Mechanical pop when backing up

[jdwk]

My car started this a long time ago. It probably has been close to six months now. In the past year or so I have replaced all struts and springs, the control arm bushings, the end links, the sway bar bushings, the front motor mount, the side motor mount, and both front hubs and bearings in attempt to return this car to like new condition.

However, there is one noise that still really pisses me off. A damped metallic pop from the front of the car that occurs when I am backing out of my driveway and my steering wheel is turned to the right. It also happens backing out of parking spaces and such as long as the steering wheel is turned to the right and I am backing up. Unfortunately, it is not consistent. It hear it probably less than 50% of the time I leave my driveway and to varying degrees of loudness.

It was incredibly loud tonight though since it made it all the way until my back wheels went down the curb before it popped. If it pops when the car is level then it is much more subtle.

The only things really left are the rear and tranny mounts, the tie rods, control arm ball joints and the axles, but I am not sure how any of those could be the culprit. I can drive as hard as I want, accelerate, brake, turn and everything seems pretty solid. I can do figure eights until I throw up, but I can not reproduce the popping noise on demand.

I understand the hopelessness of trying to diagnose a mechanical noise from a forum post, but I am at the end of my rope, so figured it was worth a shot. It was many years ago when I couldn't solve the engine ticking until someone on here told me to check my exhaust manifold bolts, so maybe I will get lucky again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dmorris05]

Have you checked brake pads to make sure there not shifting in the calipers ?

 

[BRIAN_MP5T]

Brake Pad Carriers are probably done or were not installed.

 

[jdwk]

I've replaced the pads twice in the past eight months, and I just had the rears off the car again and found that the spring on my right side popped out of the outside pad hole and lodged itself between the caliper and pad. It inexplicably FUBAR'd the rotor and I had to buy new rotors yesterday.

I did not change the pad carriers on the front, so perhaps I knocked one out or broke one and still didn't notice when I replaced the pads the last time. Easy enough to check. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[tweety2300]

Strut bearing
I have same issue just no time to fix. It's almost like a popping noise. Get someone to sit in your car and turn the wheel when it does it you will probly see the spring jump

 

[jdwk]

All the carriers are accounted for. All springs are in place still. Not ruling it out completely but it doesn't appear to be related to the brakes. I've been putting it off, but it's probably about time to change the rear motor mount. If it isn't bad, it can't last too much longer since I've already replaced two of the others. I am just dreading the job. I'll probably remove the rear inserts while I am at it and return a little comfort back to the cabin. However, the pop doesn't sound like a heavy enough noise to be the mount. It is not the deep clunk that I heard when my side mount was all torn up, yet it seems heavier than a brake component. Hard to explain. Perhaps I can catch it on video one of these days.

 

[jdwk]

Strut bearing. That sounds more like it. I didn't even think of that. I replaced the struts but I did not replace the strut mount. s***, that job wasn't fun. Oh well, at least I know how to do it.

 

[jdwk]

So I don't see a separate bearing so it must be the whole mount correct? I see this part number, C145-34-380C. $50 OEM. Has anyone used an aftermarket part with success?

 

[tweety2300]

Last I checked autozone wants $25 and it's basicly the top plate of the strut that holds the spring down.

 

[JReichle1]

So I don't see a separate bearing so it must be the whole mount correct? I see this part number, C145-34-380C. $50 OEM. Has anyone used an aftermarket part with success?

I got it from the dealership. It is a small circular roller bearing that fits between the strut mount and the top plate of the strut. Call the dealership and they will know what you are asking for, I would do both of them at the same time... I threw away my old ones when i upgraded to coil overs and then realized that i needed them... Thats how i know...

 

[jdwk]

The parts catalog has yet to fail me, but I don't see the bearing in the catalog.

The front strut assembly is on page 329 (page 9 of the PDF). Do you see which part it is?
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1eecaR7erA6dWE0ZXphV2twbzQ/edit

If I call the local dealer they'll charge me an arm and a leg, but maybe I can get them to give me a part number and then order them from Jason. Although Jason probably knows what part it is.

I still want to get a friend to come over and confirm that it is the bearing. It doesn't ever seem to pop when I am stationary, so it may be hard to confirm. Unless I backed up and it popped just as I passed my helper, I don't think he could see the spring jump.

I've bought so many parts and then returned them because it turned out to be something else. I'd like to avoid that this time, but I guess I just won't know for sure until I take the strut off.

 

[jdwk]

Ok so that parts catalog did fail me. Where it says bushing, it means bearing. $17 a pop, not too bad. I am just dreading the labor. I've had the knuckle off the car at least five times in the past two years, so you'd think I'd be good at it by now. But last time I managed to slice wrist with the rotor dust shield.

I think I'll do those and the rear motor mount, and remove the inserts and if there are any noises left after that, I am selling the car.

Oh and I know why I don't remember it. The upper spring seat and the mounting rubber are held together by the bearing, so it was all just one rotating piece to me. Hopefully they are not too hard to take apart. The service manual doesn't mention using a press or any SST so it should be doable.

 

[JReichle1]

It just comes out no pressing needed. It is just a small circular flat roller bearing that fits between the two pieces...

 

[jdwk]

So I put the car in the air and then lifted the control arms with two jacks until the weight was just off the jack stands. I turned the steering wheel back and forth several times and the upper seat seemed to be turning just fine. No hitches or pops.

The only thing weird was I could see up through the hole in the upper seat and both pistons were covered in some yellow powder similar to sulfur. It looks like something yellow had disintegrated, but the bump stops are under the rubber dust boot and I believe are still in decent shape.

I wish there was some other way to prove that's what the noise is. I am not excited about taking the car apart if they are fine. There is nothing worse than spending a few hours working on the car and accomplishing nothing.

 

[tweety2300]

Iirc last time my car was on the lift we did the same thing and it didn't do it, it's probly gota have weight on it. Try pouring a lil but of oil on it it helped make mine quieter for a few days

 

[jdwk]

That's why I lifted the car from the control arms, so that the bearing should have seen the same weight as if the car was on the ground.

Did you just pour it down the holes in the rubber mount from the top?

 

[tweety2300]

Yes

 

[jdwk]

I broke down and bought new bearings. I should get to the install this weekend hopefully.

 

[CR3 Motorsports]

Check the control arm ball joints, my driver side was doing the same exact thing. I replaced the control arm, bam no popping.

 

[jdwk]

I am not sure how to check them. They seem fine the last couple times I've removed the knuckle. I put my jack under the control arm and lifted and dropped it a few times and there wasn't a noise.

I really hate diagnosing suspension noises. I am going to try the $17 bearings first. I just put Pedder's control arm bushings in my control arms about 18 months ago, so I would hate to have to go through that again. It was a major fiasco finding someone to press them in.