john123drury

Hey everyone,

For the record - I absolutely can't stand intermediate issues like this that come and go. Makes it nearly impossible to figure out the problem! (ok - vented)

97 Civic (Auto Trans) - completely stock. I am the only owner. 220K on it. Original everything - with the routine maintenance of course. I've been experiencing two specific issues and I don't know if they're connected or not:

a) over the past 20 months or so, under normal acceleration, the car 'shakes' a bit. It's not very noticeable at normal speeds, and only seems to happen with the throttle down. More specifically, I place the water bottle into the holder (in front of the shifter) and can see it shaking. When i rest something on the passenger seat, I see it shaking. Under heavy acceleration (e.g. going uphill at highway speeds), then you can really notice the shaking. The steering wheel stays straight (doesn't move). When i let off the gas or coast / go downhill...no shake in the car at all.

b) More recently (in the past month), the car has developed a pretty significant clunking sound. Usually just at highway speeds, and only after I've been driving for maybe 10 minutes or so. The best way I can describe it - it's like you're getting a flat tire. I'd be cruising down the highway (no problems outside of the minor shake mentioned above), and then all of a sudden that clunking starts - VERY noticeable...to the point I pulled over once thinking I had a flat. But what really irks me is it stops after a while. It'll last maybe 5 minutes, and then completely go away. 20 miles later, it MAY come back, or it may not. It's been so intermittent.

Today I tried really hard to listen and feel what's happening, and honestly I can't tell where the heck this sound is even coming from. I'm leaning towards the front, but I don't know for sure. It also seems like the car is pulling to one side (driver's side) ever so slightly when the clunking happens, but that's another issue. Out here in PA the roads are terrible. I can't find a clean, straight road to test this on. So for all I know, the road is pulling me...not the car.

I did have the car re-aligned at a shop last summer (prior to this it was really pulling to one side). I also have pretty new tires that I JUST had all re-balanced the other day thinking this was causing the issue. No luck.

I've spent all day researching this site and potential answers are all over the map. The two things I'm leaning towards attempting first are replacing the transmission mount (to stop issue A) and replacing the front axles (issue B; thinking maybe CV joints). But given the symptoms above, do these sound like the culprits? Or is there something else I should focus my attention on first? THANKS EVERYONE!

john123drury

Wow - 200 views and not one response? Can no one even provide a suggestion?

FulRebelArmorer

Inspect or have someone inspect all you'r suspension bushings, and component mounts to see if there's a worn bushing allowing excessive movement. I diagnosed a car with steering and suspension intermittent clunking, and it turned out to be a worn sway bar link bushing allowing the link to hit the lower control arm. there was enough rubber to keep metal off metal, but once in a while it would shift and clunk. My former instructor diagnosed a car no one could even get close to figuring out where the suspension popping was coming from, and it turned out to be a rock stuck between a body and frame mount location, and that was causing all the issues?

john123drury

Well i replaced practically the entire suspension and all components of it. but i believe it was bad wheel bearings in the back...which by the way are super simple to replace. Wish i started with those before tacjling the bigger stuff. So far the problem has gone away. Hope this thread helps someone in the future.

Presidential_Detail

As far as the shaking problem, check your CV axles. We had this exact problem in our track car. The car would shake violently with any load from the engine, then nothing if coasting. The axle appeared fine from a visual inspection, but it had some play in it. We replaced them and it was perfectly smooth. Took us a little bit to find that one! This might also explain your intermediate clunking noises. The axle could be bindiing and unbinding as you drive the car. Check them out!

Edit: Just saw you think you solved it. If it comes back, check the above. Guess I should have asked if it was coming from the front or the rear of the car. Good luck!

john123drury

Yep the shakin also seems to have gone away after replacing both front axles. Thanks!

Brendon Renken

Have you checked your lower ball joint. I have had this problem several times where the car would shake but not consistently, sometimes braking, sometimes accelerating, and was worse when I was going straight. Best way to check it is to leave the car sitting on the ground and shake the wheel side to side as if checking tie rods. Can't check it while the car is lifted because the suspension pushed down on the ball joint and you get no play. Worth a shot

Brendon Renken

Have you checked your lower ball joint. I have had this problem several times where the car would shake but not consistently, sometimes braking, sometimes accelerating, and was worse when I was going straight. Best way to check it is to leave the car sitting on the ground and shake the wheel side to side as if checking tie rods. Can't check it while the car is lifted because the suspension pushed down on the ball joint and you get no play. Worth a shot