Clunking noise in wheel when braking

[navaidstech]

Ok gang, I'm curious what might be causing this one:
I don't know how long this has been going on (usually drive with radio
on) but lately I've noticed a clunking noise in the left front wheel
when I brake.
Just now I jacked up the car and checked for tie rod end/control
arm/bearing play and there is none. Tie rod end and the control arm
have been changed around this time last year.
The clunking is more pronounced when I drive on slippery surfaces and
also when I pull into my driveway - I have to go over this bump at the
end of the driveway and the clunking is heard pretty good there.
I checked and re-lubed the CV joint last year, it seemed fine.... or is
it?

Also.... when the car is parked with engine on and I try to rock the
steering wheel back and forth, you can hear the clunking as well (rack
and pinion assembly???).
But when the engine is off (no power steering) and I rock the steering
wheel back and forth...there is no clunking.

For your info, this is a 92 Saturn SL1 with 460,000 km (285,000 miles).
I've gone through two sets of tie rod ends on each side, one set of
control arms. The struts/springs are still original.

Any ideas?

thanks
ALex

 

[p_vouers]

sounds like bad strut or upper strut mount.. You might here it if you
bounce the front end up and down. I just replace both front and rears
on my sons 96sc2 and they were original and really shot. He had 128k on
the car. Springs were fine but you do have to remove them to replace
the struts.

 

[navaidstech]

Yeah... I was thinking strut mounts as the strut appears to be fine.
I also checked underneath the car last nite to take a look at the
control arms. I've noticed there seems to be metal-to-metal contact
between the stabillizer bar and the control arm (I thightened it too
much when replacing it) and now I wonder if this is causing the problem
as well.

Thanks for the info