YAFEN - Yet Another Front End Noise
 

I've done searches until my eyeballs feel like they're gonna fall out and still can't find an answer that I'm confortable with.

To the noise at hand:

When? from best I can tell so far, it only seems to happen when applying the brakes. No noises when going over bumps, driving down the road...nada.

Sounds like? It sounds like what maybe a worn-out bushing somewhere in the suspension might cause. A non-rythmic clunking (low volume) that occurs for pretty much as long as the brakes are being applied. Almost like something in the front end is loose but only happens when braking.

What's been replaced:
Tie rods, ball joints, center link, steering dampner, idler arm kit.

Bill,

During my search, I ran into dicussion of that part quite a bit and suspected it at first...but, from what I could tell in the threads, the noise caused by this part appears to be the type that just happens once (klunk) when braking and then doesn't happen again until the track rod mount is repositioned.

On mine, it's klunk...klunk, klunk...........klunk. pretty much the whole time that I'm braking. Can you confirm that this track rod could be causing noises in this fashion?

Also sounds like R&R of this part requires removal of the springs?? Definitely not a DIY job for this grease monkey wanna be :(

Bill,

So the brake strut bushing is a one klunk kinda deal, eh? ...not a 'sounds like something's loose' multiple klunks kinda thing when braking?

I'm seriously looking at replacing the front shocks here pretty soon regardless.

I would think that a broken shock would cause, like you said, either a random or nearly constant noise though. My noise is pretty much relegated to braking situations which leads me to believe it's not the shocks...but I guess I'll do the shocks anyway.

If the noise is still there, then that's just one more thing I can rule out.

Would still love to hear some more ideas tho....as long as I've got the car up in the air doing the shocks, it'd be a good time to replace whatever else it is that's causing the noise.

Are you sure it's coming from the front? It could be a drive axle CV joint going South.

Peter

No idea....these are the types of responses I'm looking for. That's something I'll take a look at.

Shocks are going to be changed out regardless tho.

Have you checked your brake caliper? Is it loose?

The other possilbility is a warped rotor, combined with loose pad shims...

Nope, haven't checked but that situation would seem to make the noise at the same time I'm hearing it as well as make the KIND of sound I'm hearing. I'll def. have to check that one out too. thnx

If you can determine if you have Bilstein shocks, they should be fine, very rarely wear much. IMHO, the Bilstein shocks are the things which deliver the magic in these cars suspension.

I like your acronym - YAFEN

Do you know what FUBAR and SNAFU mean?

CK42,

After haven been fixen on these things for nigh on 30 years now, I'd still put my money on a CV joint making noise when you load it up with brakes. I've reread this whole thread carefully,and I can't see anything else that would produce the problem that you indicate. The only other thought is what TAXBILL suggests. Also do you work for ATT wireless?

Good luck,
Peter

Ed: Yep.....YAFEN looks like it should become a DeFacto title here on these forums :D

Peter...sorry for the long delay in replying. I still haven't checked out the CV joint but have since replaced the front shocks with Bil. HD's.
And, nope, don't work for ATT.

UPDATE:
The noise doesn't really occur only when braking anymore. (Noise only occurs on left side) In fact, it pretty much just seems to happen when driving over things like road strips, gravel roads, very small irregular shaped bumps and the like.

Going over large smooth bumps like speed bumps does NOT cause the noise.

I'm really starting to doubt the strut rod mount/bushing again. I don't have any type of 1 KLUNK noise in any braking situation.

What I've narrowed it down to so far:
CV joint
sway bar bushing
lower control arm bushings
upper control arm components.

The upper control arm seems like another r&r I can do myself....just not much fun in the cold weather now :(

Is it likely that either the upper or lower control arms being worn could cause klunking noises over irregular road surfaces?

ANOTHER UPDATE:

just found this in another thread:
"The common thing is the braking support ball joint to make noise under there. it is connected to the lower control arm, and mounts to the body under the footwells of the driver and passenger. They can klunk when you go over bumps. If the boot is gone protecting the ball joint, the joint usually goes soon after. Dirt is no friend to this guy."

So.....the strut rod ball joint CAN make a klunking noise? I noted this because yesterday while changing brake pads I noticed that BOTH boots on the strut rods ball joints were pretty much GONE:eek:

Chris
'85 300SD

Do you have a lower ball joint?
This can rattle when going over little bumps...

You can check this by jacking the frame/car up and letting the left front dangle with its wheel still attached. Lift it just clear of the ground, so you can get a pry bar under the tire. Lift the bottom of the tire with the bar. If you have a partner do this, you can reach around and feel the joint as it is moved for evidence of wear.

I don't know this car very well. If it has McPherson struts up front, there is a bearing affair at the top of the strut which can rattle. Should be replaced as part of the strut replacement.

Usually a caliper will rattle only when the brakes are NOT applied.

Ed...front ball joints, along with tie rods, drag link have all been replaced in the last couple months. The noise occured before those parts were replaced. also.

No struts on the car, thank goodness. Otherwise, no way I could change them myself....which I've done with the fronts recently in another vain attempt to cure the noise.

Just changed the front pads last week too. Everything was tight as far as I could tell.

Chris
'85 300SD

over the past couple of years I have replaced every front end part EXCEPT the lower ball joints. Both have bad boots now but no play. Will do them this spring. However I had a popping and or clunk sound from the rt. hand side that started a couple of months ago. I figured it was the lower ball joint. However after having a bad caliper on that side that was sticking and having replaced that part along with the pads the noise is gone. Still have torn boots and will have to replace the lower BJ's but I think the noise was from the sticking caliper.

There is "YAFEN" coming from my 83' 123 too - a creaking squawking rusty bedspring sound. I sprayed some silicone spray all over the rubber bushings and front end parts on the drivers side where the noise seems to be coming from, in hopes that the silicone lube sinks into dried bushings that may have dried out or had water sink in when I cleaned the underside of my car last month. Still, the noise persists despite the liberal spraying of silicone based spray lubricant all over everything.
Are bushings shot and in need of replacement?