98 EX 5spd.

Its getting worse. I lifted the front end and checked it all out. Not a single bushing seems worn out or broken. Everything feels solid. Outside of a broken cv boot, i can't see anything that could cause the clunking sound.

It happens now anytime the weight transfers from side to side. I think it may be coming from the suspension link that extends forward. The one that attaches to the front of the subframe. Its the strut rod i believe. Its called a tension rod on 240's.

I used a jack on each wheel to simulate suspension movement while i had the car lifted. In order to make it clunk, i'd have to load the driver side, unload it, then load the passenger side wheel. It would only clunk again if i loaded the drivers side again. Every single bushing i could see was perfectly fine. Every endlink was perfectly secured.

But everything i hear about strut rod bushings going bad, the clunking only happens during braking or accel. I hear nothing on brake and accel. I only hear the noise when the suspension moves.

Whats the deal? Is my suspension going to explode randomly while driving?

 

In for answers. Been looking at a guy's car, and I can't find a single thing. The only two things I can think of are upper A-arm (not the ball joint, but where it attaches to the car), or something else I noticed is the axles, where they go into the trans, have some play up and down, and makes a little clunking sound if you wiggle it (grab the end of the axle nearest the trans and wiggle it). My understanding was they should be tight.

For what it's worth, I just replaced the drivers side strut, but still doing the same thing. The strut I took off had no signs of leakage. Upper A-arm on the passengers side was just replaced as well, but still the clunking.

Mine seems intermittent, mostly around/below 40ish mph.

My reasoning for the upper A-arm is, if you put the front of the car on jackstands, then jack a wheel up and let it go, on the drivers side you can hear a clunk of what seems to be the strut reaching its end limit. The only thing that I could think would cause this is if the A-arm is worn out and letting it travel further than it's supposed to. Is that possible?

 

Mine happens at no matter what speed. It just depends on how i go over bumps. It seems literally any bump makes it clunk now, as well as simple weight transfer from side to side.

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com...p?prod=16.7103

At that price, it may be worth replacing them anyways. The only problem, is that i looked at my strut rod nuts, and the threads are soooo corroded, i won't be able to get the nut off without power tools.

 

i have also debated if its a strut mount. But i have no idea.

 

on mine, it's a leaking driver side strut. as for the other components, you could try to use some lubricant on the bushings?