Loud Clicking After KYB Struts-Plus Install

[GunnyP]

Just finished installing KYB Struts-Plus on 93 PAU w/ 86K miles. Torqued everything to spec. Returned knuckle to scribed marks to ease alignment. Noticed no difference in front end height although the ride leveler ran a bit extended after removing from jackstands and popping the leveling system fuse back in.

Sadly, although silent when in reverse gear when I place it in drive a loud "Tic - Tac - Tic" emanates apparently from the front passenger wheel well. And it is loud! Echoing noticeably off each home that I pass with tempo increasing with vehicle speed.

Jacked her back up, pulled the tire and hunted for any visible cause for the ticking but found nothing all the lines (brake, ABS) all were secure.

Aside from a two-day battle to get a knuckle mount bolt out, the install was uneventful. Nothing else on the vehicle aside from the driver side matching Struts-Plus was changed.

Defective Struts-Plus? An alignment issue?

 

[GunnyP]

Just finished installing KYB Struts-Plus on 93 PAU w/ 86K miles. Torqued everything to spec. Returned knuckle to scribed marks to ease alignment. Noticed no difference in front end height although the ride leveler ran a bit extended after removing from jackstands and popping the leveling system fuse back in.

Sadly, although silent when in reverse gear when I place it in drive a loud "Tic - Tac - Tic" emanates apparently from the front passenger wheel well. And it is loud! Echoing noticeably off each home that I pass with tempo increasing with vehicle speed.

Jacked her back up, pulled the tire and hunted for any visible cause for the ticking but found nothing all the lines (brake, ABS) all were secure.

Aside from a two-day battle to get a knuckle mount bolt out, the install was uneventful. Nothing else on the vehicle aside from the driver side matching Struts-Plus was changed.

Defective Struts-Plus? An alignment issue?

Uh oh!

Put the front end up on jack stands and shifted into drive. The driver's side wheel spins but the passenger wheel is immobile. It doesn't seem to be receiving power from the drive train.

So, I suppose that somehow I managed to disengage the axle, if that is even possible.

 

[Drakito]

That is normal. Your car has what is called an "Open" differential. Power will go to the easier to spin tire. If you added some brake drag to the system you will see both start to spin. It's what causes "one wheel peel" when anybody tries a burnout. It's also why you can get stuck with one tire in snow and one on the asphalt and the snow side tire spins all day long.

Check your tire. a "tik, tik, tik" sounds like you might have a rock, screw, or something else stuck in it.

It can also be a something rubbing on the axleshaft, or the CV joint went out.

 

[GunnyP]

Thanks Drakito,
Just put on new set of Hankook Kinergy PT a month ago and only experienced smooth quiet ride, but maybe something stuck in the deep tread...

Nothing but a pebble. Shook the tire while holding at 12 & 6, no wobble.

The passenger side fiberglass fender has been cracked a bit for years but never made any noise before. The rear portion of the inner wheel well that attaches to the fiberglass fender does shake a bit but jostling it doesn't cause this clicking. I used some putty to stop even that possibility.

Gone over the engine bay painstakingly, can't find anything loose that can be causing the rattle there nor can I see anything impinging the axleshaft.

The rattle persists and at higher speed is noticeable in reverse gear as well.

 

[GunnyP]

Thanks Drakito,
Just put on new set of Hankook Kinergy PT a month ago and only experienced smooth quiet ride, but maybe something stuck in the deep tread...

Nothing but a pebble. Shook the tire while holding at 12 & 6, no wobble.

The passenger side fiberglass fender has been cracked a bit for years but never made any noise before. The rear portion of the inner wheel well that attaches to the fiberglass fender does shake a bit but jostling it doesn't cause this clicking. I used some putty to stop even that possibility.

Gone over the engine bay painstakingly, can't find anything loose that can be causing the rattle there nor can I see anything impinging the axleshaft.

The rattle persists and at higher speed is noticeable in reverse gear as well.

Most everything under the wheel well is new. Brakes, brake lines, brake hoses, rotor, calipers all replaced in the past year as well as the complete strut assembly installation that preceded this problem.

 

[GunnyP]

Found it! Driver side torn CV Axle Boot which I refilled and called repaired months ago. Repair has failed. The boot is torn open again and the grease spattered into the engine bay.

Since the rattle is already quite serious, I'll have to replace the driver CV Half Shaft Assembly

 

[HotZ28]

Found it! Driver side torn CV Axle Boot which I refilled and called repaired months ago. Repair has failed. The boot is torn open again and the grease spattered into the engine bay.

Since the rattle is already quite serious, I'll have to replace the driver CV Half Shaft Assembly

Sorry to be late in replying, but I have not been available for the past few days. The CV joint would have been my first suspicion and glad you found it! Anytime you replace the struts on an older car, you risk the damage to the CV due to age and angle that the CV falls during the strut replacement. Follow the instructions with the replacement, and do not let the CV joint bend more than 30-deg when installing.

 

[GunnyP]

Sorry to be late in replying, but I have not been available for the past few days. The CV joint would have been my first suspicion and glad you found it! Anytime you replace the struts on an older car, you risk the damage to the CV due to age and angle that the CV falls during the strut replacement. Follow the instructions with the replacement, and do not let the CV joint bend more than 30-deg when installing.

Thanks HotZ28!

I'm waiting for a Cardone Select CV Axle to arrive.

I'm lucky that the passenger side CV boots remained intact as I must admit it was left dangling by the brake hose while I sledgehammered the knuckle bolt for several hours despite MAP torch and PBBlasting the dickens out of it. Actually, broke down and bought a Kobalt 8-Amp Corded Impact that finally broke 25yrs of crud.