Click, click, crunch, crunch!!

[warrior]

That's exactly what my left front tire sounds like.

1. At first it would only appear when I braked really hard and I'd hear a very soft single "click".

2. I thought my brakes needed servicing, so I serviced the them. Re-greased the slider pins, cleaned everything thoroughly and the sound went away for a whole 2 days.

3. I thought forget it and was convinced it was the brakes so I swapped them out for my WRX fronts and voila, sound is still there but it's starting to get worse. Now the click is present when I go over a speed bump, when I reverse out of my driveway and the tire goes from driveway to road.

However, the crunching noise is apparent only when I brake really hard now.

4. I thought it might be my struts/springs so I replaced all 4 with Whiteline Control springs and KYB GR-2.. (WOW!, I love this setup!) Oh.. click is still there.

5. Went to my mechanics and we checked the whole front end for maybe loose bushings in the control arm.. they are stiff however the rear ones have play in them.. are they supposed? Maybe I'll replace the bushings soon.

Now, my mechanic thinks it's the ball joint.. the CV joint does make noise when I turn my wheels to the left and accelerate really hard but then it goes away after a couple seconds.

Seems like a couple of people are having different but annoying front end sound problems :lol:

How often do we have to replace the ball joints on our cars?

[Huffer]

Sounds like a CV, balljoint or wheel bearing. CVs are replaced more often than balljoints or wheel bearings, those are usually done every 100k.

[warrior]

Sounds like a CV, balljoint or wheel bearing. CVs are replaced more often than balljoints or wheel bearings, those are usually done every 100k.

Yuk.. I'm at 210,000km on OEM cv joints.. lol.. maybe I should replace those then.. hehe

Should I do both at the same time.. what about the drive shafts in the rear?

[2.5GT]

Sounds like a CV, balljoint or wheel bearing. CVs are replaced more often than balljoints or wheel bearings, those are usually done every 100k.

you can rule out wheel bearing, i've never heard a sound similar to a "click" before coming from a wheel bearing, its more of a grinding noise.

the click might be the ball joint like the mechanic said. it happen to mine before, and had it replaced and no click from the front end. but at every turn, i hear a click click from the rear end. where my top hats sits up agains the body of the car. i think its the bolts not bolted down quite enough :lol:

[sansMYSTi]

This sounds pretty much like what I have - a slight ticking at the end of a hard brake and a bit of a rumbling when I turn hard at slow speeds (mostly a left turn). I thought the ticking may have been a radial fracture in one of the brake discs, and the rumbling was a CV joint. Let us know what you find out about yours. I was hoping that I may be able to use the ticking as an excuse for new brakes (discs, pads, calipers), but maybe the brakes aren't the cause.

[warrior]

I will make a video this weekend and post it up of the sound as well and what I found to fix it in case anyone else experiences something similar. :cool:

[warrior]

Update: So I replaced the ball joints and upon inspection the driver side was totally shot.. I got all excited convincing myself that it has to be the ball joint; nope!

The sounds still there.. so we did a little bit more trouble shooting and once or twice when I turned the wheel all the way to the left, we heard a click, click, click like the CV joints make so that's our next step.

If that doesn't cure it.. I'm up for some new brakes so I'll be finally completely my full WRX Front, braided lines, hawk hps pads, brembo rotors and the H6 rear with said parts.

[warrior]

Update: Well, replaced the driver side drive shaft and click, click is still present.

I did a quick brake service (removed slider pins, re-greased, removed the shims on the rear of the pad, used clear silicone on the back of the pad) and the click, click noise has been reduced quite a bit!

I'm guessing it has to do with something on the brakes.. not sure what.. so hopefully replacing all my braking components will eliminate this annoying sound. :evil:

[2.5GT]

You might have said this before. But can you hear it distinctly if you put it in reverse? Sometimes the pads shift due to worn out shims. Or that the fact it's an aftermarket pads?

[warrior]

You might have said this before. But can you hear it distinctly if you put it in reverse? Sometimes the pads shift due to worn out shims. Or that the fact it's an aftermarket pads?

Pads are actually OEM WRX fronts.. I've had the shims on them and off.. same noise.. I unbolted the front sway bar and that somewhat reduced the noise. I'm thinking it might be the bushings for the control arms maybe or maybe the subframe flexing?

How often do the front control arm bushings need to be replaced.. if they do?

Right now I've placed my order for my full brake upgrade.

Brembo blanks Rotors front/rear
Hawk HPS front/rear
Braided lines all around

I've spoken to my subaru mechanic and he's positive that it's the brakes so I did brake service and the sound did get reduced a little bit but now it's doing it the same... so hopefully replacing all the brakes will make it go away!!

[2.5GT]

I dont think the bushings will cause a "crunch" sound...more or so of a rubbing sound. anywho, keep us updated on this.

[warrior]

Update again:

I just took the car to the old Ford dealership that I used to work at.. they have a drive through oil change with a pit so I went underneath, got one of their kids to drive the car back and fourth and one of the mechanics was listening to the sound with me.

We believe it's coming from the driver side control arm bushing.. there's lots of play in there and that explains why I hear the sound from inside the car by the floor board in front of the wheel well; exactly where the bushing is! (It's the big huge bushing.. not the little one.. I believe it's the front rear-bushing right?)

I hope this is it and now I just need to remember that company that makes those blue bushings that are the same as Whiteline bushings but cost half the price. :oops:

Edit: SuperPro bushings! That's the company! :cool:

[2.5GT]

Take your pick.
(pic is stolen from patrick olsens BD :shock: )
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/4A-FE/Random/underside3.jpg

[warrior]

Red ones.. driver side, which I'm guessing is the right side from underneath :lol:

[2.5GT]

coolbeans. So did you actually see the control arm rubbing off of anything? update when you get that replace.

and here's the manual for the parts, not sure if it comes in a package or not.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/4A-FE/Random/Untitled.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/4A-FE/Random/Untitled-1.jpg

[warrior]

Update: Problem solved!!

You guys are going to laugh but.. fuck.. the rear bushing bolt was loose. Just for kicks I was going to take the bushing off and examine it and that one bolt just ripped right off. I tightened it and then went for a drive and the sound has disappeared!

Wow, talk about an easy fix. :roll:

[2.5GT]

Ha! talk about almost shelling out $$$ for new bushings...now go check the other side :lol: :lol: