Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

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Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

March 09, 2005, 04:07:37 PM

Hey guys...have an 86' Cougar 5.0. When I go around a soft righthand turn, there is a loud thumping noise coming from the front end (seems to do it mostly at high speeds). Sounds like it's coming from the passenger side. When I come out of the turn, the noise stops. It doesn't do it when I turn to the left. Only to the right. Just had new struts put on the front and the guy checked out my brakes and repacked my outer wheel bearings. I'm new at this suspension stuff so any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #1 – March 09, 2005, 04:47:22 PM

Did you gt an alignment done after the struts were replaced? did this noise start after any one thing was repaired/changed on the car?

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #2 – March 09, 2005, 04:50:46 PM

well,, i have one question,,,

did you have this same exact problem before work was done to the car?,,
if not.....
you just found your problem.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #3 – March 09, 2005, 04:54:46 PM

No I didn't get an alignment after the work was done, but the car was making this noise well before the struts were replaced.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #4 – March 09, 2005, 04:55:44 PM

Before the struts, I didn't have anything relating to the steering/suspension worked on.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #5 – March 09, 2005, 06:50:58 PM

I had a similar sound once, turned out to be a tie rod end.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #6 – March 09, 2005, 08:11:09 PM

I had that problem also.It turned out to be a wasted sway bar bushing.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #7 – March 09, 2005, 10:43:23 PM

get the wheels up off the ground up front

do a visual
check the two strut bolts that secure to the hub assembly and tighten if needed.

unlock the steering wheel., try to move the rotor left to right and watch for play on the outter or inner tie rod end.

pop out the outter tie rod end, push it in and out checking for play on the inner joint., tighten up if needed (alignment needed afterwards)

remove the caliper then wobble the rotor side to side checking for play, tighten nut if needed. A tight bearing means you can only get the wheel to turn 1 to 2 turns with all your might. if bearings were put in,, perhaps the races were not seated all the way and driving settled them deeper on either side of the rotor making slop on the bearings.

IMHO, a sqeak is ok but a loud thumping noise would be safety related. Find the problem soon.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #8 – March 10, 2005, 01:44:17 PM

Now is this noise you're hearing just an occasional thump or clunk? If is is, you may want to Check the sway bar links (part # SL93) available at most parts stores for around $10. That's probably your problem. Also if you haven't had it aligned yet do so. Any time major front end work is done on a car, (i.e. struts, tie rods, ball joints) you should get an alignment done immediately, any good mechanic knows that. So whoever put your struts on should've aligned it or at least recommended that. Failure to do so could cause premature tire wear and/or poor handling.
If this noise is a constant "thump thump thump..." the problem probably lies elsewhere within the front end. Probably a loose or a bad wheel bearing. jcassity's got it down for inspecting the front end - follow that procedure and go from there, you may need other parts. :welder:

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #9 – March 10, 2005, 02:09:04 PM

It's not a constant noise. Only when I go around a soft right hand turn. For example, when I leave my house, the road that I turn on is a 50mph zone. So I'm going around 50 and the road takes a soft curve to the right. While i'm in the turn, I can hear the thumping noise coming from (it seems like) the front passenger side. As soon as I straighten out of the turn, the noise stops. When I am driving straight or turning to the left there is no noise. I know the car needs an alignment, but this noise is something else.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #10 – March 10, 2005, 02:09:55 PM

By the way, it's not a single thump when i'm in the turn...it's a thump thump thump....you get the idea. :)

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #11 – March 10, 2005, 07:34:42 PM

Are you sure you didn't hit a cat or small woodland creature?

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #12 – March 10, 2005, 07:42:39 PM

yeah, we get it .......ONLY IN A TURN do you hear the thump thump thump.

when your running straight, there really isnt much going on other than front end devices "going with the flow" for a lack of better words. Its when you are in a curve that torque and stressfull presure is applied to front end parts. This aint exactly true but good enough for what we're talking about without the deep science behind it all. ,, not that i know what the science is.

lets not forget about simple stuff as well,,, like the plastic skirting / wheelwell cover that may have come loose during the work you had done.

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #13 – March 20, 2005, 01:35:56 AM

Used to happen to me for about 3 weeks every time I backed out of my driveway only. Then the entire front end seized in town when the ball joint dissintegrated.

Good Luck....spend the 40 bucks at the alignment shop....odds are, they will make you fix it before they allign it anyway.

Jeff

Re: Loud thumping noise when making soft turn

Reply #14 – March 20, 2005, 09:09:30 PM

dont know if this is of much help or not but, my berretta was doin that and i needed a new axle (that was like $90 some odd dollars) and my best friends probe just had to get both axles done because it was thumpin too. But like jcassity said, check the simple stuff b/ he had like those little metal chip gaurds on the back of the fenders and they made noise too, and all the plastic in the wheelwell was loose making noise also...