Hi there,

I am getting a really loud "clunk" from the front of my rex, this happens when the wheels are almost at full lock, when i turn right, the left side clunks and when i turn left, the right side makes noise. This is especially bad when there is less load on the wheel at the time. For example going over a bump in reverse at full lock gives a louder clunk than normal. I have checked underneath and found nothing visually that looks out of place. I have also given the wheel a wiggle but there is no free movement what so ever. The car doesn't seem to do it when driving normally but there is a small knocking sound under heavy braking and when going into reverse. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Things to check:

* Sway bar mounts
* Power steering rack bolts
* A-arm bushings

 

Big one is the steering rack bolts. I've seen more than one FD with VERY loose bolts, the rack slops around. If the bolts came completely off that could be extremely dangerous.

If that is the case, you might need to replace the power steering rack bushings, they might be damaged. Either way it's CRAZY easy to fix, just get under the car and there's the bolts.

Oh, I would put some Loctite on the bolts to keep them in place for the long term.

Dale

 

I checked the steering rack bolts today and they are all tight, there are four in total am i correct? also the sway bar mounts... are they the small links on the end of the bars or is there somewhere else i should be looking? The links are slightly worn but that's not the noise i'm hearing

 

The sway bar mounts are the brackets that hold the sway bar to the frame. They apear to be made out of sheet metal with a bunch of holes in them.

 

^The mounts tend to fatique and crack over time, especially with hard use or use of a stiffer-than-stock sway-bar. Look closely at them with a flashlight. Sometimes it isn't obvious at first glance.
RE: the upper 'A' arms....they can develope an ability to slide back and forth between the mounting flanges on the chassis. Look closely for signs of that fore and aft sliding. In my experience though, this is usually heard and felt during slow speeds and stopping going forward or backing up.....not turning.

 

i had that exact same issue,
1. was the steering rack botl was loose on the passanger side.
2. last mechanic that put my MS coil-overs guess he forgot to put the bushings and it would clunk when getting out the drive way, going over speed bumps, etc...

if your suspension is stock, might want to take a look on how much play is around the bushings around the area where you hear the clunk. chances are they are shot.

glwe.

 

Thanks for the input. I was hoping that it was the steering rack bolts as I have only just started noticing it. It would be unlucky for the bushes to go together on both sides How many bolts are there on the steering rack, I checked four in the centre, in a rectangle shape if that makes any sense. They all seemed tight so I was a little dissapointed with that. I just don't want anything bad to happen like the wheel bearings going and the wheel falling off lol.

 

Yep, there are 4 rack bolts. If they're tight that's not it.

Might be worth taking the car to an alignment shop and having them get under the car and inspect/shove/wiggle things.

Dale

 

If your car is lowered, and the sway bar mounts are raised from the stock position, the sway bar could be hitting the tie rods. Depends on your setup, but it can happen.

 

Yep.


How many miles on the car? Any suspension mods?

 

The car has done just over 90,000 miles. I have not modified the suspension in any way. I had the car on the ramp today and found out that it was one of the top wishbone (or A-arm) bushes on both sides of the car, can you replace just the bush or will I need to buy a new arm? if so where is the best place to get replacement parts? Thanks for all your help in diagnosing the problem!

 

I've got the same problem and priced out the bushings from Ray. Around $50-60 a peice can't remember exacly. They need to be pressed in. The whole A-arm is $290 and $260 for both.

 

Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda. (888) 533-3400

Great discounts, fast service and shipping!

 

Buying the whole arm might be worthwhile once you factor in labor and down time to R&R those bushings.

Also keep in mind that the ball joint is not servicable/replaceable. Ball joint requires replacement of the a arm