# Still chasing front end noise



## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

OK, so I know I've posted on this before, but I've done a LOT of troubleshooting on this and think I can describe the noise better now. Hopefully someone has dealt with this before and know what it is.

I have a strange clunky type noise when 

1) I encounter bumps. This happens regardless of whether I'm accelerating/decelrating or turning either direction. I don't believe my struts are shot because the car doesnt bounce it absorbs the bumps well. It just makes a clunky noise doing so. When I say clunky noise I mean a sound similiar to that of shifting gears, except that it happens over each bump and I know the car is not shifting at those times.

2)I let off the accelerator and am coasting. This seems to happen in all gears, although it's hard to verify whether it happens in Reverse. This is the exact same noise as described in 1) above.

So far I've checked all the motor mounts and the bolts associated with them. I've removed the sway bar entirely and noticed no change. I've used a jack in every conceivable place to move the engine/transaxle to find a clunk to no avail. I've also grasped the wheels and noticed no play in them. I

I recently had new tires balanced and put on and an alignment. The car runs great and has no vibration associated with the noise. It almost sounds like some sort of gear lash. The car is an automatic and I can't seem to put the bumps and decelereation into one common cause.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm hoping that by describing the problem in greater detail and describing what I've checked someone may be able to diagnose this problem. I'm an engineer who does troubleshooting for a living and this thing taunts me every day I drive home.


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## SentraGuy101 (Nov 23, 2004)

Heh its funny that you brought this up today, because i have been having the same problem...I notice it big time when i turn or when i go into reverse and turn...Most of the time i dont even need to be turning, but i found that there is a higher chance that it will occur when i do. So after getting home from the gym i sat in the car while i had someone look under it. I put my foot on the brake and put it in reverse and sure enough it began making that noise. For some reason i had thought that it was going to be the tranny because of the gear sounding noise, but i discovered that it was my aftermarket exhaust pipping...its either not put on tight enough or is missing one of its flanges(or whatever you call those haha)...The noise is comming from the pipe bouncing and hitting the bottom of my car...Gonna fix it soon so the pipe doesnt get damaged...Hope this helps ya out some, cause i know that noise bothered me for a long time..


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

Hmm, I'll check that out. I still have stock exhaust, but it may have gotten bent or something. My sound seems to be coming front and center, not from either side, so that is possible given the exhaust routing.


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## jer28 (Jan 20, 2003)

I've got the same noise on my 91 dsm. I've had to change out outer tie rod ends, balljoints, sway bar ends, and all sorts of stuff. I cannot find the source of this clunk either. I think it may be the ujoint on the steering wheel shaft in my case. I got the ujoint to make a similar noise once, but then I tightened it. I still have the noise but cannot seem to make the ujoint make the noise again. It is a very frustrating thing. I will check the exhaust though, I don't think that I looked at that yet.


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## I'm Slow (Dec 30, 2004)

check ALL the heatshields and possibly do a tranny fluid drain and refill mabye your fluid is too cold/old/low


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## live4snow (Jan 5, 2005)

I too have had that "clunky noise" that you refer to. And like Sentraguy101 says, it turns out it was my aftermarket exhaust too. Except it wasnt hitting the bottom of my car but it was hanging too low in the back and hitting on some cross suspension bar in the rear. (Please pardon my lack of knowledge of names)


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## PeaNutB13 (Apr 14, 2004)

*REWARD FOR THE CAPTURE OF THE ELUSIVE KLUNK SOUND!* 



I have also posted a few times on this same subject and still have'nt found the gremlin yet. I was talking to a friend today and he suggested I should look into the engine mounts. Man I am about to wire up the DV cam and some well placed microphones and go for a drive over some BIG speed bumps!



*WHERE THE HELL IS THAT KLUNK SOUND COMMING FROM I SAY! *


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

Ok, so far tonight I've remove the heatshields from the downpipe to the cat. This one seemed the sketchiest. Whe I removed it I found the points where the exhaust actuall touched the heatshields were very corroded, maybe there is some vibration there. I drove for a while and noticed it seems a little better after heatup, so maybe there's something to this exhaust idea. It seemed a little better, but still much louder than I expect. Next up are the remaining heat shields (After a cooldown). I've also snugged up the hood and trunk latches and made sure the doors don't shake at all when latched. At this point I'm looking everywhere.

I'll let you know how these mods go. At least I'm shaving weight off, it seems faster already!

My friend has a 94 altima with the same sound. Dunno what engine it is, but I'm beginning to put more faith in the theory that it's caused by the Nissan emblem and the blue paint our cars share. Anyone else have a blue nissan with a clunk?


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

Peanut, have you replaced your struts and springs yet? Did that help at all?


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## PeaNutB13 (Apr 14, 2004)

94econobox said:


> Peanut, have you replaced your struts and springs yet? Did that help at all?


My other post


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## PeaNutB13 (Apr 14, 2004)

Oh yeah I just got my spring isolators the other day. I just need to pull it all apart again. :woowoo:


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm declaring victory! After removing the downpipe and downpipe-to-cat heat-shields, there is NO clunk when decelerating. That leaves only the clunk when hitting bumps and this has been greatly reduced. Further investigation/replacement would cost way too much for as minor as this noise has become. I am simply chalking the small remaining clunk over bumps up to "well, it is a $600 2400lb vehicle hitting a bump, it's going to make some noise."

Thanks to SentraGuy101 and slow200 for the tips that led to the capture and execution of one Ann Oying Clunk. She spent months on the lam but was eventually busted with the help of everyday citizens like your self. I wouldn't hold your breath for reward money, though.


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## Jed118 (Nov 15, 2004)

Could also be your front stabilizer bar has lost the bottom part of the stabilizer link, causing the 14mm bolt to bash against the control arm over any bumps. 

It happened to my buddy who had a sentra too. It was on the passenger side aswell.

I noticed it when I was retapping a broken bolt hole (making a new hole) in the stabilizer bar-to-frame mount: I was tightening it, and I noticed something moving, and it was a nut on a bolt. I looked closely to see that the lower washer had detached itself somehow and im betting sooner rather than later the rubber cushion worked it's way loose. It's hard to notice this, because when you raise the car, the control arms drop and the bolt hides inside the control arm. It looks like its attached. 

Careful removing these: I snapped what was left of mine. You're supposed to hold it with a wrench and unscrew with a socket. I just used the socket and it snapped off. Now I have to buy a new one :dumbass: I could have unscrewed it and put a new washer (and probably reuse a pony bushing, or even a GM one I have for some reason) 

And if it isn't that, at least everyone reading this now knows how to remove a stabilizer link. :thumbup:


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## clean93xe (Jan 2, 2005)

*same here*

I have the same problem. I roll 17's on a 2-door being one of the reasons for the klunking sound when ''I'' turn (Drive-Axel). I also have a rattling sound. It sounds like a can with rocks in it only between 1-25mph and driving regular down a (straight road). I was told the rattling sound is coming from inside my engine and that sound is just a warning to show that I have a low Oil level even though I just had a new used-engine (70,000m) put in. I checked my oil level after hearing the sound and it seems to be at the same level as it was before i drove that time. The only reason this seems to both me is because with the rattling sound that yall here, I heard it even worse on my other (119,000m) ditched engine that seemed to burn extreme amounts of oil over time. Well that was having to do with the shot oil-pan. If I (grandma) my car where ever I go I never seem to hear the rattling sound except in high-temps in the summer.


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

I've found and fixed the remaining noise over bumps. The battery was slightly loos in its tray. Turns out this noise was actually at least three different things, the battery, exhaust heat-shields and a loose motor mount bolt. This explains why no one was able to post a reply that completely solved my problem, although I thank all those who tried.

For those of you still searching for your clunk, I recommend you take an approach of "what is moving that shouldn't?" Go over every inch of the car not just the suspension or steering components although it may sound like that's where it comes from. I don't know if they had anything to do with my clunk, but thanks to an exhaustive search, I now have doors that latch easier, a trunklid that shuts tighter and compresses its gasket better (fixed my trunk leak) and a hood that latches tighter (cut down on cowl shake) so not only is the clunk gone the car just feels newer and more solid for $0! A very worthwhile effort indeed!


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## CAI (Jul 14, 2004)

*same noise*

i had the same noise but mine was coming from my strut tower bar being to close to the eccs it could be your problem if you have one


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## toolapcfan (Jul 10, 2002)

I had similar noises when my wheel bearings were going out.


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## shipleyleslie2 (Jan 13, 2022)

SentraGuy101 said:


> Heh its funny that you brought this up today, because i have been having the same problem...I notice it big time when i turn or when i go into reverse and turn...Most of the time i dont even need to be turning, but i found that there is a higher chance that it will occur when i do. So after getting home from the gym i sat in the car while i had someone look under it. I put my foot on the brake and put it in reverse and sure enough it began making that noise. For some reason i had thought that it was going to be the tranny because of the gear sounding noise, but i discovered that it was my aftermarket exhaust pipping...its either not put on tight enough or is missing one of its flanges(or whatever you call those haha)...The noise is comming from the pipe bouncing and hitting the bottom of my car...Gonna fix it soon so the pipe doesnt get damaged...Hope this helps ya out some, cause i know that noise bothered me for a long time..


i had the same noise i rebuild the front brake caliper still there i pulled the disc off to check grease see a crack in the bearing race i changed it all better hope it helps


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## shipleyleslie2 (Jan 13, 2022)

94econobox said:


> OK, so I know I've posted on this before, but I've done a LOT of troubleshooting on this and think I can describe the noise better now. Hopefully someone has dealt with this before and know what it is.
> 
> I have a strange clunky type noise when
> 
> ...


check the bearing race front hub mine was cracked seems good now


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