vostro1

I'm having an awful problem with front end noise on my 1998 GS300 and I've replaced almost everything and it's still there. Here's the best way to describe it. If I jack my car up on the left front (just like I'm going to replace a flat tire), there's a loud creaking/popping sound as it goes up. If I'm at a stop, then accelerate slowly, there's the same/similar popping sound. I can press down on the driver's side and hear the creaking/popping every time.

Some background on what's been replaced. Dec 2013 - All 4 struts replaced (noise wasn't there at the time) and front driver side upper control arm and ball joint. Around spring 2014 I heard a constant squeaking and creaking sound coming from, what I could tell, was the driver's side wheel well. I take the vehicle back to the place I had the struts changed and they claimed not to hear so see anything wrong.

After some reading on this message board, I checked my lower caster arm and the rubber bushing looked to be pretty torn so I bought a brand new arm w/bushing from Lexus and replaced it. Noise was still there.

I finally took it to another shop and they couldn't find anything wrong. I had been reading about the ball joints so I told one of the technicians about it. He got under my car while I pushed and pulled on the car to replicate the noise. He hears something so we put it on their lift. While it's on the lift he uses the (not sure what you call it) small jack on the inside to lift just the left front wheel and the ball joint pops out of place. Does the same for the passenger side, same result. He freaks and his reaction immediately make me think that's the culprit. I get the ball joints replaced fully expecting to no longer hear the noise but the first moment I drove the car after getting it back, the noise was there. I haven't taken it back yet because I've been out of town and just got in this morning. I'll be taking it back on Monday.

I'm lost. Any ideas? I don't think I can keep dealing with this. Almost everything on the driver's side has been replaced and it's still there. *sigh*

k7q

iTrader: (37)

check the upper control arm ball joints?

marshun

rubbery noise? bushing. upper control arm, lower control arm, sway bar.

metal noise? ball joint. you said you replaced uppers and lowers? i recently had a kinda newly replaced lower ball joint start dying. made metal scraping noises. really loud. i replaced not that long ago and just replaced it last week.

happy hunting!

repugnante

Gotta love this GS. The gift that keeps on giving....

I've chased a faint clunk sound ever since I first purchased the car. I've replaced literally, everything!! Still hear it. Our suspension sucks. It's worse than most cars. It's the bottom line. Unfortunately.

marshun

if it was everything then how do yo still have it? lol. im sure you must've overlooked something.

i recently overlooked my lower ball joints cause i thought "theyre like a year old? how the ****?"

and the problem was the lower ball joints.

repugnante

You name it I've replaced it. Me and a mechanic friend did all kinds of tests to try to locate the noise and couldn't find where it was coming from. When you run out of parts to replace then what? Sell the car? Mine is already for sale....

marshun

have you tightened everything with the springs already loaded?
lubed up all the bushings and ball joints as well?

divinity

my guess is the endlinks to sway bars..

jeepandlex

I'm really late,but I had a similar noise....front sway bar bushing.....and they were brand freakin' new...

Behemoth7

Have you checked engine and transmission mounts? Sway bar end links? Perhaps something you replaced was installed incorrectly?