Popping Noise / Feeling Under Feet When Turning & Letting Off Brakes

On my car it was the lower ball joint. At first, it only made a thud noise while reversing and turning, then over the course of a year it made clunking and thud noise over bad roads even moving forward. I removed the wheel, and pushed the knuckle up and down, sure enough there was movement up and down, just a tiny bit, but you can feel it and hear it. Removed the old ball joint, it was very easy to turn with just my fingers. Swapped to new ball joints and no noise.
Ball joints were just replaced and fixed similar issues to the severe ones you were having... In the end I was left with this only a noise on wide or fast left turns.
 
Potential update!
So the part of Canada I am in was hit pretty heavy with snow the past few days, I have no access to an indoor garage so I was kinda stuck not being able to even jack my car up at the moment. so I booked a diag appointment with the dealer. Honestly I know its usually best to steer clear of dealers but I figure if someone could figure it out it would be the actual dealer. They couldn't find anything but assured me all my aftermarket parts were installed correctly and without issue. So while that's no guarantee I guess it helps a bit to narrow it down.

Now essentially the only two parts on the front of the car that I did not touch or have someone replace this past year were the sway bar bushings and the brakes. The dealer initially thought it could be the brakes when describing my issues but again they found no fault... So for a dealer to not want try to get me to pay them for repairs that might be a good sign idk. Anyway after experiencing the issue again turning left on the way home I parked my car halfway up my driveway curb so I could look under it without a jack, worked surprisingly well and the only thing I could find was this.
IMG_7436.webp
The bracket over the bushing does not seem to cover the entire thing. I asked a local shop to do these for me this past year but claimed they were seized which I don't know if I buy as the subframe is somewhat new and they told me a week prior they accidentally broke another customers subframe bolts off in a similar way. Regardless I was wondering if this could be my issue. Looking online at OEM and after-market parts the bracket should be covering the entire rubber bushing up to the lipped edges but mine is not. Either from rust or the wrong bushing or the wrong bracket I am not sure but comparing it to the other side of the car the bushing there is aligned and fitting fine. So I was thinking maybe on hard or long left turns when the g force is strong or the body of the car bens in a way where way the bar would be sliding in the bracket since there's extra room there?
 
Potential update!
So the part of Canada I am in was hit pretty heavy with snow the past few days, I have no access to an indoor garage so I was kinda stuck not being able to even jack my car up at the moment. so I booked a diag appointment with the dealer. Honestly I know its usually best to steer clear of dealers but I figure if someone could figure it out it would be the actual dealer. They couldn't find anything but assured me all my aftermarket parts were installed correctly and without issue. So while that's no guarantee I guess it helps a bit to narrow it down.

Now essentially the only two parts on the front of the car that I did not touch or have someone replace this past year were the sway bar bushings and the brakes. The dealer initially thought it could be the brakes when describing my issues but again they found no fault... So for a dealer to not want try to get me to pay them for repairs that might be a good sign idk. Anyway after experiencing the issue again turning left on the way home I parked my car halfway up my driveway curb so I could look under it without a jack, worked surprisingly well and the only thing I could find was this.
View attachment 255388The bracket over the bushing does not seem to cover the entire thing. I asked a local shop to do these for me this past year but claimed they were seized which I don't know if I buy as the subframe is somewhat new and they told me a week prior they accidentally broke another customers subframe bolts off in a similar way. Regardless I was wondering if this could be my issue. Looking online at OEM and after-market parts the bracket should be covering the entire rubber bushing up to the lipped edges but mine is not. Either from rust or the wrong bushing or the wrong bracket I am not sure but comparing it to the other side of the car the bushing there is aligned and fitting fine. So I was thinking maybe on hard or long left turns when the g force is strong or the body of the car bens in a way where way the bar would be sliding in the bracket since there's extra room there?
I will say the bushing seems ok with up and down movement, not much flex so I don't hear the noise over bumps, but this is the only thing on the front of the car that is not as it should be even if its just a CM of extra space it seems like a lot...
 
ok another update folks... helped needed
I followed what D60 said here
If you can predictably recreate then you'll almost need a second person to be outside the vehicle and listen/watch. I know this won't necessarily provide results.

I might formulate a list of the top suspects and spray them with a penetrant or lubricant. ONE AT A TIME. If you can then no longer create the noise, you may have found the culprit.

This is all oversimplified I know because sometimes you'll think you found it and then it comes back almost immediately.

But all you can do is start trying different things, but approach it with a methodology of some sort.
After suspecting it could be the sway bushings since they were the only thing on the car that looked bad and fit the general location I was feeling for the pop. Anyway I began spraying the sway bushings with pen fluid also because the shop said those bolts were seized anyway so i figured two birds. After doing this the noise totally went away on turns etc except...

The past two days when turning my steering wheel in my driveway while stationary (to spray the pen fluid) I heard the pop while just turning the wheel left. It only happens once or twice moving the wheel left after the car has been sitting for some time. Cant replicate it by turning the wheel after unless its sitting another day. I didn't feel it at all in the wheel, my feet weren't in the car I was leaning in... So because I didn't feel it I am leaning away from it being a steering rack issue, even tho it is a 'new' remanned steering rack I thought the lubrication could be low or something but since I didn't feel it in my wheel I do not know.

I also tested braking without holding the wheel, did not get any shaking or turning to one side and all control arm bushings look visually good. End links seem tight and secure, no other issues at all now except just this pop, since its happening while stationary now I am a bit more hopeful on trying to find the cause. I am letting it sit now for a while and will try to record under the vehicle text time I get the pop.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: D60
I almost wonder if a strut bearing is somehow sticky after sitting and the coil is loading up as you first turn then releasing
 
I almost wonder if a strut bearing is somehow sticky after sitting and the coil is loading up as you first turn then releasing
Oh could be... Had a bad bearing last year that caused spring bind and eventually would click constantly on turns, but for that a bump would always initiate the pops. I will mention I have a decently steep driveway curb that I turn left into everyday and never get the popping on that, or when turning the wheel while shaking the vehicle which is why initially I ruled out the struts.

Sorry to ramble but another thing I did notice today is the sway bushing with the bad bracket has the opening for the bushing facing to the front of the car, when recording under there I noticed when turning left the swaybar gets slightly pulled to the front of the car as well (toward the opening) and when not turning, on that side the sway bar will sit about an inch closer to the subframe as compared to the passenger side under there. But I doubt it is that bushing now but figured it worth mentioning.

For today, I left it overnight after spraying the pen fluid on the sway bushings at like 8pm yesterday right after getting the noise, no noise this morning. Will keep letting it sit and trying to record hopefully I can catch it. Anything you recommend for me to do to check that bearing?
 
I almost wonder if a strut bearing is somehow sticky after sitting and the coil is loading up as you first turn then releasing
Ok got a video under the car but no noise. I did notice 2 things tho, 1, the steering rack seems to be flexing quite a bit on that one bolt there, was wondering if you know if that is normal. 2. the sway bushing on the right hand side looks to be open far too wide and the bar is moving a fair amount, Couldnt figure out how to upload videos here so I just threw it on reddit if you wanted to take a look. LINK
 
To me, sway bar-related noises are most obvious when you hit a bump with one wheel and the wheel on the opposite size of the vehicle does not. I don't think you will hear them from turning or letting off brakes.

How do the bushings on the lower control arms look?

I am thinking something steering rack related or strut mounts or bearings. Try touching the spring while an assistant turns the steering wheel back and forth. Can you feel vibrations in the spring as the strut bearing stick-slips?
 
I am thinking something steering rack related or strut mounts or bearings. Try touching the spring while an assistant turns the steering wheel back and forth. Can you feel vibrations in the spring as the strut bearing stick-slips?
Yeah I was gonna suggest this.

You could then try dousing the strut bearing in penetrant from both the top and the underside and see if a noise/pop vanishes. Honestly though, depending on the design you may not get any of your lubricant into the bearing.

There may be a way to use a needle on a grease gun to shoot grease into the bearing from the top. You may even be able to drill a small hole depending upon the design of the unibody strut tower, but it would be nice to know where to drill. Manufacturer-specific forums (or YT) may have details from others who have tried this.

This is all assuming you have credible reason to think the spring is winding up and then unloading when turning. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.
 
To me, sway bar-related noises are most obvious when you hit a bump with one wheel and the wheel on the opposite size of the vehicle does not. I don't think you will hear them from turning or letting off brakes.

How do the bushings on the lower control arms look?

I am thinking something steering rack related or strut mounts or bearings. Try touching the spring while an assistant turns the steering wheel back and forth. Can you feel vibrations in the spring as the strut bearing stick-slips?
Yeah I think the brake issue was just ice or snow build up, Control arms bushings are fairly new and still look good! I thought it could also be rack related but last time I got the pop I was leaning into the car only touching the steering wheel and felt zero popping in the wheel itself but it is a reman rack and there's no guarantee that those are perfect.

After work today I will try to tighten the rack as the video I posted yesterday I thought it was moving a bit too much. I will also have someone turn the wheel and Ill inspect the shocks.
I will say that I have a super steep driveway curb and never get the pop over it or related to any other bumps but its always a possibility.
I was initially thinking those bushings just because its like the one part I haven't changed or replaced on the front of the car and have had this issue through all of it, also in the video I posted wasn't happy with the bushing opening up like a cm when turning the wheel but after I got the pop while stationary i also doubt it is the bushing. But thank you very much! will update the thread if I find anything doing that or am able to see the pop
 
Yeah I was gonna suggest this.

You could then try dousing the strut bearing in penetrant from both the top and the underside and see if a noise/pop vanishes. Honestly though, depending on the design you may not get any of your lubricant into the bearing.

There may be a way to use a needle on a grease gun to shoot grease into the bearing from the top. You may even be able to drill a small hole depending upon the design of the unibody strut tower, but it would be nice to know where to drill. Manufacturer-specific forums (or YT) may have details from others who have tried this.

This is all assuming you have credible reason to think the spring is winding up and then unloading when turning. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.
Yeah Ill do some tests with someone in the driver seat and try to see if I can feel or hopefully see the pop in action. I had bad bearings on my struts last year and it was a much deeper noise and would click/ pop more than once usually after a big bump, but it could very well just be a different issue with the same type of part, but I will say compared to when it happened to me before this feels different / not as loud or heavy hitting so to speak as the spring popping, but like someone mentioned I supposed the bearing itself could be sticking and making the noise not the spring. Regardless if I do conclude its the spring making the noise I will for sure try what you suggested, better than getting a second set of new struts in one year.
 
When/why was the reman rack put in?

I had a Fusion that would make popping noises and it was caused by a bad (electric, expensive) rack.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: D60
Back
Top