Steering clunk (Pictures posted of swaybar endlinks 5-20-11)

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

This started earlier this week after getting the PCS replaced. The shop who did it told me they loosened all the subframe bolts to get to the transmission. The steering will make large clunks driving straight down the road. The wheels don't shake, the car corners fine, and the sound takes some time to appear after driving the car. The clunks are accompanied by a "bump" felt through the steering wheel. Turning the steering wheel with the car off makes the noise. Could this be an intermediate steering shaft issue? And, what else should I check out?

[PossessedPower]

It could be a strut bearing.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

It's not a strut bearing. Those were lubed up nicely, and turn freely.

[Jrs3800]

Sounds more like an issue with the Sub Frame bushings

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Like not torqued down tightly enough, or loosened back up once they got it off the lift?

[Jrs3800]

Thinking more along the lines of tired subframe bushings... I would just check them to see if they are tight and or the bushings are tired..

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

The four back ones were at least 66 ft/lbs per my Craftsman clicker torque wrench. The bushings didn't look too bad. Maybe a bit degraded, but nothing too bad.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

I finally had time to look into matters this evening. The clunk had gotten progressively worse to the point where it was constant when driving at anything faster than 20 mph.

One of the swaybar endlink bushings on the driver's side was installed upside down. The washer that was supposed to go on top of a bushing was placed underneath, with the spacer that separates the control arm side bushings from the sway bar side bushings left sitting unsupported on a polyurethane bushing. So, the spacer on the endlink had driven halfway into the bushing, leaving the endlink and swaybar free to clunk around. I could move the swaybar up and down with my bare hands. A wrench used to further test the mobility produced a very soft clunk with little effort. After installing a new poly bushing and washer in the correct position, the swaybar was back to its prior status.

I installed those swaybar endlinks about 2.5 years ago, and have not touched them since. I made sure to install them correctly way back then. I'm wondering why the shop had to take off the endlink when they replaced my PCS.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Pictures of the messup:

Messup as found:


Correct arrangement on other side of car:


Spacer embedded into bushing:






New bushing and washer correctly installed:

[00Beast]

Oh that makes sense. Just one of those DUH moments, lol. At least it was a cheap fix!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Try free this time around, if time has no monetary value. I had extra bushings/washers from the original installation years ago.

Makes me mad to be fixing a mistake made by a professional mechanic!

[wake]

Makes me mad to be fixing a mistake made by a professional mechanic!

THIS!

im in the same boat with my truck and its filler neck right now!

glad you got it figured out and it didnt cost you nothing!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Well, the clunk is still there. It's now accompanied by a humming noise. I'm wondering if it's not another creative wheel bearing failure. It's loudest about 45-50 MPH, and is sort of directional now that it's had a few weeks to develop.

Drat this car right now...

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Turns out it was a very sneaky wheel bearing failure. The clunk came first, then the humming of the failed bearing. This bearing failed quite rapidly, going from silent to "turn up the radio" loud in 4 days. The bearing is replaced, and the car is (so far) back to quiet.