Suspension Click :/ Help?

Edit: I can get it to click once or twice while the wheels are off the ground now, so don't think it's the strut/shock.

 

 

Here's the deal. When taking a turn at low speeds like parking lot or making a u-turn I hear some clicks, and can slightly feel them in the steering wheel and can feel them in the bare metal at my left foot (no carpet, automatic so where the clutch would be). It's mainly the driver's side when making lefts turns and returning from a left turn but it occasionally happens on the passenger side too. They don't have a pattern or rhythm and only happen while the wheel is actually turning and on the way back, not when holding wheel still and driving while turning, only when the steering wheel is moving.

 

It started after I replaced my lower control arms which were in bad shape as the bushings were delaminating. I replaced the LCAs with the mevotech aluminum ones. Once I heard the clicking I knew my end links were pretty bad too so I grabbed new moog ones. No difference. It's slowly gotten worse to where I can get it to click while the car is stationary and just rubbing the tires into the pavement. I felt around and it felt like it was coming from the sway bar or middle of the LCA? Almost no vibrations in tie rod ends, ball joint, dust shield, wheel/rotor itself, and coil spring. The spring wasn't binding either.

 

I checked all the bolts I undid when doing the LCAs and those were still tight, maybe I should recheck them? I also checked the strut mount bolts and the main strut bolt and those were fine.

 

Because I didn't feel the vibration of the click in the tie rod end and I don't have any drifting or significant steering wheel vibration at speed I don't think it's the tie rod ends. I also don't think CV-joint because it doesn't happen when accelerating during a turn and the boots are fine. My best guess right now is either sway bar bushings (??) or maybe the rack and pinion bushings. If you have any ideas or experienced this please let me know.

Edited May 5, 2018 by EatingInternet

Jack the front end and spray some quality lube on the exposed shock, inside the shock boots.

http://forum.liberty.asn.au/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=11589&start=135#p442569

 

Source^

Edited May 5, 2018 by bigBADbenny

What kind of lube we talking, pb blaster, lithium, silicone? Also never heard of spraying the moving shock bit but can't imagine it doing much damage. I'll try it today

Lubed the shiny bit of the struts with a bunch of silicone spray. Did nothing. Lubed the sway bar bushings with a bunch of silicone spray. Did nothing. It would click like once or twice in the air after lifting so I can't really feel around besides right behind the tire/wheel while it's on the ground.

So the issue has progressed some more: now the steering wheel shudders or vibrates a bit when turning. It also shudders a lot when going over bumps, like a back and forth for a split second.

 

Power steering pump? Rack and pinion? Tie rod ends?

You may want to have a repair shop that has an alignment rack check that out before something bad happens.

 

Sounds like you've checked over all the items under the front end, may be time to have an expert take a look.

UPDATE I FIXED IT

 

So the steering wheel shaking was reduced a lot after driving for a little while, I think this was just some contamination in the power steering fluid when I cleaned that area with brake clean (while turning the wheel in the air the fluid gargled and spit some out). Whatever steering wheel vibrations remain are likely just alignment at high speeds.

 

THE REAL ISSUE WAS MY NEW BALL JOINTS > I bought the aluminum Mevotech LCA and the ball joints were DOA, nice and clicky. As I drove around more the clicking would start happening at higher speeds when turning and occasionally on a bumpy gravelly road. Other people have reported issues with this shitty ball joints so I nabbed some Moog ones and haven't had the problem since. Word of advice if you have the same issue: The mevotech ball joints have a black conical sleeve above the threads that needs to be removed. Use a forged ball joint seperator like this one, that has a sort of flat pickle fork on the top and a jaw on the bottom with a pin connecting them in the middle and a screw forcing them apart on the handle end (description for if the link to harbor freight ever breaks) and just pop it off like that. Careful though, my ball joint flew about 20-30 feet when they finally separated so step on the tool with your foot while tightening and point the ball joint away from anything you don't want broken. Good luck!

THE REAL ISSUE WAS MY NEW BALL JOINTS > I bought the aluminum Mevotech LCA and the ball joints were DOA, nice and clicky.

 

I had similar experience and started a whole thread on the Outback Forum.

 

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/65-parts-accessories-performance/491465-mevotech-arms-ball-joint-garbage.html

All of these symptoms sounded a lot like a axle going going bad

All of these symptoms sounded a lot like a axle going going bad

 

Yes! That's why I was so confused, the sound is even very similar but not exactly the same. The only thing that really seems to set it apart from CV axles is that by my understanding if the u-joints inside the axle are going bad then as you drive in a circle it will constantly click, but my car did not. It only click while actually turning the wheel.

 

I also noticed when I was tightening and loosening the castle nut on the ball joint (mevo) it made the exact same sound as I heard in the car, but with the moog ball joint in the castle nut didn't "ping" or "click" unlike the mevo one.

 

I had similar experience and started a whole thread on the Outback Forum.

 

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/65-parts-accessories-performance/491465-mevotech-arms-ball-joint-garbage.html

 

Thank you so much! Your post is actually what led me to testing the ball joints before going for a cv axle, and I ended up having the same issue.

I'm having the same issue with mine after swapping to Mevotech arms/balljoints. Did it sound like this:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Swuxbg5kz8]Subaru legacy Suspension Pop - YouTube[/ame]

 

Annoyingly I cant get the ball joints to make any sort of noise when the car is off the ground, but it's about the only thing left.

Mevotech is cheap garbage, It’s no surprise the ball joints are noisy. I had a set of mevotech arms on a different vehicle that actually had “press fit” ball joints that were loose in the arms causing an odd popping noise. I’ve also seen a handful of their pitman arms with a dangerously loose joint in them when new.

I'm having the same issue with mine after swapping to Mevotech arms/balljoints. Did it sound like this:

 

 

Annoyingly I cant get the ball joints to make any sort of noise when the car is off the ground, but it's about the only thing left.

 

Yes, it sounded almost exactly like that. Try tightening the castle nut (back it off if need be). If it makes that noise it's 99% ball joint, but even if it doesn't there's a good chance. Mine clicked like once after I lifted it, but no more.

Have the wheel turned on the ground. Have a paw on the castle nut...you will feel grinding and popping if it's a bad BJ. (phrasing-ouch)

I'm having the same issue with mine after swapping to Mevotech arms/balljoints. Did it sound like this:

 

Yes ^^^

I love searching. I have these exact control arms and this clicking noise started a month after I installed them.

 

I will be changing the ball joints as well!!!

Yup, same thing happened to me. Replaced with Whiteline bits and no clicks since!

I have another data-point to add...

 

I noticed my flange bolt, the one that pinches the ball joint to the knuckle was continuing to spin even after reaching what should have become the end of the threads. I attempted use a re-threading kit with no success but I did have a bolt that was nearly identical but with "meatier" threads. I installed this slightly longer/bigger bolt into the knuckle with no issues and the clunking/clicking from that side is gone.

 

I already have a new knuckle and will be installing it shortly but I didn't realize I needed the sleeve for the ball joint to go into the aluminum LCA.