Here's a video from the inside of the car:



And from under the hood



It happens when I'm turning the steering wheel, while moving or while sitting still. It's been happening for maybe a week or so, but today's rain really brought out the sound more. I had new shocks/struts/mounts put on about a month ago & didn't do it right away when they were put on. It is only this corner of the car making noise. I've replaced the mounts on this car about 5 times now in 10 years, so I'll be ticked if that's what it is - AGAIN. Although, in all the times they went bad, they never made this noise.

There's another issue, may be related, not sure exactly what's going on, but when I make a left turn sometimes I get a "squishy" rubbery type sound that I can feel in the front driver's side as well. I've had this before & after the new suspension went on. It mainly happens at work while turning off the main entry road into my parking area, which is tighter than a 90 degree turn, but no so far that I'm maxing my turning radius. It also happens sometimes while turning into a parking space if I'm turning left into the space, so overall at slower type speeds. It has happened while lowered with 17" wheels, also while lifted back up to stock with 16" wheels.

Any thoughts?

try spraying some kinda lube up there (wd-40, jigaloo, pb-50,etc), aiming up top at the part where the spring sits in the rubber. if it quiets it down, try using a spring compressor, and getting a little lube up there (like axle grease or something).



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Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:try spraying some kinda lube up there (wd-40, jigaloo, pb-50,etc), aiming up top at the part where the spring sits in the rubber. if it quiets it down, try using a spring compressor, and getting a little lube up there (like axle grease or something).

We'd have to rent spring compressors since our ghetto ones from Harbor Freight broke... but doable for sure. It did quiet down when it dried a bit, the roads were wet when I drove it home from work & it got this loud. Just about an hour after I took the video, I went to the gym & it barely made the sound at all.

I too need to get the front end cleaned up, then lubed as all the sand and debris collects and the techs only add more lube and don't clean the area first.


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* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Mike85220 wrote:I too need to get the front end cleaned up, then lubed as all the sand and debris collects and the techs only add more lube and don't clean the area first.

Clean up exactly what? Not sure that I have a sand problem as there isn't sand where I live.

Just to update...I know I search for things & hate when I find a similar problem & no result was posted! So I'm going to update this with all info for reference purposes.

Someone on YouTube commented on one of the videos & suggested we check the tie rod. Sure enough, the passenger's side boot is ripped. I will update again when that is fixed when we figure out if that takes care of the sound & the squishy left turns.

That sound is the strut mount bearing moving in its seat which has a rubber surface, those bearings can be cleaned and repacked with grease without buying new mounts.

They ARE new mounts. The problem is the tie rod.

I can tell they are new mounts by looking at them in the vid but I have installed a good few strut mounts and I have heard that sound a good many times. If the spring mount is improperly indexed or the springs are not fully compressed during install and the mount has to be tightened down to fully seat, this can cause a bind or uneven pressure on the mount.( in some cases the mount will not be fully tightened, that's not to say they are ruined)
To find out if it is the tie rod, just give it few shots grease through the nipple with a grease gun.

I was thinking more like the sterring rack moving.



FU Tuning

Looking closer at your strut mount I can notice there are barely any threads exposed on top of the mounting nut, there should be 3-4 grooves showing.
Compare it to the other side, what I would do is, go to a tire shop and ask them if you can use a 1/2 air ratchet for a second and have your socket with you, then loosen the nuts about 3/8" push the car up and down a few times to free any binding , then spin them tight with the air gun. Using a ratchet and wrench is fairly awkward and hard to get the proper torque.

Too Whiney wrote:I was thinking more like the sterring rack moving.

The video from inside the car really do sound like it is the rack, but that last one changed my mind.

I have this same sound but sometimes only hear it vaguely, its much worse after it rains. I was thinking something with the steering rack as well, Ive had bad strut mounts and never had any soundlike this while turning. Its also louder when turning left, Im gona try getting up there and lubricating some things.

icemike89 wrote:I have this same sound but sometimes only hear it vaguely, its much worse after it rains. I was thinking something with the steering rack as well, Ive had bad strut mounts and never had any soundlike this while turning. Its also louder when turning left, Im gona try getting up there and lubricating some things.

This sounds like my situation completely. My car has had bad mounts probably 75% of the time I've owned it over nearly 10 years, seems I replaced them only to have them go bad right away every time... and they never sounded anything remotely close to this. There is zero clunk, no rattle. Mine is worse when the rain is enough to be splashing around - the past 2 days we've had misty rain & it took nearly an hour of driving today until the sound really spoke to me. Once it's wet, it takes a day or so of dryness to go away, then I barely hear anything. Any "squishy" sound when you turn left? Let me know what you figure out.

Did you install the thrust bearing that comes with the strut mounts?

What exactly is that? The bearings that are part of the mount..of course were installed. Not sure of some other bearing.