So this clunking noise started about a month ago and i figured it was the control arms/TRE. i ended up buying the control arm kit from avalon(props to them-great product) and installed them this weekend. As I pulled out of the mechanic shop, I heard the same clunking noise, but it was very faint. I drove back to school hearing it a couple times and now its back exactly where it was before. I hear the noise mostly on the drivers side. I also feel the steering column shake when i hear the noise. it also happens when i brake slowly and then it shakes the steering column again. like i said before: brand new control arms (upper and lower) and tie-rod ends. do any of you guys have any ideas?

 

You could have a single worn tire or a belt seperation. Those inuce vibration and noise. Check the tires!!!
Direwolf

 

tires are completely fine. where is the belt you are talking about?

 

anyone have any other ideas?

 

possible broken motor mount. or maybe your cv boots could be torn that could be 2 causes of for the clunk. the shaking could be warped rotors from a time you used them hard. just take them off and have them turned. or my method is to heat them back up by driving hard then use them gentaly until there cool again.anyway good luck.

 

clunk liek that is TRE 90% of the time. but u replaced so yea check the CV boots and axle area. or maybe a TERRIBLE wheel bearing but if your wheelbearing was clunking i think there would be some more serious issues with that. Im not sure but i wanna say i might have heard smething before on AudiWorld about the bottom of the steering rack or something like that but im not sure when it was or what i read about it.

But yes my guess right now with clunks would be the CV boot driver side if it is very noticable.

 

so i just found out the noise is from my loose steering rack. the stealership was going to charge me $110 bucks to tighten it down for 30-40min of labor, so i obviously said no. i asked how how to get to it and he jsut said that it is below the battery and the bolts are right there. this seems a little easy to me and i just wanted to make sure before i went ahead and unhooked the battery. thanks to all that can help

 

Did you check the sway bars end links, & mounts?

Trans/motor mounts, maybe a bad snub mount.

It can also be a bad shock, or shock mount.

 

yeah 2k, all of that is fine. we checked them when we did the control arms. you can hear the noise come from the rack.

 

Wooo mark one down for me!!! haha sterering rack. .. yea but i dont know why the bolts would be under the battery cause that would be on the otherside of the car.... but yea good luck i guess haha, get the bently manual.