Font end noise
07-11-12, 01:25 PM
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Font end noise
1990 ls400
I get a low muffled "boble" sound from the front while going over bumps and minor potholes. I used to have alot of more promominent clunks from obviously tired parts which I have replaced. I cannot produce the sound at all with the wheels off the ground and I can't do it with them loaded either. I have checked and re checked everything in the frot end that I have replaced to make sure they haven't gone prematurely bad.
Things I know are good:
-strut rod bushings
-upper and lower ball joints
-upper and lower controll arm bushings
-inner & outer tie rods
-on stock air so no shock mounts
-wheel bearings
- sway bar end links
It almost sounds like its under my feet while driving like its something right in front of the passenger compartment.
The sway bar bushings are obviously beat but I'm not sure they would cause this sound or any sound.
The engine mounts seem good, don't get much play at all while revving or putting in gear with the brake depressed.
Any ideas would be appreciated. I would just like to take care of it with the sway bar bushings. This way I don't have to take it all apart again.
I get a low muffled "boble" sound from the front while going over bumps and minor potholes. I used to have alot of more promominent clunks from obviously tired parts which I have replaced. I cannot produce the sound at all with the wheels off the ground and I can't do it with them loaded either. I have checked and re checked everything in the frot end that I have replaced to make sure they haven't gone prematurely bad.
Things I know are good:
-strut rod bushings
-upper and lower ball joints
-upper and lower controll arm bushings
-inner & outer tie rods
-on stock air so no shock mounts
-wheel bearings
- sway bar end links
It almost sounds like its under my feet while driving like its something right in front of the passenger compartment.
The sway bar bushings are obviously beat but I'm not sure they would cause this sound or any sound.
The engine mounts seem good, don't get much play at all while revving or putting in gear with the brake depressed.
Any ideas would be appreciated. I would just like to take care of it with the sway bar bushings. This way I don't have to take it all apart again.
Last edited by j2b4o; 07-12-12 at 05:59 AM.
07-11-12, 05:08 PM
#2
Bad sway bar bushings can certainly cause noise. As cheap as they are just swap in new ones. How do you know your upper control arms are good? Unless you put in oem parts, I wouldn't trust them. Ask how I know.
07-11-12, 06:05 PM
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I know because I checked to see if they had gone bad and the noise is different.
I plan on replacing the SB bushings.
I was just wondering if there is another suspect I am missing.
I plan on replacing the SB bushings.
I was just wondering if there is another suspect I am missing.
Last edited by j2b4o; 07-11-12 at 06:10 PM.
07-12-12, 05:57 AM
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I have a 90, the bushings come as part of the assembly, no indexing required. yes the car was on the ground when I did the final tightening on all bolts. And before you ask- yes I torqued all parts to spec. Was a very easy job. hard to see how someone could mess it up.
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07-12-12, 09:48 AM
#10
My non-oem upper arms looked and checked out great, but the ball joint made noise over bumps. I replaced almost everything in the front end before I revisited the upper arms. The OEM arms on my 96 made a huge difference. The front end is now like new---a total different car.
07-12-12, 10:56 AM
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My non-oem upper arms looked and checked out great, but the ball joint made noise over bumps. I replaced almost everything in the front end before I revisited the upper arms. The OEM arms on my 96 made a huge difference. The front end is now like new---a total different car.
07-12-12, 11:16 AM
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07-12-12, 11:35 AM
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Used a beck/arnley on the passenger side that was not an exact match to the oem but seated tightly and easily, used a doorman on the driver side which looked like it could have been an oem Toyota part with the same exact ball joint and all. I inspected the doorman against the old one much more closely than the beck because I didn't know about the aftermarket ball joint problems on these cars untill after I had installed the beck. But at a glance the Beck joint had no stop on the taper and needed a washer on the castle nut to engage the cotter pin unlike the doorman. The beck is ~4000miles old and the doorman is ~1000 miles old. The old ones had enourmus play in them and made quite a racket. They degraded real real fast also, the driver side had barely any movement and than within 200 miles it had so much I was surprised it didn't fail.
07-12-12, 02:48 PM
#14
Used a beck/arnley on the passenger side that was not an exact match to the oem but seated tightly and easily, used a doorman on the driver side which looked like it could have been an oem Toyota part with the same exact ball joint and all. I inspected the doorman against the old one much more closely than the beck because I didn't know about the aftermarket ball joint problems on these cars untill after I had installed the beck. But at a glance the Beck joint had no stop on the taper and needed a washer on the castle nut to engage the cotter pin unlike the doorman. The beck is ~4000miles old and the doorman is ~1000 miles old. The old ones had enourmus play in them and made quite a racket. They degraded real real fast also, the driver side had barely any movement and than within 200 miles it had so much I was surprised it didn't fail.
So Doorman are a safer bet than all the others? Wondered about that.
07-12-12, 04:00 PM
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No I was answering midwest's post asking which upper control arms I used and if they were oem.
When they were bad they made a bunch of noise and got so loose that I could push on the top of the wheel (car on the ground) and move it in and out and produce a metal clunk.
The doorman arm looks a world better than the beck in every respect- bushings, ball joint and overall look. I have only had the doorman on for a little more than 1000 miles but if I had the choise I would have used a doorman for the passenger side instead of the beck/arnley.
Both beck and doorman are real huge suppliers and have a good rep.
When they were bad they made a bunch of noise and got so loose that I could push on the top of the wheel (car on the ground) and move it in and out and produce a metal clunk.
The doorman arm looks a world better than the beck in every respect- bushings, ball joint and overall look. I have only had the doorman on for a little more than 1000 miles but if I had the choise I would have used a doorman for the passenger side instead of the beck/arnley.
Both beck and doorman are real huge suppliers and have a good rep.