heat shield maybe, some people get a rattle or clank every once in a while from there and they have to bend it a bit, you might want to check (it's right below the shifter). Where exactly is it coming from? Engine bay, one of the corners, general rear of the car?
Could it just be something in your glovebox? Or maybe the right strut has come loose, have you checked the 3 nuts where the strut bar attaches to make sure they're tight?
Not to revive old threads... but I am helping a friend diagnose what appears to be this exact problem. The clunk is from the right (passenger) side front, and is most prevalant when the wheels are turned and I go down a bump (as in backing down a driveway edge). It happens at other times, as well- small bumps on the street, for example. As far as I can tell, it is coming from the lower section of the strut assembly- I cannot be certain, but I was listening as we backed down the driveway and it seems to be lower more than upper location.
This morning, we took the sway bar link off to ensure that was not it (I saw this exact same problem on a 2003 Beetle, it was the sway bar linkage...), but it did not help. We took the entire strut assembly out to ensure nothing was loose, but did not see anything- all looks good.
I am very familiar with suspension, though most of my experience is with my volkswagen and trooper. I did not see anything that looked out of the ordinary on this- everything looks good. I am kind of out of ideas- any chance it could be the strut? What about the lower (only) a-arm bushings?
Has anyone encountered this?
Edit:
I just called the dealership- I cannot buy the bushings; I have to buy the entire a-arm (?!?!?!?!?!??!), can anyone direct me to a good aftermarket parts site? I cannot believe I cant get the bushings!
Last edited by nissandesire : Jan 8th, 2005 at 02:26 PM.
A typical mechanics diagnosis for this sound would be the inboard joint of the axle. This is the part of the axle that input the transaxle. This CV joint can become damaged and the balls will have play in the cage and inner race. I had a similar sound comming from my driver side and before I took off the CV boot to lok at it I upgraded my bushings (yes control arms) and struts. Sound is gone now so go figure.
Something else I noticed and replaced was the two bushing/washer rubber things (sorry) that are on the firewall end of the cross member (crossbar) that the two big blots go thru to bolt it to the cradle. After taking it on and off a few times or just from the torque of the motor they became smashed and were no longer filling in the gap between the crossbar and engine cradle. I think after putting in the motor mount inserts these became the weakest part.
I am having the same exact problem mine also sounds like it is comming from the passenger side of the car. Mine also makes the clunk if i go to the front of the car and shake it from side to side moderatly. I just looked up into the wheel well and noticed the rubber boot on the strut assembly is completely frayed and ripped apart, i was wondering if the noise may begin when that boot wears out and the weather gets to it.
Well, it seems mossyperformance.com sells a set of the control arm bushings for $46.00, so we will start with that and post up the results. I probably wont get them in time to install this weekend, so... maybe next weekend.
ittamaticstatic, are you talking about the upper strut brace in the engine compartment? We had that off, too when we removed the strut, and the sound DID seem to go away for a few bumps, but we figured we just imagined it (maybe placebo, here?).
The rubber boot on top of the strut definatly sems like it could be a possible cause.
ND What I am referring to by the engine cradle is seen from underneeth the car. It is a big black steel assembly that goes accross the engine bay. The firewall side motor mount bracket is connected to it. The two 17mm bolts that go straight up from underneeth the car hold the crossbar to the engine cradle. There are rubber grouments that those bolts go thru and they can get bitched up and not fill the gap between the crossbar and engine cradle. I can post a pic tomorrow if you are still not sure what I mean.
Ok I did a little research and found a service bulliten. On Sentra (SE-R) (Spec v) the front suspension transverse links (lower control arm) (wishbone) ball joint bracket may break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line. It's a defect and the number to go with it is 03V511000: Front Suspension Transverse Link Bracket
This applys to cars made between 9-27-2001 and 3-25-2003 .... 70 vehicles have been repaired on record so far. The recall letters should have started going out in Jan 04. (I have never received a recall letter.)
put some more air in your tires and go easy on the bumps
Linear Mode
