200 series un-findable front clunk....HELP!!!! (1 Viewer)

[1stgen4ever]

I have a 2009 LC that has been bulletproof (mostly). With 193,000 miles on it, very few problems have occurred until lately. I have what I can only really describe as a small clunk that occurs just before the vehicle comes to a full stop, and just after I accelerate from a full stop, within the first 10 feet of roll but with accelerator depressed, not just lifting off of brakes. I have had 3 different shops look for an issue and no one can find a problem. I feel it mostly in the steering wheel and my seat. The other thing that has been happening is a very very very minor shimmy in my steering wheel after making a left turn as it comes back to straight. I assume the two are related but maybe not.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[RET2]

I have a 2009 LC that has been bulletproof (mostly). With 193,000 miles on it, very few problems have occurred until lately. I have what I can only really describe as a small clunk that occurs just before the vehicle comes to a full stop, and just after I accelerate from a full stop, within the first 10 feet of roll but with accelerator depressed, not just lifting off of brakes. I have had 3 different shops look for an issue and no one can find a problem. I feel it mostly in the steering wheel and my seat. The other thing that has been happening is a very very very minor shimmy in my steering wheel after making a left turn as it comes back to straight. I assume the two are related but maybe not.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Pull the wheels and inspect for any rounding or egging of lug holes and re-torque the lugs?

 

[bloc]

Are you sure your front driveshaft has been getting greased? Many of these even maintained at the dealer never get the front shaft serviced and they end up running dry. This could explain the clunk approaching stop, but probably not the steering wheel shimmy.

Steering wheel could be CV joint.. or a host of other things.

 

[ColoradoSequoia]

So you can feel it in the wheel/column? I had a somewhat similar issue when turning - but I didn't feel anything. It went away when I got new brakes.

 

[TeCKis300]

Lots of possible things. I'm with @bloc to perhaps checkout the driveline; universal and slip joints in the axle.

 

[linuxgod]

Videos of the noise might help us troubleshoot it with you.

NVH drives me nuts. Something clunking IMO is almost certainly an indication that something AQR (ain't quite right). I can totally relate here - my wife's Mini clunks over bumps and sometimes when you apply the brakes at very low speed/stop. Dealer replaced the ball joints (entire control arms actually) thankfully under warranty but it persists and they couldn't find anything wrong either.

 

[TWILLY]

Check motor mounts?

 

[TexAZ]

if you are feeling it in the steering wheel, likely steering gear rack. is there any play in the steering wheel, have you noticed the steering feeling a little less precise, and wandering or drifting.

 

[Lester did that]

Check your brake rotors and while your at it the pads. That would be the first thing I would check before going in too deep. Front and back. What your describing could just be very worn rotors. But a shop should have picked up on that one. Or a seized piston on a brake caliper. That one might be over looked. All aspects of the brake system should be looked at in detail. The clunk right before a stop and accelerating could be the brakes. You will feel this in the steering wheel as well. It's a good place to start and a cheap place to start.

I just did a brake job on a neighbors LC. New rotors all around and pads. She had the same complaints as you are having but worse. 2 mechanics missed the rotors about 12 months ago. Now she needs two new rear calipers on top of it because the piston pushed past the point of no return. But the beginning symptoms sound similar. Oh it's a 2010 LC original rotors 189k

What's left is about the level of heavy duty aluminum foil. And the rot... Really surprised the dealers didn't pick up on this one?

 

[bentonrover]

Check your brake rotors and while your at it the pads. That would be the first thing I would check before going in too deep. Front and back. What your describing could just be very worn rotors. But a shop should have picked up on that one. Or a seized piston on a brake caliper. That one might be over looked. All aspects of the brake system should be looked at in detail. The clunk right before a stop and accelerating could be the brakes. You will feel this in the steering wheel as well. It's a good place to start and a cheap place to start.

I just did a brake job on a neighbors LC. New rotors all around and pads. She had the same complaints as you are having but worse. 2 mechanics missed the rotors about 12 months ago. Now she needs two new rear calipers on top of it because the piston pushed past the point of no return. But the beginning symptoms sound similar. Oh it's a 2010 LC original rotors 189k

View attachment 2787948

What's left is about the level of heavy duty aluminum foil. And the rot... Really surprised the dealers didn't pick up on this one?

Well wow....

 

[bentonrover]

What was the verdict lol

 

[TeCKis300]

Check your brake rotors and while your at it the pads. That would be the first thing I would check before going in too deep. Front and back. What your describing could just be very worn rotors. But a shop should have picked up on that one. Or a seized piston on a brake caliper. That one might be over looked. All aspects of the brake system should be looked at in detail. The clunk right before a stop and accelerating could be the brakes. You will feel this in the steering wheel as well. It's a good place to start and a cheap place to start.

I just did a brake job on a neighbors LC. New rotors all around and pads. She had the same complaints as you are having but worse. 2 mechanics missed the rotors about 12 months ago. Now she needs two new rear calipers on top of it because the piston pushed past the point of no return. But the beginning symptoms sound similar. Oh it's a 2010 LC original rotors 189k

View attachment 2787948

What's left is about the level of heavy duty aluminum foil. And the rot... Really surprised the dealers didn't pick up on this one?

Wow! Reinforces that dealership techs are lazy or only focused on common maintenance items as they never bothered to look at the side or backside of the rotor. Only what faces them.

 

[1stgen4ever]

What was the verdict lol

Still hunting. I have replaced the brakes completely on all 4 corners. New calipers, rotors, pads and everything. I have been on top of greasing the driveshaft. I can’t get the steering box to recreate it when on the lift. Still hunting.

 

[Killacaviar]

Still hunting. I have replaced the brakes completely on all 4 corners. New calipers, rotors, pads and everything. I have been on top of greasing the driveshaft. I can’t get the steering box to recreate it when on the lift. Still hunting.

mine did this with a spent steering rack...

 

[1stgen4ever]

mine did this with a spent steering rack...

Will be lifting it back up on the hoist within the next week. How did you go about diagnosing this on yours? Just pressure left and right on the tires while on a hoist?

 

[Killacaviar]

Will be lifting it back up on the hoist within the next week. How did you go about diagnosing this on yours? Just pressure left and right on the tires while on a hoist?

you really need to inspect the rack itself, mine was leaking slightly. I disconnected the outer tierods from the spindle and then was able to identify the clunk.

 

[1stgen4ever]

you really need to inspect the rack itself, mine was leaking slightly. I disconnected the outer tierods from the spindle and then was able to identify the clunk.

Thank you for the advice. I will dig into it this way.

 

[fuqtodd]

I experienced something similar on my way back from Oregon last year. Creaking sound when breaking in reverse. Felt it in the steering wheel, and was audible even with the windows up. Made it back to Wisconsin and found that the upper alignment bolt / cam had fallen out. I had a local shop replace it (with what they had - non OEM cam washer) and that lasted for 1000 miles - until the noise returned. I tightened the bolt / nut but threw the alignment out. This forced me to buy the alignment hardware kit online, which had the OEM cam, and take it back to the alignment shop. Hardware is $150 delivered. Alignment $100 bucks (think they gave me a break the second time around). Good luck.