2011 Elantra touring passenger front end rattle has turning into a full on clunk.


Doesn't matter it's a big or small on even surface, even back out of the driveway there is a clunk. Squeaks when passenger gets in. Squeaks when jacked up. Tie rods, ball join check out. Sway bar links just replaced.


Thoughts on strut/mount or sway bar bushings ? Control arm? Thoughts and ideas?

 

The squeak may be a clue. What if you had some one repeat getting in and out of the vehicle while you listened to where the squeak is loudest?

How did you check the tie rods and ball joints?

 

There's not much to the front end on these. I'll assume you're in USA, I'm in AUS we don't have salted roads that do other damage but I've owned 3 of these variants.

Main items I've dealt with on ours were front control arm bushings, sway bar bushings. The tie-rods, tie-rod ends and ball joints generally last well is all the boots stay intact.

Avoid cheap crap if repplacing. I made the mistake of replacing my ball joints with Febest and it was only because I was doing the arms as preventative . They fell apart in 12 months so a new set of genuines went back in. Still intact 8 years later.

Going on what you have described I would do the swaybar bushings. As they get on they can bind and start making groaning/squeaky noises. As it gets worse they'll flog out and then becomes a knock. The bushing ends up going very hard too. I've had both scenarios where it was noisey, over speed bumps would be an example and knocking.

I also found with new bushings the noise from road harshness was reduced likely because they were nice and pliant again