Car clunking

KMYERS17

MEMBER
2005 CHEVROLET COBALT
2.2L
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
168,000 MILES

When I go over bumps in the road, my car clunks and sounds like it would be coming from my steering wheel area. It feels like when I am holding my steering wheel and going over bumps it just feels like it's coming from something in there by the area of it. When I sit in one spot and just turn my steering wheel it clunks. I replaced my control arms, front end links, and sway bar. I don't know what else to do.

Sunday, September 4th, 2016 AT 8:07 AM

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
34,091 POSTS

Clunking when the car is standing still and you're turning the steering wheel is usually caused by binding upper strut mounts. To verify that, reach over the top of the tire and lightly touch or wrap your fingertips around the coil spring. Have a helper slowly turn the steering wheel between full-left and full-right. You should feel the spring rotate smoothly with the wheel and tire. If the upper mount is binding, you'll feel the spring wind up and build tension, then suddenly snap free and turn.

It's very rare for an upper mount to bind while the car is moving unless one is really bad.

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Sunday, September 4th, 2016 AT 7:48 PM