, each time that I got the car back from being aligned "the clunk" would get less noiseir but over time it would return.

Midengtoy

iTrader: (3)

Hmmm I think these bolts are OEM. because they look like factory adjusting points and I think I've seen them on my other SC's. Did you mean get them replaced again?

Midengtoy

iTrader: (3)

How did you get it resolved or do you get them retightened from time to time?

6SOARER

iTrader: (20)

I still havent resolved the issue. Till this day it still CLUNKS, I tried tightning the crossmember bolts but havent messed with the LCA hardware. Next time when I have the car jacked up I'll check if they are loose

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

Isnt the lower control bolts tightened to 155 foot pounds?

LexAnt

iTrader: (2)

the lower control arms should be torqued to something like 185ft/lbs; am not positive as i don't have the repair manual in front of me, but it is that high i am sure.

secondly have you checked into making sure you're subframe is torqued down to your frame? 4 nuts holding the subframe to the frame can be come loose over time and cause the front end to clunk. do a search, it has come up and proven helpful to many members. the thread was created by upinthelex i believe.

Mr.1.5

I have the same clunk. Been trying to find it for a while now. I'm going to try and tighten the bolts on Sunday to see if that helps.

cmh

i have the same noise on my car dunno why i thought it was the cv joint... mine is wen im parking i have to turn at very slow speed and i hear it... sounds like my axle is gunna break. is that the noise u guys are talkinh about.

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

I have had a terrible clunk ever since my car was lift on a lift with the tires on. Its on both sides, but the driver side is a little worse. I think its just the ball joints, and you know what that means. I have checked all of my bolts, not once but twice and there is nothing loose that I can tell. That leaves only one thing left. The ball joints popping.

6SOARER

iTrader: (20)

I get that popping noise from my front driverside also when I brake. This started to happen ever since the car was sitting jacked up for a few weeks waiting on some parts.

I guess leaving it jacked up with all that weight on the ball joints stresses them out more.

RockRash

and i thought i was for even posting about having the noise. now all you are experiencing it. i recently had my rotors replaced, hubs, had the rack and pinion checked. replaced the bushings for the small stabilizer that runs up and down from the hub and sway bar bushings. now i got the wiggles at speeds over 70mph. but no point in getting an alignment till i get new tires. what ever it was it went way after i replaced all that and the bushings.

cmh

i changed my rack and pinion but noise is still there ... mechanics are stupid sometimes instead of returning the car with no noise they fix one thing and ignore other problems they can infprm u about and make more money. he didnt even bother with it. just gave the car back. jerk!

Midengtoy

iTrader: (3)

I checked my subframe and stabilizer link bolts at the same time and they were tight. It was only the lower control arm bolts that were loose. To this day the noise hasn't come back.

My noise was pretty bad like that too and remember we don't have axles up front. The noise my car made was only at slow speeds and very noticeable when parking. Kind of like a clunk and rusty turning noise, I don't know it's hard to explain.