We took a 350 mile jaunt in our 88 T-top Iron Duke (90k miles, auto, no AC) yesterday. Lots of twisties, low speed technical turns and hairpins, and freeway driving. Near the end of the twisties (about halfway through the trip) we started hearing a random occasional single tap from under the car We pulled into an empty lot a parking lot to to do a visual check and tried driving around try to localize or identify the source but found nothing and could not repeat the sound (typical, right?).
After that it was all quiet for about an hour of freeway driving before the noise returned and progressed to occasional multiple taps and louder bangs, all seemingly random noises coming from under the front right area. I could not connect it to any steering, braking, speed or road condition (although it may have been a bit more frequent on slightly bumpy sections of freeway).
I realize it could be related to almost anything mechanical in that area. Tie rods, ball joints, bushings, bearings, etc. I'm just hoping someone might recognize the issue and point me in the right direction.
I think it could be related to following a crazy van driver on mountain roads......
Years ago (OH good grief....40 Years ago) I would have some noise from my first car (72 Comet GT) and go ask my Father to listen and tell me what he thought it was...Only with him in the car, you never heard a ROLLS ROYCE purr so quietly and smoothly..."I don't hear anything, Eric" and so I would drop him off at his house and, as I drove away, think about possibly buying some ear plugs t o protect me from hearing loss from all the LOUD noises coming out of my car!
I second sway bar end link. Sometimes those bolts when old can shear. Loud pop then annoying tapping. Also depending on how old the bushings are they could have disintegrated.
My 88 had the same symptoms when I got it due to worn tie rods and ball joints. I don't know which one exactly was the culprit or possibly a combination, but after refreshing the suspension with replacement tie rods and ball joints the popping, clanking, clunking noises were gone. Being my first car I drove it like that for several years while in high school thinking that's just how they were. Refreshed the suspension in college, so its been noise free for years now.
My 88 had the same symptoms when I got it due to worn tie rods and ball joints. I don't know which one exactly was the culprit or possibly a combination, but after refreshing the suspension with replacement tie rods and ball joints the popping, clanking, clunking noises were gone. Being my first car I drove it like that for several years while in high school thinking that's just how they were. Refreshed the suspension in college, so its been noise free for years now.
My lower ball joint made a similar noise. Would be fine, then clunk around so bad I thought the caliper had come loose. After replacing the ball joint, noise went away.
I'd check all of the joints for play, and make sure they're greased.
Today was my first chance to inspect the front end. I removed the front right wheel and did a visual check of those things mentioned and saw nothing obvious to my amateur eye. What I did find was that with the front end off the ground the front right wheel has some slight movement when pushing and pulling the wheel back and forth from the sides and also from the top and bottom. There was also an audible tapping sound when doing this.
I'm guessing this is indicating both the ball joints and tie rod ends need replacing?
I finally got around to this again last weekend. There did seem to be some play in the hub so I swapped it with one from a Formula that we are parting out. After about 75 miles since then the problem seems to be gone. I'm hoping that's the last I see of that gremlin for a while but if it happens again I will have learned how to deal with it.