Clunking noise in wheel when braking

Ok gang, I'm curious what might be causing this one: I don't know how long this has been going on (usually drive with radio on) but lately I've noticed a clunking noise in the left front wheel when I brake. Just now I jacked up the car and checked for tie rod end/control arm/bearing play and there is none. Tie rod end and the control arm have been changed around this time last year. The clunking is more pronounced when I drive on slippery surfaces and also when I pull into my driveway - I have to go over this bump at the end of the driveway and the clunking is heard pretty good there. I checked and re-lubed the CV joint last year, it seemed fine.... or is it?

Also.... when the car is parked with engine on and I try to rock the steering wheel back and forth, you can hear the clunking as well (rack and pinion assembly???). But when the engine is off (no power steering) and I rock the steering wheel back and forth...there is no clunking.

For your info, this is a 92 Saturn SL1 with 460,000 km (285,000 miles). I've gone through two sets of tie rod ends on each side, one set of control arms. The struts/springs are still original.

Any ideas?

thanks ALex

Reply to
navaidstech
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sounds like bad strut or upper strut mount.. You might here it if you bounce the front end up and down. I just replace both front and rears on my sons 96sc2 and they were original and really shot. He had 128k on the car. Springs were fine but you do have to remove them to replace the struts.

Reply to
p_vouers

Yeah... I was thinking strut mounts as the strut appears to be fine. I also checked underneath the car last nite to take a look at the control arms. I've noticed there seems to be metal-to-metal contact between the stabillizer bar and the control arm (I thightened it too much when replacing it) and now I wonder if this is causing the problem as well.

Thanks for the info

Reply to
navaidstech

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