Front end clunking
 

The last week or so I've been noticing a clunking noise from the front end when I go over uneven bumps (potholes, raised cracks in the pavement of my parking lot, etc). It sounds like something in the front end is loose and clunking a few times after hitting the uneven surface. The best description would be pulling on the lower edge of the front license plate holder and then letting go (a rapid THUD, Thud, thud decrescendo). However, I haven't been able to localize it. All the suspension components are solid when I remove the front wheels. I suppose Saturday I'll take the undertray off and inspect there as well. My sway bar bushing probably need some grease, but I wouldn't expect them to make a clunking. Everything is fine when I'm driving on smoother terrain and the handling/steering is still spot on perfect.

Any ideas though?


***Answer: Sway Bar Bushings. Lubed and noise is gone.

Check to see whether your sway bar bushings are worn, and whether the sway bars have shifted?

Looks like previous Nissans and Infinities had issues with the compression rods making clunking noises. Will definitely look at the sway bar bushings and end-links Saturday. Could the bushing really wear out in just 4-5 months of use? Hopefully it's just a loose bolt.

definitely check the links first:tup: are you using stock links? if so, they cant take much of the aftermarket stiffness for very long and are prone to break.

Yep, stock end links. I haven't found any aftermarket options. Suggestions? I just had the wheels off and thought then end links looked ok. Would it be a complete break/disconnect or just extra play in the joints that I should be looking for?

even just a small amount of play will be worsened when driving. that may not be the problem though. If you could have someone push up and down on the front of the car, you can try and squeeze under to feel if there is play or not, or maybe hear something.

I'm a wrenchhead and subscribing. Let us know!

Good luck!

I note you have the Sport Pkg...I assume it has the plastic air dam under the front bumper...? If you have it installed check to make sure you haven't pulled in a parking space, dragged it on a curb and pulled one side loose. It will hang down and could be bouncing up against the bumper. Sometimes it is the simple things we miss. Just a thought.

Yeah, I've done the cursory walk-around pulling on things and shaking the car. Everything checks out, airdam is ok, etc. The sound only happens on significant front end bumps and is a mix of a clunk and some grinding during the compression. But jacking the car up doesn't have any funny sounds from the struts/springs and there aren't any leaks. I'm suspecting a mount of some sort...be it sway bar, engine, whatever. We'll find out soon enough when I take it all apart this afternoon.

Aftermarket swaybars? I have $10 says that is your problem.

It's funny. The longer I've had my car, the more I'm interested in making it stock again. Last week I was considering removing the HFCs. Now I'm ready to go back to the stock sway bars.

Is your bet going to be a direct sway bar issue (bearing needs grease, loose mount) or indirect (aftermarket sway wore out the stock end link, etc)? Be precise here, Steve :).

Check the sway bar links (at the ends of the bar in the front).

yep, endlinks.

I had the EXACT same clunk on my last nissan, an altima coupe. It was a lease, and even after swapping the suspension back to OEM, it still had the noise. Endlinks were fine btw. I never figured out what it was, just gave the car back like that. It was quite annoying but did not sound like anything mechanically wrong.

Isn't your car still under warranty? If it is I would just take it to the dealer and make them fix it.

Could be a bad motor mount, had that same issue with my 350 (clunk clunk/ rumble rumble sound over certain bumps). Turns out it was a bad motor mount.

Everyone else has mentioned the sways and links so I thought I'd just throw this out since it doesn't say in your signature what springs/shocks/coilovers you may have if any.

A blown shock can make that clunk noise too from bottoming out. Check for blown seals or oil, or you can see if it compresses too easy (but you have to take it off for that). Also check the center nut on the shock shaft and the 3 upper nuts that hold the top mount on.

yah if it's not the endlinks i would look at the engine mount and strut mounts, tower bar, and struts themselves.

... then later find out it's just a loose battery. :D

Do you run your A/C a lot?

I'm not sure about the 370z but past Altimas had a horrible A/C clutch. After a while it would start clunking every time the compressor turned on.

would suck if his oil drain plug was rolling around on the cover. :D

Loving the speculation!

Jacked her up, took her cover off, and had a look up her skirt. And the problem was....nothing. Saw that one coming. Strut mounts, sway mounts, engine mounts, end links, essentially every bolt I could find under there was a-OK. Oil drain plug was where it should be. I keep the A/C compressor off with the cool temps as the accessory fan makes the oil cooler overly effective during the fall/winter/spring.

Either I'm hearing things or this issue will present itself later. Regardless, I'm going to add some Whiteline end links to my spring to-do list.

I'll revive this thread from the dead sometime down the road if I ever locate the issue. Thanks to everyone for their input.

I had some noises over bumps and it was the grease on the sway bar bushings that had dried up. I re-lubed the inside of the bushing and no more noise. It was a squeaky clunk noise.

Funny you mention that. I just placed an order for a grease gun and some over-priced Hotchkis special silicone lube. They did look a bit dry. Anyone else tired of taking the undertray off the car?

^^yes. Wish it was like the titan, remove 2 screw sand 2 bolts and loosen the back 2 bolts.

i'm no gear head no offence. but once i had a 97 vette and had the same noise. it ended up being something about the calipers.

It's pretty impressive how broad the differential diagnosis is for such a general sound. Brakes have been working nicely but I'm starting my 6-pot AP Racing caliper fund since my Akebono dust boots are fried and I figure they'll die eventually.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Sway bar bushings.

Lubed them with the Hotchkis silicone goo and the sound is gone. Thanks for all the help. I'll have to make a 4-5 month schedule of lubing those things. Such a nasty sound when the bushings are dry.

Do I win a prize? LOL.

I used a different grease when I re-lubed mine, seemed to last longer than the Hotchkis stuff.

Your prize is that I will bother you first when I have my next problem :).

Which grease are you using? I was looking around online for silicone-based greases but they're tough to find. I did see that people get some plumbing stuff from Ace that is silicone based and is much cheaper. Hotchkis really screws us on the price.

A-HA! :tup:

I think it was my shock idea but the grease on the sway just loosened everything up. I mean it's all connected right ;)

I used a non-silicon high-pressure moly grease, the type generally used around the chassis, wheel bearings etc. It's thicker than the silicon grease so it seems to stay put when it gets hot vs melting away like the other stuff. $4 at the parts store.

Hi, do you have any pics to show us where this is? thxs.

I'm making a similar clunking noise too but I'm curious what a bad end link would be characterized by?

Should I be able to twist the end link back and forth?

Thanks for help all.

***EDIT***

Video <=== Is this a good indicator of a bad end link?? :) Anyone know how I can tell under load?

You should be able to twist the end-link but you should not be able to move it up and down freely.

#1 just make sure the swaybar bushings are well lubricated. You may have to remove the swaybar bracket to do this if there isn't a grease nipple.

Bringing this thread back from the dead to say that greasing the bushings was DEFINITELY 100% the fix.

Sort of related:

I've had this happen every 2-4 months on mine: The freakin car is like a moon rock crawler! gravel will find it's way between the rotor and dust shield. Be sure to push the dust shields back/bang on them and you'll hear rocks dropping out of 'em = no more noise. Otherwise you get this strange tinny metallic noise over uneven pavement or during turns.

Just now started for me today!

Hotchkis front swaybar... Thanks everyone for the posts above, will get 'er lubed! :driving: