Hi all and thanks for reading my post.

1998 Accord 4-cyl LX, automatic

I was driving home from work on Friday and my steering wheel began intermittently jerking to the right, lightly but firmly. The jerking repeated but seemed more severe this weekend. Maybe I was paying more attention. This is what I can tell you:

- Both front tires were balanced this weekend
- The jerks seems to occur under power, but not while coasting in nuetral
- After intermittent jerks begin they happen at any speed
- Car does not swerve if the jerking is not happening - alignment seems good
- Jacked car and moved wheel around while observing ball joint and tie rod ends - no significant movement either up\down and side/side
- CV joints not clicking even if doing hard donuts in empty parking lots each way - tried this over the weekend
- Car does not pull while hard braking or accelerating.
- There is a hollow sounding thump whenever the jerk occurs -always.
- When I turn each wheel while jacked there is soft clicking and a mild "whoosh" on both sides.

I had planned on doing a tie rod replacement, but I'm not sure tie rods are it or even a good place to start.

In other words - HELP!!!

Thanks!

Jerry

 

Outer or inner tie rod arms? Your PS rack could be shot, but my specialty is nowhere near steering/suspension.

 

any chances you can get a passenger to take a video of it happening ? It would make it easier to understand what it is you're saying it happening

 

Thanks for reading this and posting. I appreciate any insight!

 

Check your ball joints again. We had a Scion XB 05 that did the same thing and found out that the nut on the ball joint had become so loose it almost came out causing the car to jerk during turn. Scary stuff. Make sure the nut is tight.

That's all I have, I could be wrong.

 

Ccheck p/s rack bushings, control arm bushings, and suubframe bushings. Check make sure subframe bolts are tight....
Q1: does the noise come from front or rear? Is it a dull thud, higher pitched ching, or dis it a repeating soynd -- like bang bang bang.....
Q2: can a person from outside watch you hit brakes at slow speed and see if wheels move in unusual manner(I.e. toward rear of fender or tilt/turn without steering input)
Q3: SAFELY wiggle the car at speed see if you can reproduce noise(let us know details if noise reoccurs when you do that - what speed which way you moved etc)
Q4: while car stopped turn steering lock to lock and see if noise is happenning
Q5: while stopped hold brakes and put car in Drive. Pulse gas (to around 2500rpms). And see if you hear noise. Try same in reverse.

 

Oh yes also if right side axle has a bracket in the middle of it, check it - loose bolts etc. How are you checking ball joints/tie rods? If any work has been done recently that would be a place to start checking things... Wish I could hear it.......hehe

 

If I had to guess I would say it's your inner cv joint...one side or the other. The inners usually make a thumping sound while the outers make a clicking. How many miles on your car and have your axles ever been replaced before ?