Low-speed suspension noises?
 

2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.

Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low speed
-- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a red
light or stop sign.

Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.

No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.

Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
tools would I need to tackle the job myself?

Perce

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

"Percival P. Cassidy" > writes:

> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>
> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
> red light or stop sign.
>
> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>
> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>
> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?

Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for

http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1

Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
time.

(note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
need replacement).

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

lets start by finding out if the noise is coming from front or back. tie rod
ends, strut bushings, and ball joints are all pretty worn at this point in
the cars life.

with the car sitting in driveway, try turning wheel back and forth and see
if you can hear a clunk from the front. I know you can hear it on "uneven
surfaces" but I was curious about side to side motion.

inner tie rods, and strut mounts were an issue on these and had TSBs issued.
also with that many miles you might also look at sway bar bushings.

inner tie rod bushings
http://youtu.be/gFrWMIVihCw




"Joe Pfeiffer" > wrote in message
...
> "Percival P. Cassidy" > writes:
>
>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>
>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>> red light or stop sign.
>>
>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>
>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>
>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>
> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>
> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>
> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
> time.
>
> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
> need replacement).
>

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

The car was serviced exclusively by a Chrysler dealer quite a bit beyond
the expiration of the 70K-mile power-train warranty, and I don't recall
any mention of applicable TSBs other than one concerning the
transmission -- which was fixed.

With the engine off, I hear a very slight noise when I turn the steering
wheel, but it could be in the steering column rather than in the
under-vehicle components.

I don't feel any movement if I try to turn the wheels from side to side
or push and pull on the tops of the tires -- with the wheels on the
ground, of course.

I have no idea if/when I might need to replace the struts, but I noticed
that all the after-market vendors -- NAPA, AutoZone, etc. -- say that
the ones they sell are not for vehicles with the Performance Handling
Package. Am I stuck with expensive genuine MoPar parts if I need to
replace those?

Perce


On 08/14/14 06:52 am, Rob wrote:
> lets start by finding out if the noise is coming from front or back. tie rod
> ends, strut bushings, and ball joints are all pretty worn at this point in
> the cars life.
>
> with the car sitting in driveway, try turning wheel back and forth and see
> if you can hear a clunk from the front. I know you can hear it on "uneven
> surfaces" but I was curious about side to side motion.
>
> inner tie rods, and strut mounts were an issue on these and had TSBs issued.
> also with that many miles you might also look at sway bar bushings.
>
> inner tie rod bushings
> http://youtu.be/gFrWMIVihCw
>
>
>
>
> "Joe > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Percival P. > writes:
>>
>>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>>
>>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>>> red light or stop sign.
>>>
>>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>>
>>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>>
>>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>>
>> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
>> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
>> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>>
>> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>>
>> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
>> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
>> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
>> time.
>>
>> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
>> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
>> need replacement).

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

"Percival P. Cassidy" > writes:

> The car was serviced exclusively by a Chrysler dealer quite a bit
> beyond the expiration of the 70K-mile power-train warranty, and I
> don't recall any mention of applicable TSBs other than one concerning
> the transmission -- which was fixed.
>
> With the engine off, I hear a very slight noise when I turn the
> steering wheel, but it could be in the steering column rather than in
> the under-vehicle components.
>
> I don't feel any movement if I try to turn the wheels from side to
> side or push and pull on the tops of the tires -- with the wheels on
> the ground, of course.

You need to pick the wheels up off the ground. When I tried to check my
wife's Intrepid with the wheels on the ground I got no movement; when I
picked them up they were downright loose.

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

On 08/14/14 12:10 pm, I wrote:

> I have no idea if/when I might need to replace the struts, but I noticed
> that all the after-market vendors -- NAPA, AutoZone, etc. -- say that
> the ones they sell are not for vehicles with the Performance Handling
> Package. Am I stuck with expensive genuine MoPar parts if I need to
> replace those?

I just discovered an online forum where it was recommended strongly to
use OEM shocks even for non-PHP and non-Special vehicles, claiming that
even normally reliable shocks (e.g., Monroe) did not always do well on
these vehicles.

As for when to change the shocks, somebody on that forum had done his at
about 80K miles, while another said his seemed to be fine at 160K miles,
and one or two others had had their shocks more or less fall apart due
to rust.

Perce

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

On 08/13/14 10:26 pm, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:

>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>
>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>> red light or stop sign.
>>
>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>
>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>
>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>
> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>
> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>
> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
> time.
>
> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
> need replacement).

I have the inner tie-rod end bushings (from NAPA rather than from
CarQuest, but they look the same and cost about the same), but now I
look at the service manual I see they say to use some special tool to
compress the bushings into the tie-rod ends. Do I really need the
special tool? -- so far haven't tried installing without.

Perce

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

On 09/01/14 03:22 pm, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:

>>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>>
>>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>>> red light or stop sign.
>>>
>>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>>
>>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>>
>>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>>
>> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
>> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
>> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>>
>> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>>
>>
>> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
>> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
>> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
>> time.
>>
>> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
>> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
>> need replacement).
>
> I have the inner tie-rod end bushings (from NAPA rather than from
> CarQuest, but they look the same and cost about the same), but now I
> look at the service manual I see they say to use some special tool to
> compress the bushings into the tie-rod ends. Do I really need the
> special tool? -- so far haven't tried installing without.

Doh! I had put the kit away again after opening it and had forgotten
that the new bushings are split and therefore don't need the special
tool. Haven't done the job yet, but as I was driving around today it
seemed that the clunking was more under the car rather than merely under
the hood. Tie-rod *outer* ends?

Perce

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:07:34 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
> wrote:

>On 09/01/14 03:22 pm, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>
>>>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>>>
>>>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>>>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>>>> red light or stop sign.
>>>>
>>>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>>>
>>>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>>>
>>>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>>>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>>>
>>> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
>>> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
>>> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>>>
>>> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>>>
>>>
>>> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare trying
>>> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
>>> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the second
>>> time.
>>>
>>> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
>>> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
>>> need replacement).
>>
>> I have the inner tie-rod end bushings (from NAPA rather than from
>> CarQuest, but they look the same and cost about the same), but now I
>> look at the service manual I see they say to use some special tool to
>> compress the bushings into the tie-rod ends. Do I really need the
>> special tool? -- so far haven't tried installing without.
>
>Doh! I had put the kit away again after opening it and had forgotten
>that the new bushings are split and therefore don't need the special
>tool. Haven't done the job yet, but as I was driving around today it
>seemed that the clunking was more under the car rather than merely under
>the hood. Tie-rod *outer* ends?
>
>Perce

I've had cars that had clunking noises in the front from the upper
mount on the strut being bad.

Low-speed suspension noises?
 

"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:07:34 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
> > wrote:
>
>>On 09/01/14 03:22 pm, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>
>>>>> 2002 300M with Performance Handling Package. 135K miles.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not-so-loud low-pitched "clunking" noise on uneven surfaces at low
>>>>> speed -- e.g., when coasting (not necessarily braking) as I approach a
>>>>> red light or stop sign.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can't say that I've noticed the noise at higher speeds.
>>>>>
>>>>> No suspension or steering parts have ever been replaced.
>>>>>
>>>>> Where do I start looking? What might it cost me to fix? What special
>>>>> tools would I need to tackle the job myself?
>>>>
>>>> Suspension bushings. At the age of the vehicle, the inner tie rod
>>>> bushings are almost guaranteed to need replacement. You can either
>>>> spend a little bit of money at NAPA/Carquest/whoever for
>>>>
>>>> http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...1262?acesApp=1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Or spend a fortune on a special service tool and have a nightmare
>>>> trying
>>>> to install the OEM replacement part. I did the latter once on my wife's
>>>> 2000 Intrepid, and then learned about the former and did that the
>>>> second
>>>> time.
>>>>
>>>> (note, while I'll predict without looking at the vehicle that you'll
>>>> need those bushings, there's a bunch of other bushings that may well
>>>> need replacement).
>>>
>>> I have the inner tie-rod end bushings (from NAPA rather than from
>>> CarQuest, but they look the same and cost about the same), but now I
>>> look at the service manual I see they say to use some special tool to
>>> compress the bushings into the tie-rod ends. Do I really need the
>>> special tool? -- so far haven't tried installing without.
>>
>>Doh! I had put the kit away again after opening it and had forgotten
>>that the new bushings are split and therefore don't need the special
>>tool. Haven't done the job yet, but as I was driving around today it
>>seemed that the clunking was more under the car rather than merely under
>>the hood. Tie-rod *outer* ends?
>>
>>Perce
>
> I've had cars that had clunking noises in the front from the upper
> mount on the strut being bad.
>


Ditto especially going over bumps or turning the wheel when sitting still.