clunk sound

[Andy]

My miata is making kind of a clunking sound when i turn the steering wheel not all the way to the left or right but just a tad. If it means anything i recently installed fm sways and racing beat end links.

[HellaRareYellow]

Well this pertains to me. I have FM sway bars with stock endlink.

Is this clunk your hearing, more of a pop? Like the sound you hear when flick your finger out of your mouth?

I've started hearing that sound when I go on uneven ground aka up curb then up my inclined driveway. Sounds like its coming from the front right area. Hadn't thought of the sway bar. I'll have to jack it up and take a look at what I see.

[Willywongka]

I think I also have this "clunk" sound and I do recall the guy that did an alignment on my car once saying that changing the bushings on my sway bars will solve it, not sure if its true or not. Hell, I got so many damned clinks and clanks while driving I don't even know where to begin!

[Andy]

Well this pertains to me. I have FM sway bars with stock endlink.

Is this clunk your hearing, more of a pop? Like the sound you hear when flick your finger out of your mouth?

I've started hearing that sound when I go on uneven ground aka up curb then up my inclined driveway. Sounds like its coming from the front right area. Hadn't thought of the sway bar. I'll have to jack it up and take a look at what I see.

I can tell you this. when ever i jack up the car the suspensions makes a lot of clicking creaking sounds. I say it is the sway bar attached to the car. never happened once without the fm ones. Once i install the fm ones it happens.

[HellaRareYellow]

I wonder if the 2 brackets that hold the sway bar to the chassis are loose. Or best idea yet...... the bushing on the swaybar to chassis area is dried up and needs a good greasing.

[Andy]

that could be the problem. Ill take a look into that. On another note my car makes a sound that sounds like a vibrating like someone left a tool under the hood. I know i did not leave one and I double checked. any idea what it could be? It happens even if I am coasting. I think it has to do with car speed.

[HellaRareYellow]

Do some tests to find out if its speed or rpm first. That will help narrow it down. Does it sound like a rattle from loose heat shielding? My stock exhaust system has quite the rattle from heat shielding. Can't wait to get rid of it.

[Andy]

Seems to be speed. If i throw it in neutral i can still here it even if the rps drop all the way to 800.

[Andy]

just checked it is not anything visible, not heat shield.

[HellaRareYellow]

Ok. Possible wheel bearing or bad axle then?

[Andy]

Yah i was thinking it was a wheel bearing. Do you know how to test for this? How expensive do these things go for?

[Andy]

Well tomorrow when i have time ill lift the car and vigorously shake the rim and see where that gets me

[HellaRareYellow]

You can do it on the ground. If its bad it should wiggle.

[Andy]

I tried it today. Te only wiggle i got was actually turning the steering wheel. I wiggled it so had the steering wheel actually turned

[zenit]

Just do the works while you're under the car.

Wheel bearings going bad can be hard to diagnose, and you'll know that you've got a nearly completely new front end.

Front bearings: Easy. Took me about 30 minutes to swap both. If it's the first time you've done it, it might take 2 hours.
- You'll need 1/2" Breaker bar with 1 1/8" six point socket with an extension and a 14mm socket for the brake caliper.
- 2 Front Wheel Bearings($100 ea. Timken or $150 ea. ART spec hubs)

Sway Bar Bushing: Really Easy. 30 mins for both. It should only take about an hour if you haven't ever done it.
- You'll need 12mm socket and new rubber/poly ($10-20)

Sway Bar Endlinks: Easy if have the right tool or if you replace the entire link instead of the bushing.
- You'll need 12mm socket and 12mm wrench and new rubber/poly ($10-20)
- The tool you'll need to swap the bushing is: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-ball-joint-u-joint-c-frame-press-service-kit-38335.html It's also good for doing the full ES bushing swap.
- Or you could just do these: http://949racing.com/SuperMiata-miata-end-links.aspx

[kung fu jesus]

My miata is making kind of a clunking sound when i turn the steering wheel not all the way to the left or right but just a tad. If it means anything i recently installed fm sways and racing beat end links.

Is the car moving or not?


that could be the problem. Ill take a look into that. On another note my car makes a sound that sounds like a vibrating like someone left a tool under the hood. I know i did not leave one and I double checked. any idea what it could be? It happens even if I am coasting. I think it has to do with car speed.

Speedo cable.

These noises would be easier to diagnose if you made a video.

[Andy]

yah let me try to post said video.

[IanL]

Just installed the same setup (RB links, FM sways) and had a mystery "clunk" form the rear when turning. Turned out that one of the endlinks did not get tightened all the way down, so the swaybar was sliding back and forth in the bushings... the noise was from it contacting the rear subframe. Check around the bushings, I had a little grease get smeared out on the sway on either side of the bushing from it moving side-to-side.