Odd sound when turning = axle bind? Help!

underscore

underscore

Well-known member
I'm getting a really nasty sound when turning, especially when I turn left. It's a heavy, repetitive clunk/knock coming from the wheel area, at low speeds it only happens at full lock but at higher speeds (more suspension compression) it'll happen when the wheels aren't anywhere near full lock. From what I gather this could be one of three things:

1) Axle bind
2) The WRX rotors rubbing
3) Tires rubbing

I can't find any decent videos online to compare to the sound I'm hearing so I can't say for sure it's axle bind, the rotors do have a small rub mark on the backside but when I check the clearance they seem to have a lot of room with the suspension compressed and the wheel turned, and the tires did rub the frame a touch before I added spacers, but I would think that both of those would make a more constant noise, not a clunk-clunk-clunk.

Picture of the axle at nearly full lock with the suspension compressed:



Not the best picture but it shows how low I am in the front (hiding in the top right) (I don't think I'm very low?)

1185069_10153162854865245_1471119813_n.jpg


If this is the axles binding, what can I do to fix it?
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
I thought a broken one made more of a ticking and would do it all the time? Any idea why it was fine until I lowered the car?
 
C

celicadude93

New member
also sounds like a worn cv joint to me. clunking knocking type noise when turning is usually the first symptom. on my tiburon g put it off for a while and got to the point it sounded like a rod knock when accelerating lol. my advise. auto zone axles are cheap with lifetime warranty lol
 
187flatliner

187flatliner

New member
best to just pull it off and check out that axle....wouldnt take long but be on the look out to replace it right away if you do this.
 
W

warracer

New member
your axles are done :doh:

Same happened to me, full lock clicking and after 2-3 months , started doing it all the time
 
M

MWP

New member
Its not an axle, its a CV joint.

CV joints can be replaced without changing the whole axle.
Its actually a better idea to do it this way, as a lot of the replacement axles are not as strong as the original Toyota items.
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
Tomato tomahtoe. Either way it's pooched, and the new one is a rebuilt axle but it cost me less than buying the rebuild kits would.
 
A

Awesome-Trac

New member
sorry to bring up the old thread but im having the same problem now Except i changed pretty much everything you can think of! I recently replaced the Axle with a brand new GSP one, Replaced the wheel bearing and seal, replaced the inner and outer tie-rod end and wheel hub. It sounds like a horrible scraping plus a side of Wobbling But when i lifted the car to check everything is on tight and i mean ZERO movement also i changed the brake pads which i also thought was the problem so is there anything else that i could be missing?
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
I forgot to update this, the new axle didn't fix my problem. I upped the stiffness on the coilovers and it got better/harder to cause and my mechanic friend says it sounds like tire rub. Which would make sense since my wheel offset is way too high for the car.
 
A

Awesome-Trac

New member
underscore":1rwzdtex said:
I forgot to update this, the new axle didn't fix my problem. I upped the stiffness on the coilovers and it got better/harder to cause and my mechanic friend says it sounds like tire rub. Which would make sense since my wheel offset is way too high for the car.
Click to expand...

hey i was wondering if you ever heard of the strut tower bearing? cause apparently that might be our problem
 
underscore

underscore

Well-known member
Strut tower bearing? Is that the same as the strut top hat ie the piece bolted between the damper and the chassis at the top end?
 
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