# Clunking noise caused by driving on loose lugs



## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

*Neeeeed help with clunking nnoise!*

So a friend and I were changing the wheels on my 84 Rabbit and once we got going he mentioned that he might not have torqued the front left wheel all the way. I could hear like a thud/clunking noise with almost every other revolution of the tire or so.

We took it back, jacked it up, tightened, lowered then torqued and it's been doing the same damn thing ever since. It sometimes goes away, but it's really annoying and doesn't feel safe. The hub doesn't have any play, the struts are fine and when I jacked the front wheels up and ran it up to 45mph there were no signs of clunks/pops/thuds.

I've read soooo many forums and I can't seem to find out what the hell I need to replace.

My guess is that the hub or wheel baring was f***ed up when the lugs were loose, but hey. What do I know? 

If anyone has ever experience this or anything like it, pleeeeease give me some tips or even some guesses. I just need to know what to check out so I can diagnose the problem and repair it. At this point the longer I wait for replies the longer I'm driving to and from work with no option but to keep my fingers crossed tight in hopes that my **** doesn't fall apart and injure me or anyone else on the road.

Thanks,
-Cal


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

bump


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

Has no one experienced this? I could really use some suggestions.


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

bump........


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## PeOpLeG60T (Jul 5, 2004)

were the lugs very very loose ? or just not torqued to the correct spec ?


do this noise gets worst when you are turning sharp in a parking or something? and less noisy driving straight? ( axle joint) 

does the clunking noise stops when you turn left ? or going straigth and giving a good whip on the steering wheel to the left to shift the weight of the car right? (bearing) 

check in the threads of the tire for stuck rock/gravel or something , it happened to me before.


is there a bent disc brake shield ? 

there isnt a lot of reasons for a clunky noise 

go thru those tests and come back it will help the diagnosis .


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. I've been waiting days. 

The lugs were quite loose. Finger tightenably loose. I think I noticed it starts after completing a right turn, but it could've just been random. I'll run through some of those tips and get back to you asap.


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## Maggiolone (Aug 20, 2007)

Could be the axle bushings


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

It's a really loud thumping. Sometimes it gets progressively louder. I haven't test driven it in a couple days cause I've been away from it and using a family car. I'll try to take a video of it coasting within the next day or so and maybe you guys can get a little better of an idea of what exactly I mean.


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## PeOpLeG60T (Jul 5, 2004)

try to be safe and inspect everything by raising the car and check the bushings and stuff . it is very unsafe to try to just figure out what it is by driving around


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## Snatcher (Apr 3, 2009)

is it a loud clunking deep clunking sound? check your cv boots? i had a similar sound but i didnt do anything to my wheels and it happened to my cv joints.


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## respect_my_fast (Nov 18, 2007)

im havin this same issue, when i jack up the passinger side of the car and rotate the wheel quickly back and forth with my hands i can hear a little clicking sound coming either from the cv or the transmission, when under acceleration it doesnt do it but cornering and braking it does


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

My CV _is_ ripped, but it still has plenty of grease and it's not really a clicking. It also just happens when I'm rolling period. Straight. It's a loud thump, thump, thump that I can really feel in the pedals and it's awful. It makes me grit my teeth. I feel like my poor rabbit is dieing.


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

Maggiolone said:


> Could be the axle bushings


The bushings are sound.


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## PeOpLeG60T (Jul 5, 2004)

if its this loud there is no way you cant see whats wrong with the naked eye.

so you replaced the wheels , have you checked for a damaged wheel or damaged tire ? if you or the previous owner hit a pothole and kinked the wheel or f**ked the tire it might be jumpy. do you have the correct wheels fitment on the car ? are they vw wheels , aftermarkets or like 4x100 from a honda? ( who doesnt fit the hub center by example )

if there is still grease in the CV booth it doesnt means the marbles in the joints are still lubricated. but CVs wont Thump , they'd Tok Tok Tok

by axle bushing i think he means the rubber vibration damper who sits in the middle of the shaft on some models. i've seen it completely loose on the shaft wobbling around , and this could make a Thump rubber sound but there is no way you cant see it visually.


is this thump happening on clean pavement without cracks and bumps ?


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

PeOpLeG60T said:


> if its this loud there is no way you cant see whats wrong with the naked eye.
> 
> so you replaced the wheels , have you checked for a damaged wheel or damaged tire ? if you or the previous owner hit a pothole and kinked the wheel or f**ked the tire it might be jumpy. do you have the correct wheels fitment on the car ? are they vw wheels , aftermarkets or like 4x100 from a honda? ( who doesnt fit the hub center by example )
> 
> ...


I had my brother drive it and coast by me, I got low to the ground and I couldn't see a thing... 

I did replace the wheels, but then changed back because they were Honda wheels and I didn't yet know they won't fit on the hubs after hours of labor. And this is the occasion I spoke of above where the wheel was on very loosely. Is it possible test driving it after that could have messed something up? 

I want to have a friend drive while I hang my head out the door and see if I can see anything iffy going on under there. And don't worry, I'm only taking it around the very low-populated block I live in.

It happens on all types of pavement as far as I can tell. Smooth, bumpy, level and un-level.

Thanks for your replies


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

*UPDATE*

So I found today while driving it that when I am turning to the right it makes little or no thumping but when I take a hard left it can either make the thumps louder and more intense or it can make it completely go away for a while. I also noticed it start after a hard right.

Any clues?


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

bump


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## gehr (Jan 28, 2004)

I'll say CV is gone..........but so have others and you don't believe them, so why not take it to a real live person that knows what they are doing so they can look at it, instead of posting here repeatedly and not getting it fixed!:screwy:


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## Goodsmellz (Feb 3, 2010)

I just figured rather than overpaying a greedy mechanic for something I could do myself I'd come to the community to get answers. I have considered the cv being out, and have been told by a friend that it might be my steering rack? Cause when sitting on the ground and turning the wheel back and forth in a short and quick motion it would make a light noise almost like a knock or something being loose.


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## gehr (Jan 28, 2004)

Maybe hit up your regional forum to find someone to figure this out, it's pretty hard to fix a car you can't see or touch! $0.02!


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