Front Driver Side clunk 97 Pathfinder

[A1218]

Hey guys, need some assistance here with my 97 pathfinder. Basically when going over rough roads or turning in driveways or parking lots I would get a clunking noise.

Now this doesn’t always happen. I can fall in the biggest hole (not that I do this, I try to avoid damaging suspension at all times) and it would make the noise or not. Or go over continuous rough bumpy noise and wouldn’t make it. Then sometimes it would, especially when going around turns with bumps or going in driveways not so slow.

I have put new suspension components both front and back. But focusing on the front I have done the control arms, ball joints, tie rods, tie rod ends, struts, sway bar bushing, sway bar links. Also rack bushings. This was all replaced a year ago as it was time for replacement and I did have a clunking similar that went away after new suspension.

The only items not changed were strut springs, bearing, and mounts as they were perfectly fine with no damages.

I am having trouble locating the noise that occurs only on this side. And knowing the suspension is new makes it even harder.

Is something not tightened properly or something?

I replaced all items on my own.

Any help appreciated.

thanks!

[mdmellott]

I would inspect the condition of those parts you replaced a year ago. There is a low cost market of aftermarket part brands that I like to refer to as 'get your car sold parts'. They'll work just fine for a year or so but wear out fast. Looking at the warranties of these parts isn't always reassuring, even if they say "limited lifetime", but you can be fairly certain those parts with 3mo, 6mo, or 12mo warranties are made for fixing broken cars at the lowest cost so that you can get it sold without existing failed components. Whenever I hear "clunking" noise when turning, I immediately think ball joints, sway bar links, or CV joints.

[MisterH]

Anytime you have noises like you describe, the best first step is to get the car off the ground and carefully go through and start moving/shaking the suspension and steering assemblies.

[A1218]

I’ll get back under this week and try again but I have tried that with no luck in hearing any noise. I’ve also bounced the front with as much force as I can and again no noise.

You think something is not torqued properly?

The front end feels solid when driving so not sure. I was told to try greasing the steering stops. Is that a possibility? Where is that by the way?

Thanks

[VStar650CL]

Check the sway bar itself if you only replaced the bushings. The locator rings will often slip sideways a bit on an old bar, and it only takes about 1/8" of side-to-side slop to cause the bar to make noise. Btw, sway bar noise is easy to differentiate from anything else on an axle... if it makes noise only when one side is compressed (i.e., a bump that only one wheel hits) but not when both wheels are compressed (i.e., a speed bump), it's generally the sway bar or bushings at fault. The reason is simple, the bar is basically a torsion spring that winds up only when one wheel tries to lift without the other. The bar then provides counterforce to level the system. Over a speed bump both sides lift equally, so the bar does nothing.

[A1218]

Check the sway bar itself if you only replaced the bushings. The locator rings will often slip sideways a bit on an old bar, and it only takes about 1/8" of side-to-side slop to cause the bar to make noise. Btw, sway bar noise is easy to differentiate from anything else on an axle... if it makes noise only when one side is compressed (i.e., a bump that only one wheel hits) but not when both wheels are compressed (i.e., a speed bump), it's generally the sway bar or bushings at fault. The reason is simple, the bar is basically a torsion spring that winds up only when one wheel tries to lift without the other. The bar then provides counterforce to level the system. Over a speed bump both sides lift equally, so the bar does nothing.

Yes in my case it’s only if there’s a one sided movement. I can go over speed bumps fast or slow and it almost never makes the noise. But the noise is isolated to driver side of vehicle.

I’m sorry but what are the locater rings for this? I’m not too familiar with that. I know on the bracket that holds the bushings there’s a hook like that fits into a slot. Is that what you’re speaking of?

[VStar650CL]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zw49sK ... sp=sharing

See linked pic. They're press-fitted onto the sway bar, a pair of rings that sit outside (or on some cars inside) the bushings and prevent the bar from sliding side-to-side. Bars with fixed or very short links sometimes don't have them, but practically everything Nissan has to have them because of the swivel-end linkages. They're always pressed and not welded because welding would change the spring characteristics and weaken the bar, which would be bad because the bar is basically a giant torsion spring. Because they're pressed they can work loose and move, gradually allowing the bar too much side-to-side movement and causing noise whenever the position shifts.

[A1218]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zw49sK ... sp=sharing

See linked pic. They're press-fitted onto the sway bar, a pair of rings that sit outside (or on some cars inside) the bushings and prevent the bar from sliding side-to-side. Bars with fixed or very short links sometimes don't have them, but practically everything Nissan has to have them because of the swivel-end linkages. They're always pressed and not welded because welding would change the spring characteristics and weaken the bar, which would be bad because the bar is basically a giant torsion spring. Because they're pressed they can work loose and move, gradually allowing the bar too much side-to-side movement and causing noise whenever the position shifts.

Didn’t see that anywhere on the front sway bar at all. All I had was the bar with the end links and the brackets that hold the bushing and bar to the frame. Brackets had 4 bolts each.

[VStar650CL]

My bad, I was speaking generically and I should've looked it up. The '97~'04's used a center bend in the bar for location. But your problem still quacks like a duck. Given the symptoms, it's almost certainly an issue with the bar or mounts. Put a big prybar on the sides of the sway bar and see how much side-to-side movement it has when forced. Shouldn't be much more than about 1/4" for a bend arrangement, and it should be very hard to move. If it slides easily then you may just have a rusty bar that's under-diameter. The bolt holes in the bushing mounts can also have enough clearance to allow movement if they're tightened at the edges of the holes, so if you find slop, pry the mounts to the center to reduce clearance and re-tighten the bolts with the prybar on it. Lastly, the bar transmits its force through the links to the body of the strut, so anything creaky or loose between the tip of the bar and the lower strut clamp could be causing your noise. Take a look at the bar and imagine the strut being forced upward while the other strut is stationary, you'll see the path of force transmission from lower control arm to bar. Your culprit is in there someplace.

[mdmellott]

... Your culprit is in there someplace.

Or it's a worn out ball joint.

[VStar650CL]

Ball joint would clunk over 2-wheeled speed bumps, not just one side. Everything in the front end is basically side-neutral except the bar, links and strut lower. It's the only system that transmits force to the opposite side of the car.

[A1218]

... Your culprit is in there someplace.

Or it's a worn out ball joint.

I mean all these components were changed about a year ago. Didn’t go cheap in parts either I used quality ones. Just for the sake of it I looked at ball joints and they look completely fine. The noise was once ever so often a while after that. But recently it’s been more often. That’s when i decided to do bushings for sway bar this week. But no help.

I’d find it hard to imagine it’ll be bad so fast. And I don’t go off-roading or anything. Highway and local driving. I live in NYC area. And I avoid all pot holes as possible lol.

I can go over speed bumps and not get the noise. I can go over bumps on highway or even local roads where I can’t avoid and it doesn’t make noise. But sometimes it does it over bumpy roads at a slower speed. Especially if I were to make a right turn into a parking lot that’s higher than road level if you know what I mean.

[VStar650CL]

Could be something as simple as a loose sleeve bolt on the lower strut that only goes ka-ka when the bar forces it. Double check everything that's in the force-transfer path, it'll be there somewhere.

[mdmellott]

Ball joint would clunk over 2-wheeled speed bumps, not just one side. Everything in the front end is basically side-neutral except the bar, links and strut lower. It's the only system that transmits force to the opposite side of the car.

That is very logical but linear in thought with a dynamic interlinked set of suspension components. I had precisely the same issue as described, coincidently, with the driver side ball joint on my Pathfinder. Axial load was not the issue with mine so it did not present itself with bumps and rough roads. Radial loads on the ball joints are extreme while turning. That is when I would here that "clunk" noise as the ball shifted, with force, temporarily out of axial alignment with it's seat by a millimeter or so. You may be correct, in that some other component is causing this issue, but the ball joint cannot ruled out. The only way I know of to test this is to use a pry bar at the ball joint, after jacking the wheel off the ground, and check for the slightest amount of movement. The ball joint should be rock solid in its seat when applying a load with the pry bar, both radially and axially.

[A1218]

Okay, what are the the best spots to pry against components to check for noise. Such as ball joints and control arms and anything else.

Because when I initially did it I get no noise. Even with wheels turned in different directions. Even while rocking vehicle in different directions. I even tried driving the vehicle up curbs from the road at angles and straight and again no noise.

[VStar650CL]

Mdmellot is right, ball joints are easily checked but they have to be unloaded (in this case, vehicle lifted). Pry at various spots between the strut base/spindle and the control arm, wherever you can get purchase. Any movement laterally or vertically means a bad joint, there should be zero movement or play regardless of the force applied.

[VStar650CL]

PS - "lifted" means on the body or frame, lifting the wheel from under the control arm will keep the joint loaded.

[mdmellott]

Okay, what are the the best spots to pry against components to check for noise. Such as ball joints and control arms and anything else.

Here are a couple of videos that should give you a good ide of what to do for checking the ball joints. The sway bar links are shown being checked as well. Those are also known culprits for making that "clunk" noise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8AOKIO ... mthecarguy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unymiLs ... hanicsKnow

[A1218]

So I got under there with my pry bars and large screwdrivers and everything is rock solid.

The only thing that had play and making some metallic noises was the cv axle. Before taking off the wheel I shook it holding at 12 and 6 position and there was noise being made. Got under and that was the only thing moving a bit.

Checked every other suspension component and nothing else moves with play. Not ball joints, sway bar links, sway bar, strut, control arm.

So then after this I took wheel off and shook the cv axle by hand in vertical and horizontal positions. It was a metallic clicking/grinding noise.

I checked all bolts and everything is tightened down good.

[VStar650CL]

Never heard of a CV behaving exactly that way, but if there's loose hardware inside then it's probably a ball bearing from a busted race. If it's just kicking around randomly then I suppose it could cause random clunks, especially if the loose ball is cracked. I'd say replace it.

[mdmellott]

So then after this I took wheel off and shook the cv axle by hand in vertical and horizontal positions. It was a metallic clicking/grinding noise.

Nice job tracking down that gremlin. The CV joint was one of my three primary suspects but I was hoping for a less costly outcome to your work.

[A1218]

Yeah I was a bit surprised the cv could have been the culprit of the clunking.

But then I wasn’t as I know that I’ve replaced all my suspension parts not too long ago and didn’t do any rough driving at all that could have caused damage.

But hopefully it is the cause of the clunk. The noise it made when I was checking it wasn’t a clunk. A metallic knock noise or rattle I would say. But was only component that produced noise.

Anyways when I change that out I’ll have a better look at that ball joint since I will be removing cv axle.

[A1218]

So one thing I forgot to check which I went back to today was the front differential mount bushing. They were shot.

I took a screwdriver to the busing, prying against the frame and I was easily able to move it back and forth.

Had my dad check back the suspension and cv and he doesn’t think the noise is coming from any of those items. Thinking it’s the diff bushings.

Now would this be able to clunk?

[VStar650CL]

That's certainly plausible on a 4WD, and might fit the "one side bump" quandary depending on axle geometry and how the mounts are arranged. Memory fails me on that, but it sounds like it might be a duck!