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Help Diagnose my clunk

H

hshift

New member
Original owner of a 99 GTP, 174K here. I have a clunk that seems to be coming from the rack area or more to the drivers side of the front of the car. The car only makes the noise if it has been sitting awhile. For instance, in the morning, when I back out of my garage, I go straight back, then cut the wheels to the right to head out. I always hear the clunk as Im rolling back and the wheel is turned right. What's puzzling is if I pull back into the garage and repeat the exact same maneuver, it is quiet. It seems to be the car needs to rest 5-10 minutes before it will clunk again. Driving it is fine, I hear no noise. In the last three years I have done struts, LCA's, all mounts, driver side CV axle, passenger side hub, sway bar and end links. This weekend I did the inner and outer tie rods. One thing that has me thinking rack is when I changed the boots on the inners there was an ounce or so of PS fluid in the boots, not sure if this is normal or not as the car is 15 years old and the boots have never been touched. Any ideas?
 


Thinking that as a possibility. Wasn't there a recall or something with the shafts? I remember reading something a long time ago about spraying the shaft with lithium grease to temp fix noises?
 
Only way the find out is to go over everything. I chased a clunk in mine for over a year and litterally replaced everything. Still have the clunk but found out its the front control arm bushings are good but weak so when i backup or move foward right the control arms hit the subframe. The control arms are new and were one of the first things i replaced.
 
I changed mine about 2 years ago, I'll have another look at them. Since my clunk happens only after sitting awhile, I'm thinking it could be a weight/settling kind of issue.
 
Sub frame bushings. I changed everything in the front end and the clunk remained. The sub frame bushings were the last thing to do and it took care of my clunk. That many miles I know they need replaced.
 


hshift said:
Thinking that as a possibility. Wasn't there a recall or something with the shafts? I remember reading something a long time ago about spraying the shaft with lithium grease to temp fix noises?
Click to expand...

There wasn't a recall so much as a service bulletin. General Motors hasn't really gotten intermediate shafts right since it dumped rag joints.

It sounds like the lube in the shaft may be dried.
 
Haven't had time to get underneath yet, but the sound DOES seem to be coming from the subframe bushing area. Will update when I can get under and have a look. Will also blast the ISS with grease, at least to see if the noise changes pitch or loudness.
 
It will be hard to tell if they are failing visually. The rubber starts to separate from metal and you cant see it cause it is sandwiched in the sub frame. I would only put GM bushings in.
 
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