For the last few months, my car has been making a popping sound whenever I take a right hand turn. It comes from the right front tire. It happens about 100% of the time, as well. I'm guessing it is a suspension issue...strut, or possibly something else.


Has anyone else ever dealt with this, and if so...what did you do to get it fixed?

 

If you are lucky, it is only a CV joint gone bad. Cost is about $60 per side (aka halfshaft) after returning the old core. You should do a front end alignment when you are done putting it in as it is extremely difficult to put it back together in perfect alignment (although it can be done).

 

is it a single pop or a constant pop while turning? single pop strut mount constant popping may be half shaft. jack up the front end and jerk on the tires and back and fourth and up and down. see if you can find any abnormal movement.

 

It's one single pop, not a constant pop. I will probably check both the CV joint and strut/mount. I just hope nothing else breaks and the car collapses on me in the mean time...

 

prolly just the stut mount. not a huge deal. gonna cost a few bucks and you will need an impact and a set of spring compressors to make the job easy.

 

Has anyone ever replaced struts themselves? I called around and most of the quotes I have gotten are around $850 to replace the two front struts. I've replaced some stuff on my car, including the drum assembly on the rear brakes...but I figure it's best to leave this job to someone who has the tools/capability of doing it right.....

 

Once. A long time ago on my VW Rabbit. I could have replaced just the strut cartridge, but there were other issues with it, so I ended up buying the full package. It took me a full day and a half to do it at the time, but I have better tools now, so I could probably get it done in a day - taking my time and making sure I did it right and not hurrying at all.

It is truly a PITA if you don't have the proper equipment or skills - and in fact can be dangerous unless you insure that you have the springs properly compressed and secured to keep them from popping while you are removing or installing them.

Does the $850 include the price of the struts, new strut mount, and the price of the alignment and all the labor? That price is still pretty high even if it is. I would definitely shop around. Of course, you did not say if you were going with performance struts or just OEM replacement, because if your price is for performance struts, then your quote may not be so bad - depending on the brand.

 

Yea it includes everything that you meintioned, struts, mounts, alignment and labor. I actually got a quote for $300 from CarX, plus $60 for each mount, and then more for the alignment as well. I think they said it would be $450 for everything. I'm pretty positive it's OEM/close to OEM.

I was concerned about the whole compression factor, and the fact I have very few tools making it a PITA. Plus...if I don't do it exactly right, who knows what happens when I'm crusing down the road. I'll have to keep shopping around.

Of course, I feel like if I spend the $450 on the struts....the noise will continue and it will turn out to be the ball joint, or something else...



Edit: Besides KONI and KYB....what are the best aftermarket struts?

 

I guess monroe would be the next best strut. When i replaced my stuts it took me just over 2 hours to do all 4. in order to really figure out whats is makeing the pop noise jack up the car and remove the tire, check for abnormal play in all the joints.

 

Compressing coil springs is Not that difficult. The front struts will require an impact though. That is very over priced. I'd come out to your place and do the job for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Js0_a7Dn8&feature=fvsr