Clacking sound when turning at low speed
#1
Clacking sound when turning at low speed
Car: 1994 honda civic dx coupe
I'm not really car saavy but here goes - it's been a while now but when I turn the steering wheel fully and accelerate from rest, I notice a slight clanking sound near the front wheels. It's mainly my front right wheel and I'm not sure what to do about it. One of my friends mentioned something about a boot but I don't know what it is. Does anyone have any ideas and will this be a costly repair?
Thanks!
I'm not really car saavy but here goes - it's been a while now but when I turn the steering wheel fully and accelerate from rest, I notice a slight clanking sound near the front wheels. It's mainly my front right wheel and I'm not sure what to do about it. One of my friends mentioned something about a boot but I don't know what it is. Does anyone have any ideas and will this be a costly repair?
Thanks!
#2
The sound you describe usually indicates a bad axle. The noise is caused by a bad axle CV joint, which is covered with a rubber boot. The car has two axles, and each has two boots, an inner and outer. The outer boot of an axle is shown in the diagram below. A ruptured boot is a sure sign that the axle needs to be replaced, although the boot also can be intact on a bad axle. You can purchase a new axle for about $70 at an auto parts store, if you can install it yourself. Otherwise, you may pay a mechanic a few hundred bucks to do the job.
Last edited by RonJ; 10-16-2008 at 02:14 PM.
#4
ya pull the front wheels off and just inspect those outter boots. most likely it will be poped like a ballon and grease everywhere around that area! i know mine is right now... im gonna replace mine tomorow after my check shows in the bank. mines starting to click slightly i think.... and i knew the boot was busted when i bought it so ive been pushing the repair back more and more....
#6
ya some people replace teh boots and repack the joints to save some cash.
on my 94 i know i damaged one axle when i removed the motor/tranny from it since it had alot of movement in the joint so i just replaced it.
just grease up the axle ends before installing the new ones so they slide in easier and lock... when they are dry they can be a PITA to push in!
on my 94 i know i damaged one axle when i removed the motor/tranny from it since it had alot of movement in the joint so i just replaced it.
just grease up the axle ends before installing the new ones so they slide in easier and lock... when they are dry they can be a PITA to push in!