# Loud Thunk from front when hitting the brakes or when hitting bump. Tightened everything. Help!



## jackripper1984 (Oct 15, 2005)

Loud Thunk when hitting the brakes or when nose drops fast.

I just replaced the upper and lower control arms brake pads, Rotors, and the tie rod ends. I cannot find what the hell is knocking when I hit a good bump or when the weight of the car shifts in the front. I hear it from both front corners. 

I have re tightened all the bolts again just to make sure. The sound is so loud that you should be able to see something rubbing or some scratched metal around some bolt somewhere. 

Could it be a motor or trans mount? Tiptronic tranny. 

Help.


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## ganbaru (Jul 9, 2005)

Check all the bolts on the steering linkage- rack, etc.


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## euroautophil (May 29, 2010)

*Check the usual suspects: loose stuff under seat, in glove box, trunk.*

My kids leave junk that rolls around under the seat and I have stuff like jumper cables in the spare tire well.


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## farfromDubbin (Sep 30, 2008)

Is it an undercarriage bump? or a metallic klunk? because on the 4 pad setup, aftermarket pad shims suck and you will get a klunking sound when braking.


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## jackripper1984 (Oct 15, 2005)

Ha nothing rolling around under the seats. Yes a solid clunk like some one is hitting the car with a hammer. Not only when you hit the brakes. when you hit a bump or the weight is on the nose suddenly. That rules the pads out. running ebc yellow pads fyi. I can understand a movement and small thunk with the pads. this is like the whole effing subframe is moving. I have been busy and haven't checked out the rack bolts yet. I will jump on this next week.


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## wannabaja (Jan 13, 2005)

axles


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## jackripper1984 (Oct 15, 2005)

possibly. I am taking it into a shop mon. I hate giving my car to some mechanic but it might save me some headaches.


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## wannabaja (Jan 13, 2005)

jackripper1984 said:


> possibly. I am taking it into a shop mon. I hate giving my car to some mechanic but it might save me some headaches.


mine clunked on driveway skirts and even gave a vibration on the highway, under load up hills, and under load while cornering. It did not, however, give the tell tale failure sound of clicking while turning. 

It was the last thing I tried to remedie the highway/ load up hills/ cornering vibration and after telling my symptoms to an old audi mechanic friend, he steered me into the axle direction and it fixed it.


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

front axles. keep letting it go and you'll develop this. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giDG5Q-C8RU


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## Bergelvis (Mar 6, 2006)

*axles are cheap*

I'm getting a knocking in my front end of my '98 A4 when I go over bumps, but no knocks under braking. I just bought front driver's half shaft from autopartsgiant.com for $70, no tax, free shipping. The outer boot was ripped, fairly common. I won't know if this will fix it or not till I replace it. My car is up on jacks now, undergoing lots of stuff. 

All my front control arms, tie rod ends and sway bar links are under two years old, and don't show any wiggle at all. If I hold my hands on the front wheel at the 6 and 12 positions, I don't get any wiggle (with the steering wheel locked). If I hold my hands at the 3 and 9 positions I get wiggle. That makes me think it might be steering rack. If you lift your front end do you gett wiggle at these different position? My steering rack bolts are tight, fluid has gotten low twice in last year. Power steering lines are leaky. I may have damaged rack by allowing fluid to go low. When it gets low it whines. My wife doesn't inform me, and I don't know how long it had been low. I'm gonna clean that stuff up, new lines, new fluid (pentosin 11s) maybe resevoir. But, is the rack DOA? Bentley manual shows a steering rack play adjuster on the rack that you can get to from underneath. I tightened it up and the play went away, but steering was too tight, a helper would have been nice. I crawled under and up adjusting tighter and looser until it feels good. Still, I won't know until I get it off the stands. You can try this, its free. 

A4 rack is $270, cheapest I found for ar is $750, ouch. I have an ar also, think I'll check my fluid! I'll try and avoid the shotgun method before I purchase a new rack.


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