I am mystified by this clunking noise that is coming from my passenger side front suspension...

Been trying to chase an annoying passenger side front suspension clonk. Replaced sway bar bushings and sway bar links- but it still clonks. Odd thing is the wheel doesn't move when you shake it. But there is slight inner tread wear so I suspect outer tie rods or upper and lower ball joints. Tie rods are on their way do I change those out next. Then the ball joints.

How can i tell if my inner tie rods need changing?
How else can i check for movement in my upper and lower ball joints?

Thanks,

Scott
2001 Jaguar XJ8
Carnival Red/Ivory

 

Scott,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to X308 forum. This is the place to post technical questions about your model.

You don't mention checking/replacing upper wishbone bushes - the commonest wear point on the front suspension.

Graham

 

The upper wishbone bushings appear solid and fine. Thanks for moving the thread.

Scott

 

Both upper and lower shock mounts are trouble spots. Check the uppers by looking for disintegration resulting fine pieces around the mount in the engine compartment.

Jack one wheel of the ground and see if there is play horizontal from tie rods or vertical from shock mount.

 

Almost always upper shock mounts. As RJ noted, look for disintegration. Buy the complete replacements on-line (Rock Auto), either Uro or Mahle units: rebuilding is a waste of time and money and become very noisy in cold weather.

 

deleted

 

Grasp the tire at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions and shake side to side. If no play than your inner tie rods are fine. As mentioned by RJ237 the upper and lower shock mounts can cause a lot of clunking when worn. The bottom one will clunk like crazy when worn. Jack up the car, remove the wheel, then use a 2nd jack under the bottom spring mount and slowly jack the suspension while watching the lower shock mount. If the suspension moves before the shock begins to move upward then the lower mount is shot.

 

For the upper mount. Jack up the body about 6". Unbolt the upper shock mount from the body (leave the mount connected to the shock). then lower the body down a little and the shock with the top shock mount will rise above the body. Now you can move the upper shock mount around on the shock to see any wear

 

I forgot to mention that I also replaced upper and lower shock mounts on both sides to eliminate that possible source of clunk.

Scott

 

Engine mounts can clonk, when does it make a noise? They're oil damped and split, loose the fluid and separate leading to the engine movement. I'd suggest looking here next.

 

The best way to check the upper balljoint is to grasp the wheel at the top (while jacked up) and pull in and out (perpendicular to the direction of travel). You can place your hand over the joint, which helps feel for any play, or watch the joint. The latter needs two people.

The lower balljoint can be checked by jacking the car up so you have a couple of inches of clearance between the tire and the road. Place a pry bar under the tire, and lever upwards. Observe the joint as you apply pressure.

On my 2002, the following were shot, all of which can cause clunking :

Tie rod ends
Shock upper and lower mounts
All 4 balljoints
Upper arm bushes
Sway bar links

 

You mean the kit with the 4 black rubber pieces? If so, ah crap, I just put them on. Oh well!

 

I just installed those poly black upper shock mount bushings as well. So far they are silent. Replacing the tie rods this weekend. If that doesn't cure the clonk then on to the ball joints...

 

Clonk update: replaced the tie rods with Lemfoerders only to see that the tie rods I removed were also Lemfoerders and were fine... Clonk still here...

Bushings look good and there is no wheel movement so now I am thinking that the vee mounts might be suspect. I dunno. It's getting frustrating.

 

Front end "clunking" on my Lincoln LS, son's Firebird, my XJ6L and XJS and daughters Mariner all turned out to be the sway bar bushings and all checked fine by "hand" if the car is driving and handling fine then replace the sway bar bushings at the frame mounts.

 

The very first thing I did was to replace the sway bar bushings.

Now I am going to have to take my X308 into a shop and see if they can diagnose the clonking noise. Can anyone recommend a good shop in the San Fernando Valley?

 

Did you replace the end links too?

 

I have replaced:
Upper and lower shock mounts (upper with polyurethane)
Tie rods
Sway bar mount bushings
Sway bar links

All that is left are the upper A arm bushings and the ball joints. But they appear fine. No movement at all and no visible degraded rubber. Plus the other parts I replaced looked fine once I had them removed...

 

Motor Mounts? (Only because I'm chasing a clunk as well, and I noticed when I replaced my Vee Mounts that my motor mounts are beyond toast too, so I'm hoping that's all it is) In my case, the vee mounts were more rattling than clunking.

 

Yeah, me too. I was the one with the BFH trick for installing the rubber.

Ever winter, thereafter, loud, nasty clunking over bumps; quiet in the summer, tho. Vector pointed out the new Uro units were available under $50; bought, installed, quieted right side; found a Mahle for left; quieted everything, even at 10*F.