What's this noise?

[Rick Lee]

Saturday night I was in Bethlehem, PA and it was pretty cold. My car had been sitting for a few hours too. I started her up and did a U turn from my parking spot. While turning it sounded like my front wheels were square or had flat tires or something. I have turbo tie-rods, Bilstein Sports in the front, the car stops totally straight and calipers do not stick. Once I straighten out and when the car is warm, all is fine. What is that horrible noise and clunky feeling and how can I remedy it? Thanks. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[Eric Coffey]

If you were turning with the wheel at full lock, could it have been a tire rubbing the inner fender, or one of the steering shaft U-joint binding? Also, a lot of people experience a "clunking" feeling/sound with a bad rear CV joint.

[nhromyak]

My first thought is a broken rear torsion bar mount. I would think the rear swing arms would have to have moved quite a bit for this clunk though.

More likely, the CVs need a lube.

Good Luck!

[tobluforu]

Maybe wheel bearings or rubbing wheel on inner wheel well, or sway bar mount. jack it up and check it out. First try and get it to do it again. Roll passenger window down and listen. Is it coming from the front or rear?

[72SMFI]

Do you have ltd slip?

[Rick Lee]

I don't know if I have LSD. My '87 was made in 9/86 I believe. I added lube to my right axle shaft a few weeks ago. But I did so by just using a huge syringe and injected it under the boot. I didn't get as much in there as I had intended, as the needle snapped. But the boots look fine (no wear at all) and the shafts have been checked out at my local PCA tech sessions three times since August. I have a hard time believing bad CV's would have made it past these guys at the tech sessions -- I have it looked at on the lift and I have an expert drive it with me. The noise doesn't happen all the time, but is most noticeable when it's real cold.

[cds72911]

Your tires are really cold and hold the flat spot that they had on the bottom while parked until they warm up. Much more noticable on a 911 since they're such a light car.

Maybe?

Charlie

[NYSCAR]

I second the front torsion bar link diagnosis. Mine snapped off from the top of my right control arm and was just swinging in the breeze. When I'd turn my wheel sharply to the left, it i would hear popping sounds, i think it was the link getting caught and rubbing against the wheels. Luckily no damage was done

Brad

[Jdub]

I'm with Charlie: tires that were warm to a location are very flexible, and have a large contact patch as they squat under static load. As they cool, they "set" and create a flat spotted area on the tire. Drive it, and as the tire warms up the flat spotting goes away.

John

[tobluforu]

Here's a crazy thought. Is it freezing where you are? If so, you have water in your tire, it's freezing. When you take off it clunks around in the tire and when it warms up, it turns to water. I have heard of this happening. Probably not the case though.