Tommy99TL

I did replace them as the same time with a set of front stuck and the clunking is still exist. I did inspect all the ball joints as Kris mentioned, there're no leak, is that means they're still good condition?

oulaw29

I started getting a rattle when I accidently went over about 4 giant road nipples. Managed to bend my left side rims in the process, and my alarm no longer works, and my car pulls to the right bad now. There is a rattle on the drivers side and I cant tell if its coming from the dash or wheelwell or in between. I took it to my mechanic who drove it and put it up on a rack and didnt see anything cracked. He told me for $50 on a weekday he would have one of his guys take out the dash and look in engine bay and see if anything is lose. Could be some alarm part that got knocked lose bouncing around, what else could this be?

bibledriver

fsttyms1

Yea, them and the endlinks are good. (as far as i can tell from inspection) Im begining to wonder if this winters horrendous roads blew out my shocks?? Im starting to hear it in the rear now as well. I just wish something would just freaking break so i knw what the issue is

jproy

Try also banging on the dash board right below the pass air bag and above the glove box and see if you get any of it there either. If you do get some clunking I will tell you what I did.

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

exactly how i feel. no one can find the problem but something is obviously there. if it can only be more obvious then i would go fix it. but nothing is torn or leaking

erick3

so what exactly happens if you keep on the one you have? cause honestly...i have the same problem; we all thought it was just the front left strut, but it wasn't!...the problems been a constant mystery till NOW!

fsttyms1

What??

Tommy99TL

My front shocks were replaced in Feb.08 by a garage guy near my house, and the clunking is still there since. The garage guy was pointed to me about the shock-mount should be replace also at the same time but I wasn't listen. Now I'm confused. If the Acura gave me a set of bad shocks, I'll be pissed.

jproy

Also check the hood hight adjusters. They are the rubber pieces the hood rests on when it is closed. They hold it still. Mine were all the way down after abotu 60000 miles and the hood was banging on the latch over any bump. Just twist them to raise them. You can check if your are to low by pushing on the front of the hood when it is closed. If it easily goes down another 1/8" and bangs into the bottom of the latch yours are too low. There is one on each of the front corners of the hood, two in total.

bjcritter

I had the clunk sound for about a year and a half...... One (Frame Shop) said Struts ($550)....NOT that.... Acura of Boise took two hours and heard the noise but couldn't find it....Lewiston Honda.... "oh that's the tie rod ends (endlinks)($125) , that helped some.... then back to the clunk..... "Well, that has to be a ball joint ($750) ..... nope..... "well lets put a Acura Strut and not an aftermaket one.on.... OK..... As the mechanic was compressing the spring on the old strut on work bench I pick the wheel and bumped it up and down and I FOUND THE CLUNK...... it was the ($6) sway bar bushing...... they kept the new strut! So when I see the CLUNK word ... I say Sway bar bushing for $6 first! Good luck

fsttyms1

This clunk isnt the hood, its tight. This is suspension related. Im going to pick up some sway endlinks, and sway bushings and try to swap them out this weekend if i can get them by then (even though they look good and have no play) after that ill try new shocks, i bought all new top hat parts, i have new radius rod rubber bushings as well

jproy

I bought all new top hat parts also only to find out mine were fine. Like new. I’m racking my brain trying to think of everything I did to eliminate it. I know you said you put isolators on the springs, Were they the type that stop the coils from slamming into each other? I pulled my front right strut assembly and found that the coils were banging into each other in several locations so I put the OEM isolators on the H&R springs with gorilla glue. I think rubber cement would have done the job. My clunking stopped for good when I put the OEM spring isolators on and the new hood stays at the same time. This pic shows where I put the OEM isolators on the H&R springs. Hope it helps.

fsttyms1

Yea i thought of the coil bind noise and adding those but i honestly feel like something is actually loose. It really feels like a bad ball joint. It sounds like it too. Though ive replaced them all 2 times and they are tight as can be. The tierod ends are the only thing that has a slight bit of play but shouldnt be making that noise im lost.

01tl4tl

cmon kris- ~slight play~ in the tie rod ends?
I am behind on the story- the rack was ok?
Are the ball joints TOO tight maybe?- just looking at bizarre possibilities of an install done with a bit of zeal

Gfaze

I think I'm having the same issue you're having. I keep getting a clunk on the right side at moderate speeds. It only seems to happen with sharp jolts like small pot holes or running over small bumps. I took it to an alignment shop and had a guy check it out. He checked the tie rods, ball joints, rack & pinion, strut assembly, sway bar, and everything checks out fine. He couldn't find anything loose and/or worn. The only thing he could think of was that they're might be something behind the quarter panel and the wheel well that might have been jarred loose. Is there anything in there that could make a relatively solid clunk sound if it were to come loose?

Tommy99TL

Do you have part number for the OEM spring isolators? Thanks.

fsttyms1

Thats the same situation i have. It happens on sharp impacts like potholes, very rarely will it do it for any other thing. Every thing is tight and looks good.

fsttyms1

Well i figured it out. I went in for an alignment today after putting in a new rack (well used cause mine had play in it) and while it was on the rack i was able to get under the car and play. With the car level and normal pressure on every thing it is the end links. When its jacked up they are tight as can be, and i could never duplicate the noise or find any play in them, But on the rack and weight on the suspension and things level i was able to get the noise out of them.


Oh and alignment specs no camber kit H&R sport drop are as follows.

Front
toe 0.0, -0.7 camber both sides

Rear
toe 0.1, -1.1 camber and -1.2 (what i would want to run even if i had a camber kit) <- no uneven wear from it.

bjcritter

My sway bar bushings LOOKED good and passed 5 EXPERT checks.... They weren't......I no your feeling.... I read sway bar bushing some where for clunking but, mine looked good...NOPE

bibledriver

WOW. Good stuff dang lift tightening things up falsely. I will have to post a vid of the noise I am battling. Drives me crazy. Until then, GOOD FIND.

Is that the only link haven't replaced? lol Thought you already had

fsttyms1

Yea it helped being able to be under the car with the suspension in normal position.

No i havent but they are now

Tommy99TL

Congrat. Kirs, so how did you fix it? and how much would cost it to fix it?

fsttyms1

I replaced the end links. 40 bucks for the pair

bibledriver

What about the rear noise? figure that out, or just "referred" sound? hehe

fsttyms1

Im thinking its probably the same thing.

Tommy99TL

Anybody help me please!
While I park my car on the drive way today to inspect the End Link that may caused the clunking noise, I found some kind of "leak" (see Picture 1) around the ball joint (Both sides).
I also did take the picture of the End Link per descript by fsttyms1 (see Picture 2) which may be also a suspect of the clunking noise problem on my TL.
My question about the End Link is how do you check it to make sure it's still good?
My other question about the ball joint is what parts need to order? (Labor will be done at Garage shop, I dont have major tools and I dont have strong Auto mecahnic background)
Thanks guy.

PICTURE 1 (Front, Driver side)

KNUCKLE



PICTURE 2 (Front, Driver side)

FRONT LOWER ARM

Gfaze

I'm gonna have to check those out. How did you manage to duplicate the noise? I was thinking of taking it somewhere to put it on a lift and hitting the bottom of my tire with a hammer to simulate the sharp jolts that seem to trigger the clunk. I want to take care of this ASAP as the clunk is getting on my nerves.

aznboi2424

iTrader: (10)

I should have let you sit in my car at the meet, then you would think yours is nothing compared to mine

fsttyms1

with that much grease outside the ballgoint id say have your upper ball joints replaced (i personally withe the age of these cars would replace the whole arm for a little bit more) thats probably the cause of your noise

lokee99

iTrader: (3)

So im having that same problem with a lil more tire wear on the outside of the tires. But from the pics what is where and should i just shake it to see if they are loose. I can put it on a lift that will lift the tires up not just the frame.

jproy

Im in Bham AL and I am still cluncking. I thought I had fixed this.

Tommy99TL

According the the schematic picture above, could you confirm part number for the upper arm is #4&5 and Lower arm is #1&2? Am I missing something else?
$130/ea for the upper & $300/ea for the lower (from Acuraparts.com) this sound likes a crazy price is it?

fsttyms1

get them from here
http://www.macautoparts.net/Catalog....ategoryid=5900

fsttyms1

upper pic shows the upper ball joint, lower pic shows the endlink.

bjcritter

In my chase for the CLUNK sound.... the lower Ball joint Parts and Labor (including the alignment) $752 ....... to simulate the sound .... When the Strut was off I bounced the wheel (more like the sound came from the wheel going down than up)... that is when I found the sway bar bushing was bad... IT LOOKED GOOD... but was NOT! ..... $6.00 in parts!

Tommy99TL

Thanks Kris, I can breath better with that quote.
I did check out the lower arm balljoint yesterday which is also leak (both side). The dried grease color beside the boot cover tells me they may have been leak for quite long time.

NighthawkBlack

Did you find your issue, please look at my thread. I am wondering if your powers steering tie rods spin as much as mine and if thats normal. Maybe someone with a new TL can check as Im sure the concept is the same even in the 3rd Gen.

Thanks

fsttyms1

My issue was 2 fold. One part was the rack, the other was the end links. Tierods shouldnt have much movement in them at all. They should be tight and require good effort to get them to twist (tops under 1/4 inch)

Shaqs2002TLS

I take it you don't like taking your car to the stealership? After all that money, time and frustration it probably would've been worth a shot. Just have them inspect it for ~50-60 or maybe free. Little too late I guess.

Anyway , you deserve a congrats!!!