What does this sound like to you? If I turn right then left, it makes this weird banging sound. It doesn't do it if I jack the car up an inch higher.. When I turn right to the end it makes a very slight click like its catching something then when I turn left it finally pops loose at full left turn. The front tires are on greased sheet metal so that's the grinding noise, just listen for the bang sound. This el Camino has Howe ball joints in SPC control arms and a Lee 14:1 steering box... Thanks, this one has me stumped!
Sounds like something is in a bind, check to see if the tie rod or drag like is hitting something. HRP
Kind of sounds like a spring popping to me, but doesn't seem to be moving. Is the spring seated in the cup in the frame, see aftermarket lower a arms and don't know how the bottom of the spring seats.
I’m in agreance with the spring sound Seized ball joint or tie rod Shock bushing or sway bar bush disappeared and metal on metal contact Maybe a control arm bush seized and popping when loaded up on extreme turns ? Get someone to turn the wheel and put a mechanics stethoscope on all suspension components Should be able to pin point Noises when nothing is visibly broken suck to find.
Looks to me like the idler arm is bouncing when I hear the noise. It looks to lean one way when turned in one direction then shifts to lean the other direction after the noise. Might be tight/binding, or has a bushing issue. Gene
:36 mark. Upper balljoint and control arm seem to pop a bit. Check that the upper control arm studs are properly seated and tightened. Especially if you are still using shims, I've gotten ahead of myself more than once and not fully tightened down the upper studs and wonder why my caster kept changing.
Get a helper to steer it..Easy way to track where the noise is coming from is by getting under there and put your hand or fingers on each part. Keep trying more parts until you feel it the most.
Sounds more like sheetmetal popping to me, but deep. How about the dust shields? Catching on something and unloading at the other end? When you say it goes away when you jack it up lends credence that it's something in the frame area, you're changing the loads and where the stress unloads.
Definitely need a helper to steer while you (it is your car..) do the dirty look to feel and listen. Put a hand on each component to narrow down the source. Use a wooden dowel to listen once you get close.
Mmmmmmmn. Yeah that hose is jumping....maybe from metal popping on or close to it. This makes me think of my 72 Monte Carlo. The drivers lower A frame broke loose from the frame as I was slowly going down my parents drive. I put the brakes on and I was looking at the top hat hub cap. The the drivers wheel swung out at a 90 out of the wheel well. I was just going down the drive way I can't imagine if that happened at Hiway speed.
Brake hoses pulling on the hard line at the frame anchors. Fitting is snapping inside of each anchor when wheels are near full lock? Just trying to think of something that's not obvious....that's usually how it is for me...
Secure the PS hose properly, moving around like that it will eventually abraid and leak. It looks like it is riding the center-link already. The popping occurs at full lock. With a PS vehicle when at full lock the maximum pressure is applied. This is often accompanied by the PS pump pressure relief valve dumping, the common 'pshhhhhhhht' on Saginaw pumps, or the much more audible 'MURR-NA-NA-NA-NA' heard from the plastic Ford pumps when you have the wheel turned but then turn it further. You are not actually adding more steering input to the wheels, what is occurring is the torsion bar inside the steering box is at its max rotation and this allows for all the pump pressure to go to the steering box. So you get that full pressure boost and the hose 'pops' from the pressure increase. If you haven't already, apply a dab of grease to the knuckles lock stop where it contacts the control arm turning lock. Normally it just makes a click sound when contacting dry, but with the aftermarket control arms rather than a click/thunk sound of a stamped steel arm the tubular arms might be making a louder bang, especially with solid bearings over rubber/poly bushes. Combined with the pressure boost at full lock the steering might just snap that last bit and cause the knuckle to smack the stop. I would also 'nut and bolt'(recheck torque values/verify no loose components) the whole front suspension again. Fasteners can back out and cause slop in the system, especially when bushings are replaced by bearings. If you are reusing the factory spline upper control arm to upper control arm shaft bolts, make sure they are fully seated and are not interfering with the upper shafts. I had some Global West shafts not play well with the factory bolts OD as the shafts bolt hole ID was very close and without shims the shaft would not seat on the frame properly.
Turns out it was the fenders. I sprayed the inner fenders down with WD-40 all the bolts connections and everything on both sides of the inner and outer fenders and the popping noise went away. The frame must be moving up and down stretching and compressing the body parts. I have new control arms that take the Castor up to 8 degrees positive. It really moves the frame rails up and down when I turn. I'm going to have to find some way to brace them.
I think it has something to do with the after market control arms. I think I'm going to move the upper control arm brackets back 2" and put the factory upper and lower control arms back on. Moving the upper control brackets back will give me positive caster without having to twist the upper control arms with massive amounts of shims.. In 1964 these cars came with negative caster for easy steering I guess..
Here are some picts of inside the springs. The noise is back but not as loud.. I changed the sway bar with a Hellwig, made no difference.. Here are photos of the inside the spring.. I'm thinking I have a slightly cracked front spring..
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