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Clunking in steering wheel when turning or in a turn...

R

rizer

New member
Hello guys, just bought a 04 GTP and it had this clunking noise you feel in the steering wheel when your moving and turning the wheel or during the turn and your not spinning the steering wheel. Doesnt really do it when going straight unless you hit a bump in the road just right. The struts feel look, it makes the bumps really good and dont really clunk when hitting bumps drivng straight.

Any advice on what to inspect?
 


I guess i should ask, would the ISS still be the issue if its clunking in the wheel even when im not spinning the wheel yet in a turn?
 
you need to go over the whole front end, jack it up push and pull the tires to feel for play, push and pull at the 3 and 9 o clock areas to test the tie rods, and 12 and 6 to test the ball joints.

jack one wheel up at a time then test it.
 
I had a lot of noise coming from the front of my 2004 GT and everything seemed tight. As the car had over 160k on it, I changed out the sway bar links even though they felt solid. The left front one fell apart as I took it off and the car got real quiet with the new ones on.
 


Check ya strut mounts and subframe bushings also. Depending on how many miles or how hard the car has been driven, the subframe mounts may be less likely the issue but the strut mounts are always a definate possibility....
 
I actually had my first try this morning at looking at the car. The sway bar links look good, no play in the wheel, struts seem okay. Only thing I could see possibly wrong is the tie rod ends rubber bushing is cracked and also the sway bar bushings on the frame seem to be cracked and stretched out, the bar has alot of room to move around. Could those bushings (not links) cause that noise?
 
usually the steering shaft my ssei does the same thing, i haven't gotten around to replacing it yet though, maybe tomorrow lol.

to answer your question a clunk is usually a metal to metal, you can try putting chassis grease in anything you might think is making the noise and if it goes away for a little bit then that is most likely the problem area. Just my 2 cents.
 


rizer said:
I actually had my first try this morning at looking at the car. The sway bar links look good, no play in the wheel, struts seem okay. Only thing I could see possibly wrong is the tie rod ends rubber bushing is cracked and also the sway bar bushings on the frame seem to be cracked and stretched out, the bar has alot of room to move around. Could those bushings (not links) cause that noise?
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Your sway bar bushings should have a stretched out look and have a crack which is actually the split for the bushing to go on the sway bar. I doubt highly that's you're clunk issue do what was recommended as far as lubing the iss and the sway bar end links. If it continues probably time for new strut mounts
 
im startin to lean toward the strut bushings :/ Just installed just sway bar links and bushings, didnt help. However the drivers side wheel does have a slight play at 9/3 and 12/6. It's just a weird rubbery popping sound, not a consistent pop and even makes it when during a slow turn not on the gas or turning the wheel .
 
Then definately check the motor mount/tranny mount/dogbones. They may look ok, but it only takes the slightest wear to allow that motor to rock/move and make weird popping noises. but, again depending on the mileage of the car and how hard it was driven, i would take a look at the subframe bushings and definately the strut mounts. Do a load test, that may help rule some things out.
 
rizer said:
im startin to lean toward the strut bushings :/ Just installed just sway bar links and bushings, didnt help. However the drivers side wheel does have a slight play at 9/3 and 12/6. It's just a weird rubbery popping sound, not a consistent pop and even makes it when during a slow turn not on the gas or turning the wheel .
Click to expand...


to check the strut mounts, open the hood and look at the rubber around the center bolt there. theres rubber under the bolt that wears out. now start the car and rock the steering wheel back and fourth and watch the center part, if its moving back and fourth its time for new mounts.

i also had clunking while turning, i replaced everything, rack, inner tie rods, outer tie rods, strut mounts, new sway bar and bushings and end links and the intermediate shaft. as well as new trans and motor mounts. still had the clunk. all that stuff needed to be changed, so its not like i was just throwing money at it. it was over time replacing it all.

finally, new lower control arms fixed all that noise.

since then i changed a hub, and the other side is on its way out now. wish they cost less.
 
Hey Scott should the intermediate shaft be changed with rack and pinion out or can it be don't with it in? I may replace mine while I'm at the rack?

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if its not clunking id leave it alone. its one you feel in the steering wheel. not heard so much.

its a pita to change. i only changed it cause i got one at a part out, i picked up a steering column complete shaft to air bag for 20 bucks, so i swapped it out. didnt help. that would be the only part i changed for no reason other then trying to stop the clunk.

but having 212,000 when i bought it will do that for ya......once i get new struts and another hub put on, ill have a whole new front end, literally.
 
That makes since. I'll just leave mine alone cause I think its fine. I'm hoping all the strange vibration and feelings are solved when I put the new stuff I ordered in

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