10 replies to this topic

[s_frost]

I probably should have taken care of this awhile ago, but it started out as a light sort of crunching sound from the rear wheels going over bumps or dips, but only really sounded when it was cold out. well, it certainly hasn't fixed itself (not that I expected it to...) and now it is worse, and the winter season doesn't help anything.

when going through a parking garage, all the front of the car has to do is tilt when the ramp levels out and I get a crunch-like sound from the rear wheels since the whole angle of the car changes and the rear wheels become the fulcrum of the angle change. as mentioned, the same sound happens over bumps and dips. on really good days, I don't hear it, but those are few and far between now.

I suspect rear ball joints. I changed the rear struts over the summer, so I doubt those are any problem. I had to replace the front ball joints a few years ago, and since I haven't had the car more than three years, I figure the rear ball joints may have worn out at about the same rate and need replacement. the only other culprit I can think of are some aweful lower control arm bushings, but I need to get off my butt and check it out more thoroghly. If what I have noticed in the past is any indication, I don't believe those are in bad shape.

additional info: I do get a bit of a shimmy when braking, but I figured that might be from warped rotors although I replaced those about three years ago. I'm not a tough braker and I don't drive very fast. plenty of brake pad left there. nothing special happens on turns, although it's not like I go over speed bumps diagonally

changing the ball joints certainly wouldn't hurt. bad lower control arm bushings I can live with, but the fear of having a rear suspension collapse is what unnerves me right now.

as always, suggestions and info are greatly appreciated

edit:
sorry, I thought my car info used to post under my profile (non) image. I have a 96 accord, 4 door, non-vtec 4 cyl engine. if that helps. my chilton's manual shows that the suspension changes big time on the slightly later year accords

Edited by s_frost, 20 February 2012 - 09:59 AM.

[Raley]

im not all up on that car but you don't have rear ball joints (im sure on that) its most likely a bushing, secondly it would be a bad brake. get under there and look, try to shake shit and see what moves. it might be a broken shock/spring.

[s_frost]

thanks for the reply.

it does have a rear upper ball joint attached to a control arm, but the control arm is straight and isn't one of those u-shaped control arms. it attaches at an angle. it's kind of strange.
I put the rear of the car up on stands with the wheels off and had a good look around, even took some pictures. the control arm bushing seem to be fine, nothing seems out of place or worn or loose.

when I drove around afterward, I noticed that the sound comes from the front, at least on this occassion. in one sense that makes me feel idiotic, but it certainly has almost always seemed to be coming from the back. I guess the kicker is that no matter where the sound comes from, it always occurs when the front wheels are doing something. I guess I never have noticed any sound from the rear after the front has gone over a speed bump.

well...piss. I'll have to jack up the front sometime this week and have a look around up there. I was going to delete this thread but I see there isn't an option for that. oh well. if I find the answer, I'll post it- maybe somebody with the same symptoms in the future will be looking for an answer to the problem. I kind of have a feeling that a quick look around the front will give me an answer.

[Turtlehead]

Try jacking one tire off the ground, grab the wheel on the top and pull and push on it fast and hard to see if there is a clunking sound or play. Then do it from the side of the tire. You can do this to check all wheels for wheel bearing play and sometimes ball joint play (but not the lower on the front).

If it is coming from the front you can check your bearings as well, but take a look at the out board CV boots to see if they are split or missing as it could be as simple as a bad CV joint.

One other thing that I have seen working on Honda's, although not supper common but it makes a weird sound is one of the ball joints in the front is dry a.k.a. no grease (usually the lower ball joint but not slways). With both front tires off the ground sometimes you can turn the wheels and hear it.

Good Luck!

[Raley]

, i guess i'll have to get under an accord. I could have sworn they were the same as civics...

[s_frost]

found it. tie rod ball joints. leaking grease quite a bit. right one looks almost shot. I'll buy some ends and try to fix it before things get worse. also, the sway bar links/bushings are pretty cracked, and it looks the one of the right is pretty bad. that could account for some of the creaking, too.

good thing I found out now. hopefully there is no danger in driving to the store...

again, thanks for the replies

Edited by s_frost, 22 February 2012 - 09:19 AM.

[Raley]

Sway bar ends rarely cause noise but where they mount to the car, no grease causes noise.

[s_frost]

tie rod ends changed, sway bar links changed!

those ball joints were bad. busted. when I turned them a little, I could see, especially on the right one, a crack all across the top with some nasty grease buildup all around. I made a quick test drive after I replaced them, and that seems to have done the trick-- no creaks, no clunks. but I haven't been on the highway yet or the parking garage, so I'll see how it does in those places throughout the week. I WILL need to get an alignment, but I don't want to wait a whole day. I get out early tomorrow so I'll take care of it then.

no sound from the sway bar? hmm. maybe it was just the ball joints then. but it was nice to change the sway bar links when the tie rod ends were out for the extra clearance. one of the rubber pieces on the right was so bad that I could wack it and knock whole chunks off. once I got to the middle I realized there was a metal piece inside that unscrewed from the bolt.

I learned a lot of things I never knew today.

Edited by s_frost, 22 February 2012 - 05:50 PM.

[Raley]

Well good, glad you got everything worked out.. i cant say the end links never make noise but its rare.

[Turtlehead]

s_frost, on 22 February 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

tie rod ends changed, sway bar links changed!

those ball joints were bad. busted. when I turned them a little, I could see, especially on the right one,

I learned a lot of things I never knew today.

I am glad you caught it when you did and this worked out. Over the past ten years I have probably had a half dozen instances where the noise you described was ball joint related.

Cheers!

[s_frost]

thanks everyone.

I have one last update though: the noise from the front was gone, but the noise from the back was not. on the way home from work the other day, I heard a light crunching sounding from the rear (so I wasn't just hearing things, heh) when going over a the usual dip in the road. Having replaced all six ball joints in the front of the car within a three year period and knowing how good a care the previous owners gave my car (which is very little), I decided those two rear ball joints needed fixing, my original hypothesis. well, I did that today. they aren't cheap and not picking up a ball joint separator in the beginning made for a lame trip to the parts store mid-way, but the job is now finally done and sure enough the crunching from the rear is gone. there will probably always be creaks and sounds from time to time, especially in cold weather, but I feel pretty safe now with new ball joints and a smoother ride. too bad I have to wait til monday for an alignment...