Mercenary3

iTrader: (1)

This thread is about how I was able to fix popping noises coming from the front end of my car. Hopefully this is able to help someone else, since it was extremely annoying for a while.

My car is an '05 GSR with totally stock suspension. Flash back about 6 months ago, I start to get a popping, creaking, whatever-you-call-it noise coming from the front of my car. It happened mostly in parking lot maneuvers. It was really bad pulling in and out of parking spaces, making slow turns, and especially noticable turning left from a stop at an intersection. I would sometimes even get it just accelerating and braking in a straight line. Didn't hear anything going over bumps.

So 2 weeks later, I finally get the car up on jack stands to see if anything is loose or broken. I checked the front CVs first, then the steering links, checked to make sure the shocks wern't leaking, checked the strut top bolts, lower bolts, and made sure the brakes we're OK, on-and-on. The only thing that was even remotely loose or abnormal was the front left bolt that held the front suspension brace to the forward control arm mount.

So, I took the lower palm of my hand and banged the brace - and the noise was very similar to the one I had been hearing all along. I figured there was no way in heck that would cause all the noise, but I tightened the bolt up anyway, lowered the car, and took a test drive. Well, the noise was now about 5x worse - louder and more frequent. So I decided to remove the bolt completely and low-and-behold, the noise was about 80% gone. I could still hear some pops every once in a while during parking, but it was a lot better and I was able to live with it up until this week.

I'm a bit OCD about these kinds of things, and the noises still annoyed me, not to mention the fact that I had bracing on the car that was only 2/3 on and probably not being very effective. I went to the hardware store looking for some replacement bolts. I wanted to find stainless, but the fine pitch metric is not that common apparently (Ti was too expensive). So I bought some coated bolts, washers, and lock washers to replace the whole set. $15.

I replaced the bolts one-by-one with the new harware and made sure to apply a decent amount of anti-seize. The bolts that came out were very rusted. No doubt the multiple removals and re-assemblys along with several Michigan winters did bad things to the underside of the car.

So anyways, I dropped the car down, took it for a test drive, and voila - no noise. Nothing. Eerie silence in parking lots, u-turns, etc. Pretty cool how simple things like this put a smile on your face.

I was pretty amazed that one of the few (hopefully) non-moving parts of the chassis were actually casuing all the noise. My only thought was some of the bolts had lost clamping load, but still remained tight due to the rust. Perhaps the braces were moving around a little under load.

I doubt this will fix most related problems out there, but I thought I would share nontheless since its such an odd thing to check. Hopefully everyone finds their issues - if they are as annoying as mine was, you are probably going mad right now.

Lesson #1- check where you least expect it.
Lesson #2 - Use quality (stainless or titanium preferable) bolts when possible, especially under the car, and definitely on exhaust parts (another story altogether).

EriCS

iTrader: (9)

I am gonna check this out I have the same issue and its driving me nuts!

fostytou

iTrader: (15)

What brace are you referring to?

yellowevo84

iTrader: (1)

I have been having the same issue just recently. I will have to jack the car up and take a look for some rusty bolts i guess.

dsevo

iTrader: (19)

I had the same noise and it drove me crazy. It was the same braces that were making the noise.

barneyb

There is another post here where they found the same thing. So, it seems the bars are needed, that part of the body moves. My car has made these same sounds since new. Time to check the bars. Thanks.

Jim in Tucson

iTrader: (3)

Does anyone have a photo or schematic of where exactly this "brace" is located? Is there more than one? Are there any on the rear?

I'm pretty much a noob when it come to the underside of my car.

Solo II Evo

iTrader: (29)

Are you talking about one of the two braces underneath the car ..?

http://evomoto.com/tech_info.php?tPa...21bf7ff274fcff

See Picture #2.

fostytou

iTrader: (15)

Old bump revival...

Just an FYI, stainless is technically weaker than hardened, however I think Buschur uses stainless on their spacing kit for the cross-brace. I imagine there is plenty of size to these bolts and it shouldn't break.... but for certain other bolts I would still go hardened.