98 S70 N/A 5-speed, Loud "KER-FLUNK" from the front end... Topic is solved

[theWIFES_S70]

Update:
We've put on over a thousand miles since I first created this post, the sound is not any worse (or better). Again, the car is riding true and we have nary any vibrations in the cabin when driving on the highway!

I have been paying attention to when we get the noise:

- when accelerating, sometimes,
- and when braking really hard, sometimes...
- AND, when reversing and turning the wheel all the way to the left...

That last bit of information points to CV axle no??

Axles:
- Passenger side has a rusted up, old Napa axle of indeterminate age. The outer boot on the axle is ill-fitting and doesn't lay right on it... no torn boots.

- Driver side is a cheap ($65) PepBoys axle, approx two years old.

Should I just pony up (roll the dice) and get two new A1Cardones in there? Yes, I know you're supposed to get one from a junkyard and rebuild it... But I can't do that here.

[abscate]

Is it a one time, Kerr-flunk , and then no more noise? I still think that points to suspension..

[theWIFES_S70]

I hope you're right, abscate! I haven't had the time to get to this... If the weather cooperates next Saturday, than I'll get to the bottom of it. (Lemforder sway endlinks and MeyleHD control arms). Is there anyway to check the inner CV joint(s) while the car is on? I don't want to end up having to get two alignments later on... I love my alignment shop here in Queens (Auburndale Tire) but it's such a neophyte move to go in two/three weeks in a row. Hahahaha

[abscate]

Why don't we put it up in stands next trip up here and end this thread?..

[theWIFES_S70]

Why don't we put it up in stands next trip up here and end this thread?..

I wish!! I do have to drive up this week, but it's a quick up and down trip! No time to play Volvo.

[theWIFES_S70]

The Kerflunk is getting more pronounced... Did about three hours of local NYC driving today. Had scheduled this Sunday to swap out my old Napa axle, Meyle HD control arms, and get some Lemforder sway end links in there, in addition to changing the oil and bleeding some brakes... (I also need to do an air-box mod--my air filter is clean as a whistle in two years of NYC driving?!) ... but instead will be seeing the Tax man!

- Kerflunk is noticeable when taking off from a stop, almost all the time. It's more of a "rubbery" kerflunk now, if that makes any sense.

- 80.7% of the time when I go over speed bumps, the noise occurs. (Sometimes I take those speed real bumps slow!)

- No real noticeable vibrations at highway speed.

- Alignment is finally off a little... So this front end work will be much welcomed!

- Sound is present when turning the wheel and accelerating fast, i.e., for u-turns and for parallel parking. (Not the typical CV "click," more of a "kerflunk.")

I really hope this isn't a sway bar bushing issue.

[theWIFES_S70]

No idea if I've figured this out.

But...

I replaced the sway end links with Lemforders. (The Karlyns weren't too bad though...)

One of my control arm (driver's side) had bushings with crazy cracks on it...

s70_badbushings.jpg (74.52 KiB) Viewed 1617 times

The other control arm had a noisy ball joint.

Both were replaced with Meyle HDs and are being shipped back to FCP tomorrow.

Don't know if this will take care of the KER-FLUNK, but certainly looks like there were things that need to be replaced... And yes, I know I should have gotten Lemforders...

[abscate]

Not too bad - Im not even sure the rubber has let moisture into the interior space. I bet that loose ball joint is it.

Didn't we jack this up and look for looseness before? This is one of the times it pays to be up in the air where you can really wiggle stuff to see whats going on.

[beigg]

balljoint is the 99% culprit.