Consistent rotational knocking noise when turning left or right while on the gas
 

Car: '93 Civic Cx Hatch, with a JDM B20B motor & '99 Si tranny.

Problem: Whenever I turn LEFT or RIGHT, I hear this knocking noise coming from the front of my car. (knock, knock, knock) Its not rubbing, and the axle is not broken, (I've replaced three driver side cv shafts/axles and one passenger side). It happens only when on the throttle. If I press the clutch down and turn or I'm not on the gas, I don't hear it. It just seems axle related...but like I said...I've recently replaced both front axles/half-shafts. All of my ball joints, wheel bearings and other front suspension components check out fine. What could it be?

Thanks in advance. Help is appreciated.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

usdm 99' si transmissions don't have lsd so that's not it... where did you get the axles? vatozone? are you sure you put the axle all the way in... and it could be a wheel bearing...

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Oops...my bad...I don't know why I put differential in there...I meant to say my tranny.

Driverside Axle = AutoZone - But sound isn't coming from that side.
Passengerside Axle = Nap - but it made the same noise before I replaced the axle a couple weeks ago.

As for the wheel bearing...Isn't that noise more like a hum or more constant sound?

Thanks for your reply burningrex. :)

UPDATE
 

Ok...it was fairly warm out Saturday so I took advantage of the weather in the afternoon while my boys were napping to swap out my fuel pump. That went smooth and seemed to fix my code 43 so I figured while I'm at it...check out the driver-side axle because this knocking noise is really startin' to bug me. Both boots were totally fine, had no cracks or even any visible signs of fatigue on the axle. What the heck...I've still got the receipt...let's run over to AutoZone and just get a new one with the warranty and all. So I get home, throw the shiny new axle on the car, and take her for a spin around the block.

Whadda-ya-know...it's still knockin' when I turn left.

Come Monday morning on the drive to work I figure that the old driver side axle must have had some kind of issue...because with the fresh axle installed.. when I'm on the gas...the faint dadadadadadadadada noise is gone.

However...the knock, knock, knock sound is still there when I turn left under acceleration.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

That totally sounds like it should be the axle, but I guess if you've changed it then it's not.

It could be the bearing. Jack the car up put the brake on and see if there is any play in the wheel, (see if you can move it) then you'll know if it's the bearing or not. I had the same thing on my accord, it was a rear bearing, only made noise when I was turning, so check that.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Your not lowered are you?

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Yeah...I know huh. It's driving me crazy.

There is no play in the wheel and there is no sign of the wheel bearing going bad.

Yes...My car is lowered.
Attachment 464072

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Fella on a local forum posted this:

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

:scared:

Just got off the phone with Dan Harrington over at Cottman Transmission. Bad news is that this transmission has apparently been opened up before because there are signs of exploded parts all over the casing, (no remnants remain other than scratches on the walls). Two teeth on the Counter Shaft gear are chipped and one tooth on the Ring Gear is chipped. He is certain this is the root of my hatch's mysterious knocking sound.

My options are basically to have a rebuild done ($1500+) or to find a new/used transmision ($????)

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Cottman tranny? Find someone else, get at least three estimates and not from Astro or those other quack tranny shops. Find a small, reputable, been in business forever, shop that won't bull shit you, and offers a good price.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

My car was doing that a while ago, and it turned out that when I put the axles in, I forgot to punch in the axle nut. There is a little spot on the axle nut that is supposed to be beat in when the nut is all the way tightened. I didn't do that, and the nut was backing itself off the threads. Did the EXACT thing you are talking about. That is just my .02.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

This is a local SCCA member's shop. I trust him.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

If you say so. I have heard too many bad things from AAMCO, Cottman, etc. I would want to physically see what he is talking about, making sure its MY tranny, before proceeding...

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I plan on stopping in there on my way to work tomorrow morning just so I can see for myself. Thanks for the advice.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

i also had this problem on a 95 gsr and a 96 ex civic and both were the input shafts inside the trans

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

i have the same problem. i hear the ticking sound at slow speeds, below 20, turning or not.however sometimes it isn't there. So i jacked the car up and then i tried manually rotating the wheel for like 20 times but I can't hear no ticking. then I saw the engine mount, located in the front passenger side is busted. I am not sure if it is the one causing the issue but i'll be replacing it tomorrow. I have a 99 lx though. if the mounts are in the same place, you may want to check yours too.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

i also have the same problem but only when i reverse

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I stopped into the shop this morning to check everything out. He showed me how the counter shaft had two teeth chipped and the diff ring gear had a small chip on one of the teeth.

Question. I purchased an OEM B16/S4C LSD differential that came with a 66 tooth ring gear already attached to it, (teeth are all fine on it). If I just find a B16 counter shaft with 15 teeth in good condition...is that all I need or do I need to get the exact matching pair, (15 teeth counter shaft and 66 teeth ring gear) from the same transmission?

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Just picked up a near complete set of B16 trans internals for $120 thanks to a local fella. Gonna drop the parts off at the shop in a couple ours.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I may be onto something. Found out today thru some research and chatting with a brake expert online that the 1998 Civic front knuckles I swapped over from my old Civic to my 1993 Civic are 1/2in shorter in overall height.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Ok...this sucks. I just swapped the old Cx knuckles/rotors/calipers back over to the hatch today and the noise is still there. Not to mention these calipers must be junk because now my brake pressure is just like it was before I swapped over to the larger Ex front brakes.

Could it be that AutoZone axles are just that bad?

Could it be my intermediate shaft c-clip has gone bad? Whenever I change the driverside axle...I have to remove the entire intermediate shaft and axle at the same time then beat it off with a hammer...so obviously the c-clip is doing it's job right?

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

So wait a second...you got the tranny fixed and it's still knocking?

And BrakeExpert is back on here? Or did you talk to him over at the "other" H-T?


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Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Yup, it's gotta have something to do with the axle or intermediate shaft. The intermediate shaft is the only part that hasn't been replaced yet.

Yes, I talked to Brake Expert on the other site.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I guess there could be play if the intermediate shaft bearing was worn out...but that's a real long shot.


Thought so when I saw the ZeroForum style quotes.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

So there's absolutely no chance it could be a suspension part?

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

But why would it only make the noise when I'm turning and on the gas? The intermediate shaft doesn't move or anything.

Pretty certain that's all fine. It was at a local shop for two weeks and they went over it with a fine tooth comb.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I think what I'm gonna try next is to get the front up on jack-stands, then load the driverside suspension buy jacking the lower control arm up with my hydraulic jack just like I do when I tighten down the lower shock bushings. Turn the car on and gas it. It's pretty much the only way I'm gonna be able to tell what's going on down there.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

So I propped the front end up on jack stands, loaded the driver side suspension so that it came up off the jack stand, started the car, had my wife turn the wheel both ways and push on the gas, no knocking sounds. Of course...that would be to easy. Axle is not hitting/rubbing the lower wishbone shock fork or popping out of the hub or intermediate shaft. I'm really at a loss.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

usually KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK is your axle......If you have a sway bar check to make sure it's end links are TIGHT....I had this same problem...rebuilt the front right corner and still knocked...finally checked my sway arm link....loose! fixed it.....quiet now

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

It's a Cx hatch. No front sway bar.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I was going to say the same thing. Its probably the knuckle bearing in the half shaft.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

The CV Shaft/Axle? or the Intermediate Shaft?

I replaced the driverside axle less than a month ago.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

CV shaft. Bearing assembly... I've had issues with aftermarket parts out of the box.

http://flashoffroad.com/Maintenance/...haftmanual.gif

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Hmm...I might try a different brand of CV shaft. I've replaced the driverside two times and they're both Autozone Duralast...I just didn't expect to get two bad ones in a row. My passenger side is NAPA. This noise developed after I installed the first Autozone shaft back in October 2009. I thought it might be my passenger side since I hadn't replaced it yet. Replaced the passenger side shaft from NAPA, still made the knocking noise. Last month, (yes...it was a long, cold winter so I didn't get around to it for a few months) I replaced the driverside shaft thinking that it may be a faulty driver side shaft, same noise.

Thanks for your help pityocamptes

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Same thing happened to me turns out it was the upper ball joint was bad and clicking when i turned. Thought it was the cv but just recently replaced it. Check for play by pushing up and down on the top and bottom of the tire really quick.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

I was just under there on Saturday and the upper control arm ball joints are good. I've had bad uca ball joints before and they're more of a random clunk.

My noise/knock is controlled by the speed of the car while on the gas turning left or right, (more-so turning left)...like knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Faster I'm going the closer the knocks are together.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Have you had your wife or friend do circles in a parking lot really slow while you walk next to it and listen? If its a click, click, click, click, sound its the cv joint. Anyway to upload some audio?


Also, are you absolutely sure its coming from the front? I bent a rear rim - bead side, didn't know it, and when I had the tires rotated and balanced the bent one got rotated to the rear. Well ONLY on left turns the tire/suspension would shift and you would hear a knock sound. Thought it was coming from the front. Went back to the tire shop and after looking at it for a few minutes it was determined that the rear bead of the rim was barely hitting the rear shock mount. So perhaps the noise is traveling? Just a thought.

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Hmmm...I never thought about being outside the car and listening for it. I'll try and get some audio up this week.

The noise is consistent with two different sets of wheels/tires. My summer mode 15x6.5 +40 offset wheels with 205/50/15 Hankook RS2 tires and with my winter mode 14x6 wheels with 185/60/14 snow tires.

I've setup an appointment at another local shop on Wednesday morning to have them ride along in the car to see if they may have a diagnosis. They specialize in swapped Honda/Acuras and are they're actually the shop that originally swapped this motor/trans into the car for the previous owner two years ago.

Would an automatic vs. manual intermediate shaft make a difference?

Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Just throwing it out there...

It really seems like the alxe would do this, if the diff is not to blame.

LSD or open diif in this car?


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Re: Hearing knocking noise when turning left...HELP PLEASE. It's not the axle.
 

Yeah...I need an admin/moderator to remove "It's not the axle." from the thread title...because when I started this thread...it was after I switched the axles out. Now I'm back to the axle's maybe being the problem.

LSD diff was just installed in trans last week. Same noise now...as before with the open diff.