CV clunk

[1-3-2-4]

I noticed when doing work on the car and inspecting the boots I touched the inner CV joint with the front end lifted and I hear that same clunk when I'm on/off throttle.

 

Anyways to get to the point it has play in the inner CV joint that connects to the stub axle has some play in it but not the passenger side CV.

 

bad CV joint?

[snowscooby]

I would have to think that the CVs should be consistent on both sides of your car. I have found the cv a to be a fairly simple fix, and you can get them for about 100$ (I think).

[1-3-2-4]

So a bad CV joint then? the inner is held in by a dowel pin right?

[ericem]

So a bad CV joint then? the inner is held in by a dowel pin right?

 

yup

[1-3-2-4]

funny I just went out to the car to check my fluid levels (night owl) and I went to the passenger side and it has almost the same play in it.. I will have to get a video when it's day.

[ericem]

The inner cv always had play I find on the stub itself. If you have noises check suspension like ball joints.

[idosubaru]

right on, unless you define "touch" and "clunk" a little better it sounds normal to me. they have some play while stationary.

 

are they subaru axles or aftermarket? aftermarket axles are prone to all sorts of issues, just about anything can happen.

[1-3-2-4]

I can't tell you if they are aftermarket or not since it was like this when I picked it up.

 

I think the play in the passenger side balljoint might be the issue of the steering shake but not sure if it's the clunk.. will find out today..

 

Also you know on the front swaybar how on the endlink you have a adjustment bolt well I do think i turned the wrong one does that bolt with the hash marks effect the alignment or the swaybar?

[1-3-2-4]

Just an update I replaced both inner and outer tie rods and both balljoints and I still have the clunk and vibration in the wheel.

 

I've been trying to get a sound file but it's not very audible in the car with my mic and in the engine bay the engine is too loud.

[idosubaru]

do you think it could be strut related? warn struts will clunk - i've only swapped entire assemblies so i guess the top hats, bushings, or strut itself could fail.

 

brakes - what's their story?

 

can you describe what it is you're trying to fix? you still haven't defined it except to say you thought it was CV related and then maybe not?

 

is it a clunk when turning, moving, sitting, decel, accel, cruising, etc?

 

i would have been inclined to try the same. i'm not surprised the ball joints/tie rods didn't fix it. subaru tie rod failure is very rare..like never really happens for no reason. same with soob ball joints. torn boots of course cause issues, but that's different.

[1-3-2-4]

first of all the tie rod was shot.. I declined to take a picture because I felt it was not worth it.. but being able to move the rod in up and down in the socket is no good.. plus the boot had been long torn..

 

Brakes are fine I'm done with those..

 

Clunk happens if I say snap the throttle close on acceleration Or anything that causes the car to shake front and backwards like a poor shift down.

 

Also I get the vibration in the wheel which I thought it was a bad OFB wheel but I swapped back to front and it still existed.

 

I'm going to try again to get a sound clip maybe if I do pick up something I can amplify it.

[idosubaru]

can you tell if it's right/left or central?

does it do it at all speeds?

 

there's still probably a lot of possibilities but i'd lean towards the CV axle. probably an aftermarket axle was used.

 

if it was a strut i would expect noises on hard bumps, pot holes, speed bumps, etc but doesn't sound like that's it which is probably why you didn't say anything about those?

[1-3-2-4]

it's really hard to say but I'm 80% sure it's the drivers side I'm sure it would do it at all speeds but really happens at low speeds like 0-40 MPH because of the needing to shift and pushing the clutch in which relaxes the drivetrain.

 

I'm about to step out here so I'm going to see if I can get some type of sound clip.

[idosubaru]

rotted/warn bushings will cause clunks too, my XT6 clunks every time i use the clutch because the bushing on the top of the rear diff is shot. not sure which bushings could cause that for you though?

[1-3-2-4]

it's for sure caused by application from the throttle it's impossible to really do by shaking and pulling things while under the car..

 

Could be a strut If only I working cored mic.. I'm not about to put my $160 mic under the hood and it falls out.

[idosubaru]

did we ever cover year, model, and mileage?

 

if it's that connected to throttle i'm thinking bushings which leads to engine mounts. if those are bad the engine will "rock".

 

will it clunk if you gas it while sitting still?

[1-3-2-4]

did we ever cover year, model, and mileage?

 

if it's that connected to throttle i'm thinking bushings which leads to engine mounts. if those are bad the engine will "rock".

 

will it clunk if you gas it while sitting still?

 

 

The car is a 95 Legacy L wagon

 

the car will not clunk when sitting still

[1-3-2-4]

I made the file and I took as much bass rumble out in the software

 

Legacyclunk.mp3

[1-3-2-4]

I guess everyone is stumped like me?

[idosubaru]

it's hard to hear - is it like a mutliple clunk when it happens - like 2, 3, 4 little clunks sort of rattling verses one loud clunk? that's sort of what i heard but it was hard to tell.

[1-3-2-4]

The sound you hear is it most of the time it's 2 or more clunks before of the force of the car rocking the whole car forward and backwards a few times.

Edited September 3, 2010 by 1-3-2-4

[1-3-2-4]

here is another clip edited because people said it had too much background sound in it.. can't miss it, it's at the start of the clip and at the end.

 

http://www.4shared.com/audio/01gu2ani/_2__Legacyclunk.html

[idosubaru]

dude, that is so bizarre?

 

i feel like i asked this already but does it do it while sitting still? if you rev the engine up and then let the throttle close, will it still make the noise or you have to be moving?

 

if it doesn't do it while sitting still (which i feel like you implied before), then it shouldn't be engine related. but it's strictly related to throttle - i can hear it?

[1-3-2-4]

no it does not do it while sitting still and revving the engine it's related to the throttle and body movement relative to how quick the throttle is shut when moving.

 

I would try to make the sound by pushing the car back and forth but I'm not that strong the annoying part is it's hard to locate it while sitting in the car

 

here is a youtube video a did a few weeks ago inside the car

 

 

as you see I'm parked and revving the engine as I said you wont hear it because the car is not moving.

Edited September 5, 2010 by 1-3-2-4

[1-3-2-4]

a person thinks it could be a motor or tranny mount? I think it would be impossible to shift those things by hand while the car is not moving.