just got upper control arms done, still have a noise

**audithisworld** · 11-26-2008 01:16 PM

when i got my coilovers put in i was told i had a bad ball joint. a little while after the driver side front wheel starts to like knock and rattle wen im driving. i just got the car back from doing the control arms, and the noise is still there, and im like hot im so mad. any ideas?

**Squarrl** · 11-26-2008 01:33 PM

inner tie rod

**a4937** · 11-26-2008 01:42 PM

When they replaced the uppers did they replace all the hardware, tie rod ends and sway bar links? Should have done the lowers also IMO.

**JoBuNY** · 11-26-2008 02:07 PM

I had the same type of problem / noise. Ended up being my lower rear on the front passenger side. As A4937 said, you should have done the lowers as well since everything was already taken apart

**djwimbo** · 11-26-2008 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by a4937

When they replaced the uppers did they replace all the hardware, tie rod ends and sway bar links? Should have done the lowers also IMO.

There's no need to do the full rebuild, unless there's evidence that a part has failed.

Uppers are the most common. It's possible that you have a lower rear arm loose, or a even a tie-rod end. Point is, don't throw parts at it, get it diagnosed. It will be cheaper in the long run.

**a4937** · 11-26-2008 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by djwimbo

There's no need to do the full rebuild, unless there's evidence that a part has failed.

Uppers are the most common. It's possible that you have a lower rear arm loose, or a even a tie-rod end. Point is, don't throw parts at it, get it diagnosed. It will be cheaper in the long run.

True, but in this case it sounds like he's not doing the work himself and in the long run if he replaces a control arm every time one goes out it's going to cost a lot more. I can see how someone that was doing the labor themselves would just replace the bad parts though. I just don't have that luxury so that's the point of view I look at it from, but I do see what you're saying.

**Vreihenmotor6** · 11-26-2008 07:51 PM

try to drag a bit of brake when hitting bumps, if that makes the noise go away there is good chance your pad retainer springs are weak and need to be rebent a bit

give it a try, I know it saved my sanity

**Dallas09** · 11-28-2008 02:49 PM

With my experience, only replacing the uppers was a mistake. I did the uppers, noise was still there, noise got worse, i tried the TRE's wasnt that, then i did the lowers on one side, then the lowers on the other side. (BTW the places I went to other than a foreign auto shop told me all my ball joints were fine.) I pulled apart my front end 6 times, and i bought each set of parts seperatley, when i could have done it once, bought one cheaper package and saved myself countless hot days, sweat and money. I thought it was a joke when a place suggested my entire front end be replaced when i had a clunk in the front with visibly bad upper arms, turns out they werent so wrong.

**aarononymous** · 11-28-2008 06:28 PM

It's not hard at all to check ball joints, lowers don't have any overlapping labor with uppers besides removing the wheel.

**Dallas09** · 11-29-2008 07:20 PM

Idk, i took my car to a front end shop (the name slipped my mind) and then fleet farm. I might get flamed, but the guys at fleet farm i went to really knew their shit, he pried and messed around with the lowers and didnt see anything wrong with them. If you pull them you can see they are loose, but sometimes u cant get the joint off without damaging them, the place that did tell me the lowers were bad was a foreign service place... they did know that i had replaced the uppers and which side the clunk was coming from though...

**audithisworld** · 11-30-2008 01:25 PM

sorry i didnt respond sooner i havent been on! ok heres my update. that night i took it back to hodi (anyone in central jersey should know hodi and how good he is with the german cars) he drove it and said he thinks its the driver side coilover. if i hit a bump fast the driver side front wheel feels like it shakes and the steering wheel makes a quick jerk also. it also seems that hitting bumps tends to make that wheel bang more oftem( kinda like when i bottom out. just a loud bang that makes me say ahhh). he said its fine to drive on, and hes gonna have to get the car on the lift to see if its def the coilover. anyone know where i can buy just one h&r coilover :/ i know they give a hard time about it but its gotta be possible. i dont really have time to send it out to get fixed.