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Hey guys, I need some help... Bought a 1992 C4 6sp, and I've been slowly working on it to fix all the little issues. Right now, I have a noise coming from the left rear as I'm driving around. Sounds like a clunking, sort of. I replaced the wheel bearings (they needed it anyway) but it didn't get rid of the noise. A rod in my rear suspension is loose:
Are these called toe rods, or tie rods? I'm confused, and my google searches haven't helped much. Where can I find these, and how hard are they to replace? Thanks!
Yeah, that looks like it could be it, thanks! Would you say that I have to replace the whole toe link because of the looseness, or just the tie rod ends?
I will use this pic as reference,I had a clunking in the rear for a year before I found out what it was. It was the lower shock mount (it is the larger aluminum nut) that was loose. I put an arrow to check yours.
I don't think the whole stock assembly is available new.
The simple fix is to replace the rod ends, all four. The ones you have has greese zerks but seem very dry.
As they don't have dust boots they need some new greese at some interval to push dirt out or they will wear out sooner.
..... Nothing wrong with the rod ends ... they are spherical bearings and will rotate like they are doing in your video .....
..... How are the u-joints ? .....
Thanks for all the responses! I think just to be safe, I'll replace those rod ends anyway. The u-joints are my next idea, if this doesn't fix the noise. They look fairly tired out, but there doesn't seem to be much play between the wheel and the halfshaft when I rotate them. Some of the forum posts about the u-joints that I've read sound similar to what I'm hearing, though, so those will be next.
I agree with C409, rod ends rotate around their spheres like that even when new. The proper test is for longitudinal play. You can grab the tire from the front and rear edges, halfway up. Try to rotate the tire around its vertical axis, like you are trying to "steer" the rear tire. It should have zero play in this direction. If you detect slop, then you need to replace the joint(s). Most likely those are off-the-shelf rod ends. You should be able to see a brand and part number on each, and you can get them from a million places. At the very worst, you can measure and order new ones of the same dimensions.
I also agree with check out the halfshaft U-joints. Those not only drive the wheels but also serve as the upper lateral control arm. They are important! I've also seen people say that if the teflon-coated washer behind the wheel bearing wears too much, it can allow noise.
Sorry for not updating sooner; thanks for the suggestions, everyone! It turns out that the u-joints were the problem. Replaced the 4 halfshaft u-joints, and the noise went away!
Thanks again for all the help.
Help with Loose Toe Rods?
