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Car problem: Front suspension noise coming from the 240SX

M

mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
I have some clicking and groaning noises coming from the front of the car when I turn the wheels during slow speeds (like backing out of a driveway or parking spot). Anyone know what it could be? This is on the 240SX (RWD so it can't be a problem wiht the CVs since i don't have any)
 
Need a better description.

Does it happen only at low speeds ?
Can you feel roughness in the steering wheel when this is occuring ?
Only backing up ?
Brake pedal low ?
Steering wheel shimmy present at any speed ?
Does it occur only when braking ?


Please elaborate.
 
Only happens at low speeds. Could be when I'm backing out of a space or driving forward and making a turn (left or right). I can't really feel any roughness in the steering wheel...I'm not sure what is roughness and what isn't. If I'm driving on rough roads, I can feel hte steering wheel shake.

The clicking noise used to come before interrmitenly (sp?) but now it comes every time I turn the wheel when the car is stopped of when moving very slowly. At normal cruising speeds everything is fine.

The brakes are also fine..nothing wrong with the brakes.

Also I don't know if this is related to anything, but when I push down on top of the driver side rear wheel, I hear a faint clicking noise coming. The car isn't bouncy (it has a stiff suspension from factory) but it does make a faint clicking noise. The passenger side is fine though.
 
Sorry, still too early in the morning. Have you checked your steering fluid. Could be low causing the groaning noise.
 
I had shuddering on my front end when driving at ~70mph. It turned out to be busted anti roll bar rods (on the repair receipt they called them torsion rods). The clicking.. are you sure it's not the tires rolling across loose pebbles?
 
Originally posted by: cmf21
Sorry, still too early in the morning. Have you checked your steering fluid. Could be low causing the groaning noise.
Click to expand...

Powersteering fluid could do that? Didn't know that...will check it out when the car comes back in the driveway...

 
Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
i know i don't have cv joints in the front. maybe your thinking of a ball joint.
Click to expand...
I went back and re-read your post and saw you said it was coming from the front but didn't edit my post.
So, yeah, if it's coming from the front then it's not a CV joint. I'd still be surpised if your car had no CV joints at all though. 😛

Have you checked you power-steering fluid level lately?
 
Originally posted by: geno
It means you need an SR20DET swap - stat!! 😀
Click to expand...

Everytime I goto sleep....I wake up knowing that I raced my SR20DET 240SX on several racetracks around the world...and I came in first place everytime!
 
The brakes are also fine..nothing wrong with the brakes.
Click to expand...

I didn't ask that,I asked if it occured while braking.
I need to know to diagnose your problem.
 
Sounds like stabilizer bushings are gone. Not sure how that could have happened, but I can't imagine what else it could be!

SWAY BAR LINK KIT $17.24

See if there's a strut bushing too. It may need to be snugged up or replaced, but that would throw your alignment off.
 
Thanks for your help guys.

Roger: sorry I mis-read your post. No, nothing happens during braking. What I should have said was 'it was brakes fine'.

I hope it is the bushings rather than anything else since they are cheap and easy to replace...and if you don't replace them for some time...it doesn't really matter.

Anyway I gotta get to studying...got a midterm on tuesday...NOO!
 
Bushings, ball joints, or it just could need to be oiled. When was the last time that you had the chassis lubed?

IF you go to a full service oil chnage place that says they lube the chassis, you have to ask for it or they do not do it.
 
Well we bought the car used last December with 113k kms..now it has around 126k kms...never had the chassis lubed (didn't know you could do that). Just had the oil changed a few times and that was it.

Do I need special oil..or can I just use grease to put over all the joints?
 
You have to use a grease gun to inject grease into the fittings, if it even has grease fittings. Sometimes factory joints don't have 'em. You'll need to use white lithium grease in a spray can to get it between the sway bar bushings and the sway bar. I'm worried the strut rod bushings are worn. You might need to buy a set of those and have it aligned at the time they're installed.
 
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