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front end noise (c900)

Hi,

A Saab 900 (1992) question. I recently replaced front ball joints (all four), front shocks, and brake pads. All was well for about a week, but I've just started noticing some noises (a sort of popping sound). This occurs only after making tight turns (such as when parking or making a U-turn), straightening the wheel, and driving straight while applying the brake. At this point I hear the noise (perhaps a couple times, I think from both sides of the car), and then everything is normal again. It sounds as if some sort of tension accumulated while turning is being released.

I didn't hear anything like this before replacing the balljoints/brakes/shocks, and I didn't hear it immediately after the work either. Obviously, all the parts I put in were brand new. Everything was torqued to spec, except the big nut on the lower ball joints (couldn't fit a socket under the CV joint).

What could it be?

Thanks, John

Reply to
John B
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Hopefully helpful wild guesses!

Are the springs seated properly in their caps? Are the shock bushes sitting & tightened properly but *not* overtightened. Dim memory tells me I've had problems with both those about

15 years ago. Cheers
Reply to
hippo

straightening the

the

accumulated

big

Oops - let's try again - this time with the original post. Sorry!

Hopefully helpful wild guesses!

Are the springs seated properly in their caps? Are the shock bushes sitting & tightened properly but *not* overtightened. Dim memory tells me I've had problems with both those about

15 years ago. Sounds like the ball joint nut should be checked out though! Cheers
Reply to
hippo

Given Sod's Law, almost certainly the bolt you couldn't torque !

Graham

Reply to
Pooh Bear

Clicking and cracking noises at low speed in tight turns is an indication for worn CV joints.

Reply to
MH

They should be, since I didn't have the springs out at any time.

Definitely not overtightened. Undertightened if anything.

I tried to err on the side of overtightening those. I wonder if they are too tight? Not sure how that would translate into what I'm hearing, though.

John

Reply to
John B

I'd suspect one of the CV joints - have a good look at the boots for both the inner and outer CV joints on each driveshaft and look for signs of damage or rubber breaking up just from general usage. I've had one of the outer CV's replaced on my 1983 900S about 6 months ago.

If you can get the car to a good Saab mechanica ask them to give the CV's a thorough inspection - they'll be able to tell if anything is wrong even if the boots themselves are completely intact.

Regards,

Craig.

Reply to
Craig's Saab C900 Site

straightening the

If you replaced the MacPherson struts and did not tighten the nut which holds the cartridge in the housing. the cartridge will move freely in the housing, which will cause popping soung. Once you tighten the nut, it'l be fine. If the nut is tight, you must look elsewhere.

Reply to
Klaxon

The C900 doesn't have McP struts (nasty, cheapskate suspension setups grumble grumble) .

Reply to
Grunff

You're calling struts the nasty setup, yes, I hope?

Reply to
Dave Hinz

Indeed - horrible engineering compromise done for the sake of accommodating the transverse-engine-side-gearbox setup that is now ubiquitous.

Reply to
Grunff

in article snipped-for-privacy@individual.net, Dave Hinz at snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net wrote on 08/08/2005 21:40:

I read it as sarcasm, initially :)

Paul

Vart tog vägen vägen? SAAB : Nothing on earth comes close

Reply to
Paul Halliday

Couldn't agree more about the 'orrible compromise bit, but if memory serves, they were first introduced by Ford on pretty well its whole range of NS engined rwd cars, while fwd cars other than Citroen or BMC largely continued with wishbones, shocks and coils until the curse of the accounting department blighted them all with pogo sticks. Cheers

Reply to
hippo

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