Popping when accelerating or stopping hard

[OzzmosisDSM]

When I accelerate from a stop I can hear a popping noise coming from the front passanger side of the car. It's just a loud clunking sound and it only pops once. It also does this when braking harder than normal. When I accelerate slow or brake easy it doesn't pop at all. Nor does it happen when I turn the wheels.

My first assumption would be that it is the CV joint, however my car has newer axles on it from raxles.com. I think they are the beefier high performance ones, however I'm not quite sure since I bought the car with them already installed, but they are pretty beefy looking.

What could be causing that poppping sound? Are there other things that I could look for and double check? I think raxles has a limited lifetime warrenty on these axles so if it is them then hopefully I can get it replaced for free, but I want to make sure that's what it is before I go down the route. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[tim_korn_99]

I'd like to know the answer to this too. Mine does it on the driver side front. It also makes a kind of rattling/thumping sound when going over small bumps at speed. I think it may be the struts, but im not for sure.
-Tim

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

Any ideas?

 

[99gst_racer]

Check the struts..... and maybe the control arm bushings.....

(PS - this should be in the Problem Diagnosis Forum )

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

My appologies. I'm new to dsmtuners, I came over here from dsmtalk when they went down so I'm still learning the ins and outs of this forum.

Anywho, what should I look for? Loose nuts and bolts, torns boots, those kinda things? Sorry if I sound dumb but suspension stuff is not my specialty. The suspension upgrades were done to this car before I bought it so I have no clue if it was all done right.

 

[AdamG]

jack the front of the car up and check for back and forth and side to side play by grabbing the tire and pulling it, see if you can make it clunk like you hear. It could be the strut mount bearing. It could be the control arm hitting metal because the bushings are fubare'd.


jack er up and take a look and let us know what you find out.

 

[Turbo96DSM]

i have the same problem i hear it on the drivers side wheel also
but thats good advice adam g im going to jack up the car tomorrow and check it out

 

[SlickTSi]

Unfortunatly I havn't had the chance to look at this yet, it's been to cold outside. Not to mention I got a flat tire on my way to work this morning I'll post the results when I do get around to looking at this.

BTW - OzzmosisDSM is my old username.

 

[4pistons]

If you're getting this clunking on the drivers side check ALL the bolts in the longitudinal brace that runs under the engine. It is attached with two bolts at the front, two at the back, which are easy to see, but check the two in the center which are difficult to see. They bolt up into a control arm mount and if they aren't there the mount will move during braking and cornering. You'll also feel it in your foot on the floor.

This is for a 1G, I don't know if 2G is the same.

Rick - '91 GSX

 

[AWDTalonDE]

A problem like this recently surfaced for my 1g AWD TSI. When I accelerate fast I feel a clunking and stuttering and when I turn to the left hard I here a thumping, sounds like something is falling out or clicking/popping. I had just had a brake job done with calipers, rotors, and pads so maybe they did something wrong?

 

[RoasT BeeF]

Also check ball joints.

 

[headrec*]

I had the same problem and I had newer axles as well. It ended up being my axle that went out. It sounds very similar to the same problem you're having. If they have a lifetime guarentee you might as well do it.

 

[AWDTalonDE]

Believe it or not the problem could simply be the wheel well sideskirt. The little black thing behind the SMIC. Mine was actually hanging and banging up against the axle so I completely removed it and the problem went away.

 

[milenium99]

Try checking you control are and linkages. Had that same problem in my daily drive and it was one of the bushing in the upper control arm. Hope that helps.

 

[milenium99]

*ur control arms

 

[SlickTSi]

Believe it or not the problem could simply be the wheel well sideskirt. The little black thing behind the SMIC. Mine was actually hanging and banging up against the axle so I completely removed it and the problem went away.

That skirt hasn't been there since I bought the car, it only restricts flow to the SMIC anyway. Looks like I have a bunch of things to check, I'm not looking forward to this, especially in the freezing weather.

 

[na_turbotalon]

That skirt hasn't been there since I bought the car, it only restricts flow to the SMIC anyway. Looks like I have a bunch of things to check, I'm not looking forward to this, especially in the freezing weather.

You'll be sorry when a rock smashes your intercooler from your own tire. Cut some of the fins out but I wouldn't suggest leaving it off.

As for the clunking sound, When I had mine it was because I snapped the bolts out of the transmission mount and the engine/tranny could rotate just enough to contact the brace behind it.