What's this Weird Noise?
 

started hearing some weird clicking sound coming from the front driver's side wheel area. when i jacked up the car to check things out the only thing that looked bad was the lower control arm bushing. it looks like it has leaked and is shot. is this what's making the noise? and is SPL the only option as of now? looks great but is pricey.



http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1378627342

Sounds like your lugs maybe loose?

I think it is a loose nut behind the wheel.:icon17:

here's my spacer:

http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1378663060

... C'mon... Search feature!!! Axle click
But mainly a rear wheel issue

I texted the OP


https://www.google.com/search?q=site...&client=safari

hmm so you use a Mac...that explains some things :p lol

axel click is only a rear wheel issue

trust me I've been searching for the past day on this. this was the best thing I found:

350z control arm bushing - MY350Z.COM Forums

The google search was for front...

Go away


Oh, and iPhone. I don't use my computer for the forum

yeah and the search was about some power steering bolts being loose.


can a mod move this back to general or to the suspension section? not sure what the issue is yet but don't think it's the wheel

I realize it may be obvious, but the click (the noise) is the release of energy. Not sure what in the front suspension would go bad, causing this rotational force to manifest that way. Does the noise come/go equally (i.e. at an equal point in the rotation)?

If it was a rear wheel, I would bet on bearings, but since it's front, I'm not sure. I don't know how the hub is assembled on the Z.

Good luck, and I'm sub'ed for the final answer.

I am sub'ed for the final answer too.

seems to only happen at low speeds, possibly only after the car has been driven for a bit, and it actuates at different instances in the wheel rotation.

Is it a click/tick or a bump/thump? Can you feel it in the steering wheel or floorboard?

Does it happen when you hit a bump?

Does it happen when to turn the wheel? Which direction? If both, is sound different for L/R?

Since it's not happening at the same frequency that the wheel is rotating, I think you can rule out speed sensor or something rubbing up against wheel/tire/rotor.

a click. check out the video

can't feel anything through the steering wheel or floorboard

not on bumps.

seems to be when i turn to the right and coming from a standstill or very slowly

anyone see my bushing?

I would start with changing out that wheel with the passenger side, and see if it goes away

If it doesn't? Swap the lugs, and if still there? Remove the spacer.

And If its still there? that wheel bearing hub maybe the culprit

I don't think it's the bushing making the noise - bushing problems are usually a deeper thunk than what I heard on the video - but it does look like something I would inspect further. Most other suspension/steering noises are usually pretty low freq, too.

It doesn't sound like separated plies in the tire. Plus they tend to be in time with tire rotation.

If Trips' bearing theory isn't right, my next guess would be brakes.

Good luck.


Edit: It could be the spacers shifting ever so slightly. Use a torque wrench to tighten all lugs. If that doesn't work, try a little graphite where the spacers touch the wheel and hub.
Edit2: Graphite not meant to be a fix, just a troubleshooting aid. If the noise disappears, you have a problem with spacer/lugs/bolts/wheel.

Just be aware don't over tighten the spacers. 75ib torque at max.

Does it make the clicking noise when you turn the steering wheel? I had the power steering rack replaced. The noise went away for about a month, then came back. After my tech looked at it, he noticed a couple of bolts missing. He put in some new bolts, and all is fine now. I still hear it once in awhile, but it's nowhere near as bad now.

i saw your thread about that. it seems to only make that sound when the wheel is on lockout or close to lockout and i'm going slow. is your clicking sound the same as in my video?

not sure if i heard the noise today...it still may arise.

Have you checked the wheel bearing? An audible clicking will be present when making slow turns.

how do i check this? how would i diagnoise that the bearing is damaged or looks bad? thanks

That's way to low. I've read 80-90 and everyone does 90. Also a ton like me do 100 with the lugs at 85-90.

Going to to jack up the car and see what's up...again.

re:breaks

what should I be checking out? i did check the breaks and they looked ok. going to use some break clean on them.

spacers needed to be tightened a bit. also cleaned out the calipers and pads with cleaner. looks like it might have been the spacer... no sounds right now. the nuts turned about a quarter of a rotation but were very close to the 85ft/lbs spec i torqued them too. i hope this solved it.

Fixed this a little ways back. Loosened my end links and re torqued them under load. My mess up. Didn't install under load. Used a cdi torque wrench too. No more harbor freight.

Hey, mine is the exact same way. I am stationary and turn the wheel lock to lock and it randomly clicks. When I move slow it clicks (not a whole lot but enough to know it wasn't there the day before). I do have spacers also. But the fronts are the stud replacement types.

So was that the problem? Have you heard it since?

hmm mine is different i think. don't think it happened when i was stationary. it was my sway bars. they needed to be installed without preload.

do you have sways?

I do not have sways.

use loctite blue next time. :) let it dry overnight.

Glad you worked it out OP

lol at some of the responses, obviously rubber can't click so it will never be a bushing ;)

Nissan tech said this re: my noise,


Found turn stoppers hitting lower control arm bracket creating the noise, after market suspension installed changing contact point between the turn stopper and the bracket.


My first thought was ********, its not because of the springs. They have been on there for 2 years and 20k+ miles and I didn't hear the clicking till 3 days ago lol.

Either way its fixed now, I think.. :ugh2: