Went off roading, metal clunking now. Video! Help

[derekdevasia]

This past weekend, I went off road to find a camping location in the George Washington national forest. Nothing too serious, a few 6-7 inches of mud, and a lot of gravel road and just dirt road with no serious rocks. Everything was fine until I got back on the road, and I heard a metal clunking almost like I was dragging a skid plate behind me.

First thought was I bent my dust shield into my rotors, but I checked those and nothing was stuck in between them and they weren't touching the rotors at all.

Second, I thought wheel bearings? Nope, no play up and down, and I had just done my front wheel bearings about 25k miles ago. no lose skid plate, and i've looked under the car and nothing is loose.

I did find to what seems to be a worn lower control arm bushing, but the sound is constant with speed, and not constant with bumps on the road or anything like that.

I've attached a pic of my LCA for you guys to help me figure out if that's shot, and I've attached a video of the noise I experience.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've made an appointment with a trusted mechanic on Monday but If i can get it fixed myself for cheaper I'd much rather do that! Thanks

https://youtu.be/YWSUN4DRqm0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYo8Wj-hDM&feature=youtu.be

 

[86mcss]

did you check your front driveline?

 

[derekdevasia]

Yup, CV axles are actually less than a month old. No play in them and no tears in the boot.

 

[Krayziekid]

If the CVs are good, then check the driveshaft. Sounds like it could have been hit or bent, cause it to contact something.

If not that, oddly enough, check the heat shields on the under side. There are a number of them up and down the body. Check them all for play or rusted bolts. It could be that one up near the front it hanging loose and being contacted by the driveshaft, hence the sound that correlates with the speed.

If none of that works, might wanna find a buddy with a GoPro and put it under there and drive around.

 

[dkyleb]

That sounds like a pooched u-joint or pinion flange. Take a prybar in there and start poking around.

 

[derekdevasia]

If the CVs are good, then check the driveshaft. Sounds like it could have been hit or bent, cause it to contact something.

If not that, oddly enough, check the heat shields on the under side. There are a number of them up and down the body. Check them all for play or rusted bolts. It could be that one up near the front it hanging loose and being contacted by the driveshaft, hence the sound that correlates with the speed.

If none of that works, might wanna find a buddy with a GoPro and put it under there and drive around.

Drive shaft is also good, i've removed a lot of the heat shields before from rusted bolts just letting them dangle. Checked just now and nothing is hitting the drive shaft in anyway. Might have to get that go pro

 

[RonJR]

It sounds like it's at driveshaft speed, and like something on the shaft is hitting some sheet metal somewhere. Is there possibly a tree branch or something stuck in a u-joint?

I'd check both drive shafts end-to-end for possible interference with something.

 

[doubleduece]

There is a metal shield on the back side of the rotors, sounds like it could be bent and rubbing the rotor. Pull the tire and spin the rotor and see if you can hear it, also look inside the rim also to see if there are any rub marks. I have bent a shield wheeling, it sounded just like that.

 

[Civiceg94]

Doesnt that lower control bolt nut look like its loose ? It looks like its coming off to me

 

[07V8]

Doesnt that lower control bolt nut look like its loose ? It looks like its coming off to me

Yes something is going on there. That is clean black bushing that's showing.

 

[derekdevasia]

Finally found out the cause of the clunking. Took my passenger side wheel off and found that there was one single bolt that attaches the wheel bearing/hub assembly on that had backed off and was making the clunking sound. Weird. I installed these wheel bearings myself almost a year and a half ago, and torqued them to spec and used red loctite. Don't know how that would have happened, but I checked the torque on all the rest of them for peace of mind, and everything was all good. Reinstalled the wheel and no more clunk. Thanks everyone for your advice/help

 

[Krayziekid]

Finally found out the cause of the clunking. Took my passenger side wheel off and found that there was one single bolt that attaches the wheel bearing/hub assembly on that had backed off and was making the clunking sound. Weird. I installed these wheel bearings myself almost a year and a half ago, and torqued them to spec and used red loctite. Don't know how that would have happened, but I checked the torque on all the rest of them for peace of mind, and everything was all good. Reinstalled the wheel and no more clunk. Thanks everyone for your advice/help

Glad you got it sorted out. Odd that it would back off after 1.5 years, but off-roading can cause some random ass things to happen haha. Nice work :bravo:

 

[derekdevasia]

Glad you got it sorted out. Odd that it would back off after 1.5 years, but off-roading can cause some random ass things to happen haha. Nice work :bravo:

Really weird. I too had thought there was no way that this bolt was the one which would have been loose. I recently did CV axles, but I didn't have to touch the bolts for that. Just weird but glad to have it back! And before it did any damage to myself or others!