Clunking sound while turning corners with potholes

[rzapata]

Hi all,

Just wondering if this has been discussed before.. See, I hear a very noticeable clunking sound when I turn on corners with a bit of potholes on the road. It seems like metal hitting a hollow metal of some sort... I've read somewhere that it might be the sway bar bushings or something (I can't remember, but it's something about bushings)...

I have a 2005 Mazda sedan and I was wondering if anybody has got comments on this or has personal experience on this matter?

Any suggestion/comment will be greatly appreciated.. :) :) :)

[mazdaskit]

Hi all,

Just wondering if this has been discussed before.. See, I hear a very noticeable clunking sound when I turn on corners with a bit of potholes on the road. It seems like metal hitting a hollow metal of some sort... I've read somewhere that it might be the sway bar bushings or something (I can't remember, but it's something about bushings)...

I have a 2005 Mazda sedan and I was wondering if anybody has got comments on this or has personal experience on this matter?

Any suggestion/comment will be greatly appreciated.. :) :) :)
strut most likely notice any oil around them??

[zmz3]

strut most likely notice any oil around them??

It certainly isn't the strut as I just had mine replaced yet I still hear the same sound the OP mentions.

I am not sure what it is, but it's certainly annoying... I feel like something is loose.

PS I also heard it when the front struts were leaking

[FLIPDADY]

Could be a bad sway bar link. If you didn't replace those when you did the struts, I would look into those.

[zmz3]

Could be a bad sway bar link. If you didn't replace those when you did the struts, I would look into those.

Any ideas how much the link stabilizer bars are?

According to Jimmy, that's his guess.


Thanks Joe

[rzapata]

strut most likely notice any oil around them??

I don't think it's the struts because I just checked it like an hour ago and they seem to be fine.. No oil nor leaks..


It certainly isn't the strut as I just had mine replaced yet I still hear the same sound the OP mentions.

I am not sure what it is, but it's certainly annoying... I feel like something is loose.

PS I also heard it when the front struts were leaking

That's exactly how it feels like, loose and metal hitting metal..

@FLIPDADY, would you know how much that would cost if indeed it's the sway bar links??

If anyone had pictures of what we're talking about, that would be great.. :)

[zmz3]

I don't think it's the struts because I just checked it like an hour ago and they seem to be fine.. No oil nor leaks..



That's exactly how it feels like, loose and metal hitting metal..

@FLIPDADY, would you know how much that would cost if indeed it's the sway bar links??

If anyone had pictures of what we're talking about, that would be great.. :)

I called up Andrew at QEW Mazda and he quotes me $39.99 for front sway bars/stabilizer links.. thats per side, so you need 2X $39.99... Jimmy said he can install it for $40.

Not too bad. I bought the car used, so I can't complain too much as it had 75k km clicks before I used it.

To the OP, if you really wanna figure this out, take it to Jimmy, and he can inspect it for you. He's really great and his work is great.

But I definitely know the issue you are having, and I think I will get it changed this Saturday.

I'll update you as well.

[rzapata]

I see.. Great, thanks, let me know how it goes.. I'll order the parts or perhaps Jimmy might have it?? By the way, who's Jimmy? I've read his name a lot of times in these forums but I can't pin point from where..

Nextmod? Street Performance?

[zmz3]

I see.. Great, thanks, let me know how it goes.. I'll order the parts or perhaps Jimmy might have it?? By the way, who's Jimmy? I've read his name a lot of times in these forums but I can't pin point from where..

Nextmod? Street Performance?

No problem.

Jimmy is probably one of the best mechanics who charges nothing but the best prices in the GTA. He's located on Woodbine in Markham, and has a little shop for any car basically. He knows a lot of about Mazda's cause people go to him a lot.

I have been to his place many times, and he's on numerous occasions done free inspections, and inexpensive labour.

Example, cost to replace struts @ dealer = $320 plus tax
Cost with Jimmy at Street Performance = $80 taxes in

His work was great too. Dealer needed 4 hours, he needed 1.

He's very knowledgeable and friendly.

[rzapata]

Sounds good. I'll pay him a visit one of these days.. If not this week, probably the next week.. I really need to get that clunk remove otherwise, it might just ruin some other part of the car..

One thing though, is it better if I get the parts or should I just give him a call, ask if the parts are available, then go?? But yeah, I'll probably just drop by one day and ask him if he could take a look, then go from there..

Thanks again for all the info.

[bman13]

Let me know cause I have this issue.

[zmz3]

Sounds good. I'll pay him a visit one of these days.. If not this week, probably the next week.. I really need to get that clunk remove otherwise, it might just ruin some other part of the car..

One thing though, is it better if I get the parts or should I just give him a call, ask if the parts are available, then go?? But yeah, I'll probably just drop by one day and ask him if he could take a look, then go from there..

Thanks again for all the info.

The parts you get from Joe [Flipdady] at Mazda of Toronto. PM him before hand and let him get the parts for you.

You call Jimmy well ahead of time and ask him to accommodate you if he can.

I am also worried about other parts being damaged by this, hence why I wanna get it fixed by this Saturday.

I'll update.

[zmz3]

Let me know cause I have this issue.

What do you mean?

[Nick]

from your first post it doesn't sound like its the struts. that is not a sympton of blown shocks unless the spring came out of place as well. it definitely sounds like a motor mount. malfunctioning or broken off sway bar end-links will make a sound even going straight over a bump or pothole. any chattering at higher rpms? thats a sign of a loose motor mount. crank the wheel to each end and take a look at the end-links to see if they are intact. gl

[rzapata]

from your first post it doesn't sound like its the struts. that is not a sympton of blown shocks unless the spring came out of place as well. it definitely sounds like a motor mount. malfunctioning or broken off sway bar end-links will make a sound even going straight over a bump or pothole. any chattering at higher rpms? thats a sign of a loose motor mount. crank the wheel to each end and take a look at the end-links to see if they are intact. gl

I don't think it's the motor mounts because I had Scarboro Mazda replace one of them a year ago and that the other 2 (I believe there were 3 mounts in total??) are still intact.. But now that you mention, there's a noticeable, but not too loud clunk even on straights on potholes.. It's just louder when cornering and going over bumps or potholes on corners. As for the chattering, there's none..

As for these links that we are talking about, anyone got a picture or diagram so that I know exactly what I'll be looking at? There's too many components and for newbs like myself, it's a little difficult to tell which is which.. I'm just not too familiar with all the terminologies..

[bman13]

What do you mean?

Similar to what OP is describing.

[zmz3]

I don't think it's the motor mounts because I had Scarboro Mazda replace one of them a year ago and that the other 2 (I believe there were 3 mounts in total??) are still intact.. But now that you mention, there's a noticeable, but not too loud clunk even on straights on potholes.. It's just louder when cornering and going over bumps or potholes on corners. As for the chattering, there's none..

As for these links that we are talking about, anyone got a picture or diagram so that I know exactly what I'll be looking at? There's too many components and for newbs like myself, it's a little difficult to tell which is which.. I'm just not too familiar with all the terminologies..

True say, I second that. There is clunk on straight roads as well, just not as much like on turns etc.

[Default User]

Could be way off here, but did anyone remove your rims at all recently?

My buddy took his car in for brake work, and the tech didn't torque the nuts down properly. He actually brought it back, and the tech said it could by end links or struts.

It wasn't until I saw him driving and as I pulled up beside him - I saw the rim wobbeling

[rzapata]

Nope definitely not the rims.. I've removed the rims before and put in different ones, but the problem had been there before that.. But man, that wobbling rim is a recipe for disaster.. Good thing you noticed it right away.

But yeah, I don't think it's the rims. My best bet is that it's in fact the sway bar links as FLIPDADY had mentioned.. We'll see what Jimmy will say when I visit.

[zmz3]

I have been reading about this for quite sometime now, and reading various mazda3 forums online, so far the suggestions as to what the problem may be are in the following order:

1) stabilizer sway bars (end links) (? - i think thats what they are called)
2) upper strut bearing mount damaged or loose
3) other suspension parts loose

Note: I also feel a clunk when I am parked, and if turn the steering wheel by about 45 degrees, I hear a clunk... It's easily reproduceable... Not sure what it is...

Jimmy inspected the swaybar end links and found nothing, at the time though, i didn't discover the clunk when turning the steering wheel.

I will be going to Jimmy after easter weekend, and determining the issue.

I think while I am at it, i will have the bushings and upper strut mounts replaced just for future checklist.


Hope this helps

[zmz3]

This is also a good thread:

Includes a fix that worked.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?26253-Clunk-noise-when-turning-steering-wheel

[rzapata]

I have been reading about this for quite sometime now, and reading various mazda3 forums online, so far the suggestions as to what the problem may be are in the following order:

1) stabilizer sway bars (end links) (? - i think thats what they are called)
2) upper strut bearing mount damaged or loose
3) other suspension parts loose

Note: I also feel a clunk when I am parked, and if turn the steering wheel by about 45 degrees, I hear a clunk... It's easily reproduceable... Not sure what it is...

Jimmy inspected the swaybar end links and found nothing, at the time though, i didn't discover the clunk when turning the steering wheel.

I will be going to Jimmy after easter weekend, and determining the issue.

I think while I am at it, i will have the bushings and upper strut mounts replaced just for future checklist.


Hope this helps

That's exactly what I'm experiencing!! Wheels turned, hit a bump or something, the "clunk." I hear it too when doing a quick reverse and revving a bit higher (around 3000 to 4000 rpm). But that one's has a slight different sound just like, metal hitting metal, then sticking to the metal.. But yeah, if you get a chance, post it up so that those with the same problem will know. :) :) :thumbsup

By the way, how much do you think the bushings and mounts are gonna be including installation??

[zmz3]

That's exactly what I'm experiencing!! Wheels turned, hit a bump or something, the "clunk." I hear it too when doing a quick reverse and revving a bit higher (around 3000 to 4000 rpm). But that one's has a slight different sound just like, metal hitting metal, then sticking to the metal.. But yeah, if you get a chance, post it up so that those with the same problem will know. :) :) :thumbsup

By the way, how much do you think the bushings and mounts are gonna be including installation??

No problem.

To further clarify the parts that are in question after some research, I have found the following to be of possible cause:

Please note that some parts are/maybe the same, or have similar naming, I am not a car suspension guru, hopefully they all refer to different parts, but I am not certain. They were named differently in different forums.

Clunk causes:

-strut mount bearing
-end links
-sway bar bushings
-suspension bushings?
-top strut mounts
-rear sway bar links

As mentioned earlier, I will be taking my car to Jimmy in a couple of weeks and we will see what the issue is.

I will update for sure.

Thanks