Ok so i've been trying to diagnose this issue myself but i don't have much luck. When i was driving back from school last friday i noticed a pretty obvious vibration/clunking type of a noise coming from the front end of my car around 75mph or so. My first thought was maybe it was axle related cuz i know that the cv boot was held on by zip ties and i lost a good amount of grease. So i took my car to the getty right after i got off the highway and they put some grease in there. It drove fine after that for a day or so but i didn't drive near 75. So then i was driving back to school and i hit the same high speeds and the noise came back again. It comes and goes. I thought the grease would solve the problem but i guess it wasn't that. The mechanic said he thought there was play in the axle, but it was not very apparent to me so i'm not sure it's that. It could be though...I know my bushings on my front lower swaybar are worn and may be cracking now so maybe its that. Help me out guys

 

Is it limited to just one side, or generally in the front?
Does it sound metalic? Muffled (Rubber insulated)?
Is there any associated vibration felt thru the steering wheel?

Any additional observations would help in pinning this thing down.

P

 

i haven't driven it in roughly 4 days but from what i remember, i noticed it was from the front left (that was the bad axle boot too). As for the sound, if i had to describe it, i wouldn't say it was really metal on metal. It was just kind of a clunking noise...sorry idk how else to describe the noise. I don't think i felt it from the steering wheel, but i'll post again with a more accurate description when i drive it home tomorrow.

 

possible wheel barring??? I agree with p here we def need a little better description. Does it only happpen at a certain speed or is it more constant ???
vid if possible ...

 

Around that speed
I've never heard a wheel bearing that sounds like this haha. From my knowledge they don't make a clunking noise...more of a constant, annoying humming sound, if you will

 

i had a wheel barring act up in the same way you described ... but it would also shake the **** out of my car at 60mph (and only at that mph !) it would ride nicely until 60mph then and only then it would make some strange noises hard to describe and shaked violently. If i would accel or decel it would immediatly go away... and i would have no symtoms at all !

 

Wierd noises often require wierd diagnosis (I guess).
I'm going to go way out on a limb here.
Sinse this happens during a steady state 75mph on a (assumed) smooth highway, I'me going to guess that it has an aerodynamic component to this issue; caused by air pressure increases.
I'd look for either an inner fender panel or some of the front lower closeout panels coming partially adrift and moving around. They are retained by the most rudimentary push retainers and a previous 'hit' can often 'pop' some of them.

I warned it would be a stretch

P

 

well i know the panels are all fine cuz i was looking at them last weekend when i took the car home. What are the odds you think it's the swaybar? Like i said this only seems to happen at higher speeds. I'm guessing if it was swaybar related, it should happen all the time, on all bumps. i'm starting to think this might actually be the axle since it's coming from the front left, and that's where the worn boot is. It was the boot closest to the center...Do you think it's just a worn axle and above a certain speed, it gets messed up?

BTW to revise my description slightly, it's a rapid, vibrating, clunk lol. IDK if that helps at all. If I can feel it from the steering wheel, what do you think it is?


Modified by accord_raffi at 3:44 PM 11/13/2008

 

If you feel it in the steering wheel, it is possible that it could be either an inner (Or outer) Tie rod end.
Raise the front wheels off the ground.
Grasp the road wheel with your hands at 3 and 9 o'clock.
See if you can feel any free play or hear a knock while you alternately start pushing it right and then left. If you've got wear, you can pivot it without resistance for the first 1/2 " or so.
Your tire could be statically (side to side) in balance but out of balance dynamically (front to back).

As to the axle: You should not be able to move it either up/down or side to side if you grasp the axle shaft itself.

P

 

i'll check the tie rod tomorrow...The mechanic claims there was play in the axle, but idk, i didn't feel it. Idk if he was just trying to make money or what.

 

Well i checked the tie rods and they're both fine. I noticed my driver side axle moves only in the slightest amount, but it shouldn't move at all correct? The other one was nice and stiff. HOWEVER, both axles had these white rings around them...idk what the hell they are but they feel swollen and kidn of marred (if that's a good word for it). Maybe it's from spinning the wheels in the rain today haah cuz they weren't there last time. As for the noise i would still call it a vibrating clunking noise. I can't feel it through the wheel. It's still happening at roughly above 65, when i'm on the gas and when i let off of it. here are some pics of those rings

Driver side


Passenger side



Modified by accord_raffi at 10:18 PM 11/14/2008

 

anyone seen anything like this before? sorry getting really antsy trying to figure out the cause

 

grab hold with your hand of the cv joint and rock it back and forth, as if you were driving the car in first and then reverse.

Also did you check for the wheel bearing by grabing the tire at the 12 and 6 positions and rocking it back and forth looking for any play there as well. This test will also allow you to check your upper and lower ball joints. While doing this make sure you are looking at all the of the joints watching for any movement, if you cant look and rock the tire at the same time have a friend do one or the other.

Let us know when you finish with this, so we can help you further diagnose this issue.

 

Two bands indicates a left side axle
One band indicates a right side axle?

I would think it was either a quick ID thing utilized during new assembly or a rebuilding process.

P

 

i'm about to do the tests above but in regards to p adams, those bands weren't there before. i just saw them for the first time yesterday. i don't think it's from rubbing or anything either since they're swollen

 

ball joints seem fine but i did notice my splash guard wasn't on tight. i use the same bolt that holds that in to hold my intercooler in and for some reason, it was not holding the splashguard in, so i tightened that in. If that is the cause for the noise like p_adams suggested, i'm going to be very relieve yet slightly annoyed with myself haha. but that doesn't explain the appearance of those rings on the axles.

 

I don't believe they are of any significance. Those axles are one piece forged spring steel. They absorb quite a twist trying to accelerate our fat as**es to speed and couldn't tolerate a split / break / seam there.
Are they rings of silicone sealer? Thick paint? What?
Like you said, there's nothing there to scrape them...
And I doubt that someone would go to the lengths of jacking up the car to paint rings on your axles, just to get a laugh....

...Well, almost no one

P

 

i bet it was those kids at school that wrote rice on a piece of paper and put it on my windshield that painted the rings on the axles haha. it's funny cuz my car has no exterior mod on it other than having to relocate the license plate for the intercooler (which they probably thought was a grill). Oh and i have clear turn signals. that's it tho...still on hubcaps hah

 

Well then, at least you're ready for winter.
The Alloys come next spring

P

 

well i didn't hear it on the way to school so hopefully it was just that loose panel, which means you were right in the first place P_Adams. I'm going to keep listening to it. I still felt a little bit of vibration though.

 

I'll keep my toes crossed. You just never know with these things.
The spare '88 we have garaged did that with a right rear mud flap.
Sometimes it's just blind intuition :-)

P

 

Dude those axels are gone, you need to get some new ones well at least that one in the pic. It's rotted out, your hearing clunking. 60 TO 80 BUCKS FOR THE AXEL, A COOL MECHANIC WILL THROW IT IN FOR 40 50 BUCKS