Popping/cracking noise when turning wheel sometimes...

[IsaacHayes]

Ok, need some ideas/suggestions here.

Sometimes when turning the wheel to the extremes, I get a sharp crack sound from the right side. And moving the wheel back and forth while stopped has some other noises that don't sound as harsh, but sounds like something is moving...

Possible things I can think of for both the cracking noise and all the other noises.

* Steering rack itself is worn out? (but it has no play)
* Steering rack firewall mounts are worn and allowing rack to move?
* Tie rods are shot? (feel tight and doubt they would make noise)
* Strut mount? (they are new with not even 10k on them...)
* Motor mount bolts loose in wheel well (had that happen once)

So what do you guys think? Anyone with similar noises with over 200k on the car before? What did you replace that took care of it?

Could the rack really be making those noises or is it just the rubber mounts that holds it to the firewall moving too much???

[Money pit Beretta]

I had a loud pop when turning the wheel on my 90GT. I did the tie rod ends, ball joints and the CV's. It was still there. I had the control arm bushings done and that got rid of my pop. I also had a great sounding "bong" when backing up and turning off a curb. That was because the down pipe was too low and it would bang into the sway bar. I stiil say that it did that because I had the FF dog bone and that kept the trans from moving. I think if I had the stock one on there would have been enough room for the two to miss each other. Did you sound just start or has it been there for a long time?

Also I had 213k on my car when I lost it. The control arm bushings were done about 6 months before that guy hit me. Boy did they help in the turns, it was like I had a bigger sway bar(the biggest that would work with my springs that is,lol).

[IsaacHayes]

Had someone turn the wheel after work back and forth while I looked at the rack mounts. Yeah the rack slides back and forth in the rubber mounts some, has for some time, and that is part of the noise when cold, but not the source of this noise. The bolts were not moving at all on the passenger side, the drivers side the whole sheet metal flexed some, but there is a big hole there for the rack to go to the column, and hell the strut towers flex with my wide tires when I don't have a strut tower brace on, so it's not a concern to me.

I looked at the passenger side strut mount and saw the big nut was moving on the metal cup. WTF do I have issues with this crap ALL THE TIME. Last pair of struts and mounts it was the drivers side always getting loose. Ended up tightening them up so much that I stripped the threads and eventually the metal in the strut mounts sheared off!!!

Well this time it was really loose, not that it was tight but had play. That's how the last set was, but I used the monroe strut cups and this time I used the OEM which are thicker/work better since I went to 95+ mounts which don't even come with the cup...

So that relieves me a little. I'll just say it came loose not that stuff is wearing out... So I tightened it up pretty good but didn't he-man it. It only took maybe 1/3 of a turn total. If it was hard to turn but had a gap I'd be worried as that's how the last set was.

Makes sense, turning, putting it in gear, hitting bumps today was all making the noise. All of those put stress on the strut mount. No noises now, and hell the steering believe it or not feels more responsive... LOL I guess just a tiny bit of movement can have a big impact in feel though. And the whole suspension feels softer front to rear... Crazy how you perceive things...


So yeah I'm going to check the strut mounts anytime I hear a pop/noise now. I was used to doing that with the last setup (monroe struts FE3 87-94 mounts) but figured I had it licked this time round. I hope if it does make noise it's just the nut loosening not the whole setup getting play to where I run out of threads on the strut shaft again ....

[Money pit Beretta]

Cool Isaac, glad it was something easy. It took alot of time and money for me to get rid of my pop. I had new everything in the front end, less the control arm bushings at the time. I thought it could be the rack also and did the same thing you did. Yeah, when it comes to steering the little things make big changes.
How wide are your tires? I'm thinking about something like 225/50/16's. Flex, that puts some fear in me.

[IsaacHayes]

They are 225/50/16. Make sure you have a STB. My strut towers flexed when I had 205/55/16's too. Those tires are wide and when in a parking lot not moving that's a ton of force to move those tires back and forth... So going down the road there is WAAAY less force put on everything. That's why you never hear a noise turning unless you are stopped...

I spent a lot of time and money chasing my vibration and shake.. New CV's new wheel bearings, etc. Turned out to be the first wheel bearing I replaced cause it was a little loose... it went bad quick. The shake was the trans resting on the sub-frame... LOL New trans mount and a TIMKEN bearing for the vibration and I was good. If I get a vibration again I'll know it's the drivers side bearing that I replaced (for no reason). Oh well live and learn. TIMKEN bearings only!!! I think the original drivers bearing was a little dry feeling but was tight and didn't make noise so it didn't hurt to change... I just hope the $50 bearing lasts... It was a different brand than the first but from the same store..

[Money pit Beretta]

I have front and rear bars so I should be ok. Dang, this is just one more thing to think about. Once again I miss the old days when I could put on any size I wanted to. I made a choice, so I'll just have to deal with it.
Sounds like I need a new trans mount.

[IsaacHayes]

Turn the wheel and look to see if the trans case is close to the subframe... If it is, then yeah it hits when under load. Also when braking it would make a noise, I thought it was the pads, but it was the trans tapping the subframe!! LOL

You'll need to order the bracket that bolts to the trans side pan and the swedge bolt that goes to it from the dealer. Or cut the old mount off of the old bracket (they rust/stick together) with an angle grinder then finish the cut with a hack-saw as to not damage the bracket.

[Barry]

Check for a cracked unibody/frame rail. I lost ALOT of little stupid noises after I welded my stuff up.

[3X00-Modified]

I was gonna say upper mount from the beginning, but I didn't want to loose my head since you already did those not too long ago.

Our upper strut mounts are the source of 90% of suspension noises, it's either that or the strut, and then next in line are the control arm bushings.

[IsaacHayes]

The damn strut mounts drive me nuts. Always causing trouble.

And yeah I had struts go bad once too, the shaft would rock in the cartridge and pop... ugh...

The front suspension is grossly undersized for the weight of the car IMO. The W bodies have more weight but I've never heard their stuff make noise, fail, and bounce as much as L bodies do...

[3X00-Modified]

Bounce is directly related to the valving of the struts... My KYB's don't bounce much. Cheap OEM replacements will.

[Money pit Beretta]

I hear you Isaac, I never had any trouble with the suspension in any of my cars untill I got my first Beretta. I don't beat on the Beretta like I did my other cars. It's just not set up to take it and I'm older now also. I use to wing turns as hard and fast as I could. Plus other kid kind of things I don't want to talk about.

I don't have anything happening when I brake. I just have the vibration at the start of a WOT blast. I find it very strange and I think it's a mount. I plan to change the big mount on the drivers side when I put the new trans in. If I down shift into 1st at 20mph I get a clunk if I don't hit the gas. By the way your dog bone is holding up well and I'm still very glad to have it.

[IsaacHayes]

Is the dogbone the liquid poly or the ES one? Barry has the liquid one and beats on his car all the time but he let it cure for a year before using it and it's holding up.

Jon, my KYB's & Eibachs bounce like hell. The roads here are really bad though. On the highway it's smooth. Monroe sensitrac and FE3 was way less bouncy... Our struts wear out fast though too. We need heavier duty ones.

[Money pit Beretta]

Isaac would the Monroe Plus work for you? I have them on my car, but I have stock springs though. I had Sensatracs on my 90GT with Moog springs and they didn't react fast enough. The Moog springs did lower the car some and were very stiff.
I have the ES one. I was just trying to tell you that I'm happy that it's very well built and no longer miss my FFP one that was lost with the 90GT.
I have KYB's and Eibachs on my 04 Cav. It rides like a truck around town and is also smooth on the highway. That's why I'm looking for another brand of springs for the Beretta(I guess they will have to be custom). I'm not going to AutoX anyway. Moogs suck by the way. I was thinking B&G, I've heard good things about them.

[3X00-Modified]

MPB you say it rides like a truck on your cavi, Isaac you say its bouncy... Are you both referring to the same thing?

If your Eibach KYB combo is BOUNCY like bounces like a basket ball then there is something wrong with your struts and you need to replace them, if the car rides like a truck and is rough/stiff on harsh roads, but nice on the higway then its the way it should be. My red car is stiffer than the Pink one because of the age of the springs, but its not bouncy, it will shove your spin into the back of your brain though if you hit a hard bump.... The pink car is smoother but still rough on harsh roads, and is also not bouncy. I think a lot of the smoothness comes from parts inside the vehicle that are not worn out so there is less noise when you do hit a bump... Everything rattles in my red car.

This is one area of car upgrades that bugs the hell out of me because people lower their car, or up the handling and then complain about the roughness of the ride or stiffness of it... Its the nature of the product so if you don't like that feel then don't do it. Same thing as people buying a DLP TV and then being upset that they cant mount it on their wall... Its the nature of the product.