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Control Arm Noise? And a bonus question for the CV boot...
I had a quick question. After finally tracking down a semi-constant rattle/clunk in the inner tie rods on my car, it has now gifted me with yet another obnoxious front end sound. I have look over all bushings and ball joints and all seem to be intact. I have attempted to retorque the new sway bar end links but those were tight as well. I have ordered some new Meyle sway bar bushings (the round ones that mount behind the oil pan) in case that is making any noise. However, the only thing I could find out of the ordinary was the driver side front lower control arm. Here is a picture to compare the driver and passenger side bushings.
The top one is noticeably swelling outward...
Could this be the source of the noise I am hearing? I think it's fairly obvious that I need to replace it but want to know if I can wait for a new set of the 034 Motorsports control arms (or Meyle HD) all the way around since I'm getting sick of these issues. I can confirm that this damage was not due to user error since I torqued at neutral ride height and rechecked them multiple times. Also, since I just got new tires, will having this lower control arm on the car for the next week or two start chewing it up?
On an unrelated note... While I was under there I noticed some axle grease around the outer CV boot on the passenger side. The boot is in good condition but the grease is coming from under the small clamp on the inside of cv boot. It's possible that someone didn't clamp it down all the way when they installed it since I can barely move it but it does move a tiny bit. Is is safer to just reboot the joint with a GKN kit or should I attempt to tighten the one time use clamp further? (I know it doesn't look like much grease but there was quite a bit more before I wiped it off to get a clearer picture.)
If you want to bet there's enough juice left inside the boot, just replace the clamp. If you don't know what size, it looks like it's stamped on the clamp in the pic?
You can always remove the clamp and inject an ounce or two of fresh juice in there and then replace the clamp….don't forget to burp the boot.
If you want to bet there's enough juice left inside the boot, just replace the clamp. If you don't know what size, it looks like it's stamped on the clamp in the pic?
You can always remove the clamp and inject an ounce or two of fresh juice in there and then replace the clamp….don't forget to burp the boot.
I guess it's time to get juiced... What do you think about that bushing?
I'd probably leave it alone and see if it gets worse…spray some WD40 or silicone on it and see if noise goes away. If noise doesn't, it's not that bushing in all likelihood. If you're really careful about removing it (use the right tool on the bj) and the bj is tight when you take off the LCA you can press in a new bushing for about $15-20.
07-15-2014, 11:39 AM
Control Arm Noise? And a bonus question for the CV boot...
