clicking during turning

[etlsport]

i recently started getting a clicking sound from under the VX when i make sharp slow turns (u turns and parking) ive only heard it when turning to the left... i think it started happening after offroading, seems to drive normally in every other aspect... just had alignment done, rear was fine front was pretty far off but is now within spec... i checked my CVs they looked fine i didnt see tears or anything i did notice oil of some kind on my tie rods (on the end away from the wheels) on both the driver and passenger side that im not sure where it came from, so i cleaned up that area and will keep an eye out for any more showing up

any ideas??

... had my sister drive it in circles while i watched/listened and i noticed it seemed to happen only when the turn started then went away until the wheels were straightened out, the vx was driven a couple yards then when the wheel was cut hard over again the tick tick tick tick tick sound would come back and go away after 75-90 degrees of turning

[Chopper]

Warm up the wrenches...time for CVs (or axles if you choose)Your time has come.

[xdfarrx]

Warm up the wrenches...time for CVs (or axles if you choose)Your time has come.

Mine does the same. I am installing new tie rods to narrow done possibilities, and sway bar disconnects. I can do this myself. If not that then I will need to get CV joints rebuilt. IMO it is my tie rods...

[etlsport]

oh i hope i hope its tie rods!! ive been looking for an excuse to get HD tie rods from indy 4x... not really sure why tie rods would click? but oh man i would love if that was my problem... i was also thinking i wonder if it has somethin to do with my diffs.. cause its been stupid hot recently so ill have to check all my fluid levels, its been about 5k miles since i checked them so might as well... oh how i hope its not my CVs... as much as i like workin on my vx i cant help but dread tearing everything down based on what ive heard about cv replacement

[Triathlete]

As far as I know tie rods and sway bars will not cause a clicking noise. You may also want to check and see if there is anything hitting the tire in the wheel well or maybe the cladding. It may only rub at certain times in the turn. You could have "re-aligned" you cladding while off roading.

[AndyC]

I notice on my VX when I accelerate quickly I get a clicking noise but I don't think it's continueous. You guys think it's the CV joints starting to go I noticed it after installing the larger tires

Andy

[tom4bren]

ETL - Sorry Son but it sounds like the outer CVs to me. PM me if you need help with any of it - I do still have the spare set but haven't gotten them rebuilt yet (they "borrowed" parts from them for my rebuild).

Andy - Inner CVs make noise when decelerating. Outers make noise while in turns (someone correct me if I'm wrong with these statements). Clicking under hard acceleration may be Universal Joints but I'm not sure.

[nfpgasmask]

Hmmm, I wonder about this also. Mine is clicking when I back up slowly with the wheels cut to the left. I hear a single "pop" and that's it. And it does not do it every time. I'm not sure what it is. I do not think it is my CVs and it drives fine in all other respects. The sound seems to be coming from the right side, just BEHIND the front right wheel....

Does this sound like a similar symptom?

Bart

[etlsport]

when i listened to mine from outside the car it didnt really sound like it was coming from the wheel area to me.. i actually started to wonder if it had to do with my skid plates.. thinking about it more though i wonder if it could be wheel bearings, i went through ALOT of water over that weekend maybe it washed some grease out of the bearings? or trapped mud particles in them... i keep leaning away from CVs a. because i dont wanna replace them lol and b. because the boots look like they are in great shape..

tom i have a 2 week break coming up after next week so if i havent figured out this problem by then ill have plenty of time to get the vx up in the air and tearing down the CVs i guess.. and ill probably be sending you a few messages, ive already printed out triathlete's instructions for how to replace cv boots just in case i need to take it apart

[Navigator]

My Trooper made that noise and my VX makes that noise also. Mine clicks on slow left hand turns while parking. No ill effects on my VX, and I have near 80k on the ODO and have heard it for the past 55k.

[tom4bren]

I have to second Nav on what he said.

If it's just a parking lot thing & never happens in normal driving = nothing to loose sleep over. After all, what percentage of your driving is actually spent pulling into and out of parking spaces or making U-Turns? On the other hand, anal retentive VX owners (some more than others) can't even stand a little bird splat on their P&J, much less a noise that ain't supposed to be there.

I keep flashing back to a VX's rediculously tight turning radius (I love it but t'ain't normal). Think about the sharp angle the outer CVs are in and a little noise shouldn't be suprising. What's suprising is that your front end isn't bouncing like a beagle on a bare leg.

[AndyC]

Andy - Inner CVs make noise when decelerating. Outers make noise while in turns (someone correct me if I'm wrong with these statements). Clicking under hard acceleration may be Universal Joints but I'm not sure.

Sounds like my CV axles are fine and I don't think it's the universal joints.
I might have to take a closer look ti figure it out. My mileage is at 40K now.


Andy

[VXR]

My Trooper made that noise and my VX makes that noise also. Mine clicks on slow left hand turns while parking. No ill effects on my VX, and I have near 80k on the ODO and have heard it for the past 55k.

My VX has made this sound on sharp slow turns since I bought it 3yrs ago...

[etlsport]

mechanic friend of mine took her for a drive yesterday... said he really doesnt think its my CVs which rocks... he says he thinks its got something to do with my right torsion bar but im not really sure how.. hopefully will be fixed by next week... now i just gotta fix my abs light

[tom4bren]

Eric,

Great news. Keep us posted.

Didn't you install a skid plate that was in contact with your torsion bar & couldn't that be the source of the noise?

Tom