Hello all, I have an annoying knocking noise coming from the passenger side of my '91 Hatch (Stock). I replaced the axle today, thinking that's what was causing it, but the noise is still there. It starts when the car reaches about 20 mph, and gets louder the faster I'm driving.

What can cause this? I'm thinking tie-rod (which seems to look good), or

possibly the wheel bearing?

Thanks for any input on this.

 

wheel bearing will shake the steering wheel. does yours shake as you drive? not sure if this would give you the knock noise though

 

No it doesn't shake at all. There is a very slight vibration though when I'm driving fast, as the noise gets worse then.

 

Check your right front tire for any imperfections or signs of uneven wear. Might also be a balance issue. Check your strut as well.

 

*check tie rod end
*tires
*rotors if warped will cause you problems
* the top hats for your shock struts
*double check your axle is not coming loose
* wheel bearing
* or suspension bushings
lol good look

 

is it every rotation?

hows your steering rack and tie rod play? did you check when you were under the car by shaking the steering rack while extended? are the boots torn?

 

if you have traction bars, check the mounting point to where the tow hooks are.
if not:, check to see if the ball joint is still mated to the upper control arm and lower ball joint, mine made similar noises with a hole wallerd out

 

Did you check your engine mounts?

 

Just adding to the list....
blown shocks (have seen wheels bounce like basket ***** on the freeway - it's AWESOME!)

Is the noise rhythmic or random?

 

Thanks for the feedback fellas'. Next day I will be able to go underneath will be on Saturday. I'm gonna go over every suggestion offered and take some photos of what I find.

Thanks again!

 

Check your strut bar, not sure if that's the correct term because I'm away from home and don't have the manual with me...it's the bar that runs length-wise from the front suspension to the lower part of the front bumper. When you look at the car from the front you can see a bolt on each side of the lower part of the bumper. There's a bushing in there as well. Mine was worn out and it took me a while to figure it out...I checked and replaced nearly everything else and finally one day the rod popped out and I figured it out. It made a clunking sound, especially during braking. Good luck!

 

^^^Stabilizer Bar and Sway Bar^^^

 

prob motor mounts

 

Radius rod bushings!

 

If the Noise increases with wheel speed I'd say it's yOur wheel bearing. Tie rods don't make noise they just make the wheel shake when bad

 

Small update: I still have this problem as I've been really busy with life and the cold weather doesn't help either (no garage). So far I've replaced both outer tie rods which were shot. I install new rotors, pads, and added stainless steel lines (brakes were toasted). The knock/noise has gotten lower, but it's still there. I believe it's the passenger wheel bearing because when I spin it when the car is jacked you can hear the noise (driver side is nice and quiet).

I'll be ordering a new wheel bearing and hub (since I've been driving it daily since summer, it's probably worn) for it this weekend.

Thanks for all the feedback

 

Rack end bushing.

 

#10 in the illustration?

Is it hard to get to? The most I've ever done with the steering rack is replace the outer tie rods.

 

Let me know how you make out on this. I've checked everything on my car too and have not been able to figure out whats making this noise. So tonight I'm going to change the radius rod bushings. This is on my 02 Accord.

On a side note, does the sound seem to dampen considerably when you have a passenger?

 

Ok I'll keep this thread updated on my progression with the problem.

The noise does not dampen at all when I have passengers. All my diagnosing has left me to think it's a bad wheel bearing. I'm gonna remove my knuckle assembly and take to a friend of mine. I'll gonna ask him to remove the hub and check if my bearing is bad before I order a new one since they are pretty pricey.

 

Do you know how to diagnose a wheel bearing? You rotate it it by hand, feel and listen for roughness. Any other problem has nothing to do with a wheel bearing.

I already told you how to diagnose for noise, you apparently ignored it. I told exactly what your problem is, you continue to ignore it.

Good luck.

 

he'll get to your suggestion after he swaps everything else out first and figures your right, which i agree on its the rack bushing BTW.

GL with issue op

 

Hey I apologize if you feel I've ignored your feedback, but I haven't.

It actually stopped me from ordering a new hub and bearing because I was dead set thinking a bad bearing was the culprit.

I'll pursue the rack end bushings next.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

Update on the issue: So far I've replaced the steering rack bushing, inner and outer tie rods. My steering is a lot better now!

The knock while driving has gotten considerably loude. I'm changing my wheel bearing

in the next two weeks because I know for sure that's what it is now.

Thanks ppl, build thread coming soon.

 

glad to hear you sorted it out man!