Steering Play / Clunking While Turning

bubbeck · Post by **bubbeck** » 24 Jul 2020, 08:58

Hey folks,

I've got some clunking coming out the front end during slow speed turning (esp when braking while turning, e.g. turning into a parking spot) that I've been trying to diagnose. Ball joints/CA feel good (can't move wheel at 12 and 6), spring seats feel fine (no moving while bouncing on the car, seem intact by feel), sway bar end links are tight.

There is however motion on both sides when I grab the wheels at 3 and 9 with one wheel on the ground and with both off the ground, and it feels like the motion is in the steering rack. How much of this play is normal, or is my power steering rack maybe going? Outer tie rod ends are good, the inners I haven't pulled the boots off to check yet but they're fairly new, so I doubt they've gone. Any other things I should check?

Thanks!

Post by **scot850** » 24 Jul 2020, 12:56

It might be the inner tie-rods. You will need to get someone to turn the steering wheel while you look. They don't need to turn it far, just enough t load the rods. Feel and watch for delayed moving of the wheels. If they are bad I would expect to be seeing wear on the outsides of the front tires.

Having said that, I don't normally associate clunking from the front when moving the wheel. That I would expect more from the ball-joints or spring mounts, or even the sub-frame bushes going.

Neil.

bubbeck · Post by **bubbeck** » 27 Jul 2020, 11:28

Huh. I'll pull the boots and check the inner tie rods I suppose. When I was looking at it the other night, it seemed like one of the strut springs could rotate in the spring seat a little. I grabbed it and wiggled it some and seems to have seated and since haven't been able to reproduce the problem. So maybe I fixed it?

Post by **manovlov** » 27 Jul 2020, 12:13

Hy,

+ 1 with Neil's mind : I went to Netherland to pick up my 850. On the test time there, there was a noise that seems to look as the one you've heard. It was the strut mount. Replacing the all front suspension (strut...) everything is now normal. The strut mount is the track to explore. I doubt to be able to solve an issue just moving a part. If it's the case, something is unscrewed.

Manov

Post by **scot850** » 27 Jul 2020, 12:18

That is strange. IF you look carefully using a flash-light you can often see if the top front spring mounts are starting to fail. You will see s crack appearing between the metal bush and the rubber around it.

Better is to use a impact gun and remove the top nut on the strut with the car on the ground and weighted. This will spring the nut off allowing the top plate to be removed giving a much better view of the spring seat condition.

If all is currently good glad to hear it.

Neil.