Clicking sound! R32 gtr

[jjcb]

Hey everyone, hopefully I can get some help on this issue.

 

Car is a r32 gtr and has recently developed a clicking sound coming from what sounds like the front left hand side. The sound is most evident when going from a stand still forward to reverse and vice versa. Can also hear it slightly when braking hard. It will click a few times upon take off then stop and will only come back when going forward to reverse or vice versa again. The sound sounds like 2 metal parts.

 

Things that have been replaced are:

 

-whole left cv shaft

-lower outer ball joint

-pads & rotors

-sway bar link

-switched front coilovers around

-replaced outer tie rod

 

Could it be caused by the calipers? Inner ball joint? Loose castor arm(I have adjustable castor arms)

 

Any help would greatly be appreciated as it’s embarrassing and annoying!

 

Thanks in advance

[Duncan]

how old are you castor arms, and are they rose jointed or poly bush? worn rose joints would be a likely source of clicking when changing direction. 

Is everything else stock?

[Sinista32]

Have a look at the brake pad retaining clip - anyways add it to things to look at

Had any work done recently anywhere near where this new noise is coming from?

[Sinista32]

ah - re-reading you say pads and rotors.

Sometimes the long pins that hold the retaining clip in place are not secured (knocked in properly) and work loose. Then the retaining clip can make a clicking sound as the rotor moves. Just a thought.

[jjcb]

how old are you castor arms, and are they rose jointed or poly bush? worn rose joints would be a likely source of clicking when changing direction. 
Is everything else stock?

Not too sure how old the castor arms are -was on the car when I brought it. Yep they are rose jointed. The clicking only comes on when initially changing direction? I’ll probably check the rose joint next. How would you go about checking it?

Everything else is pretty much stock or standard except the coilovers. And I haven’t done any mods lately too before the sounds appeared

[Duncan]

Just lift the wheel off the ground, put some nice solid stands under it and then move the wheel back and forward. It may require a reasonable (but not crazy) amount of force. 

Rose joints wear out quickly on road cars, and instead of moving freely either jam or get loose and rattly. They are really designed for race use and regular replacement.  If it is the castor rods you'd be better replacing them with standard arms and adjustable bushes, or adjustable arms with bushes.

Could still be any (every) other joint but they are a good place to start

[jjcb]

ah - re-reading you say pads and rotors. Sometimes the long pins that hold the retaining clip in place are not secured (knocked in properly) and work loose. Then the retaining clip can make a clicking sound as the rotor moves. Just a thought.

 

 

Yeah initially I thought it was rotor/pad related but after changing them both the clicking is still there.

 

I’ll double check the retaining clips

 

Thanks

 

[jjcb]

Just lift the wheel off the ground, put some nice solid stands under it and then move the wheel back and forward. It may require a reasonable (but not crazy) amount of force. 
Rose joints wear out quickly on road cars, and instead of moving freely either jam or get loose and rattly. They are really designed for race use and regular replacement.  If it is the castor rods you'd be better replacing them with standard arms and adjustable bushes, or adjustable arms with bushes.
Could still be any (every) other joint but they are a good place to start

Ok I’ll give that a try. I’ve jacked it up and rotated the wheel back and forth to try get the sound to come up but only appears when the weight of the car is on it. I haven’t tried moving the wheel forwards and back.

I’ll look to replace the castor arms next as most of the ‘main’ culprit parts have been changed lol

Is there anything else to look out for while the car will be jacked up?

Cheers

[GTSBoy]

Upper control arms might have buggered bushes - enough to move a little and click.

FWIW, I disagree with Duncan about rose joints on castor rods.  I've got some Tein ones in my car.  Been in for a few years now, so must have done >30000km on road.  They are still fine.  That makes them serviceable enough for road use, to my mind anyway.  And they work much better than any of the alternatives (for the task they are supposed to do).

[jjcb]

Upper control arms might have buggered bushes - enough to move a little and click.
FWIW, I disagree with Duncan about rose joints on castor rods.  I've got some Tein ones in my car.  Been in for a few years now, so must have done >30000km on road.  They are still fine.  That makes them serviceable enough for road use, to my mind anyway.  And they work much better than any of the alternatives (for the task they are supposed to do).

Haven’t had a proper look at the upper control arm bushes but they were replaced last year. Would you get constant clicking if it were the bushes? Because the click I get only occurs the first few meters of moving in that direction and sometimes when hard braking

I’ve pretty much driven 30k+ too with these rose jointed castor rods so might be worth having a good look at them anyway

[GTSBoy]

Usually when a major bush has a major problem, the noises will often occur when you change the direction of the load.  If that happen in a vertical direction, then it will click/clunk on bumps. If the problem is in a horizontal direction, then it will click or clunk when changing from forward to reverse, or swinging the wheel through large steering angles.  But there's no rules here.  You can end up with a lot of different variattions.

Another possible suspect in the front suspension is the upper bearing in the spindle.  They sometimes fail noisy.

[jjcb]

Usually when a major bush has a major problem, the noises will often occur when you change the direction of the load.  If that happen in a vertical direction, then it will click/clunk on bumps. If the problem is in a horizontal direction, then it will click or clunk when changing from forward to reverse, or swinging the wheel through large steering angles.  But there's no rules here.  You can end up with a lot of different variattions.
Another possible suspect in the front suspension is the upper bearing in the spindle.  They sometimes fail noisy.

Thanks, i will check it out and share any updates

[admS15]

I have nothing to add but am also chasing a similar clunk in the front end, typically also when going from reverse to forward. Wheel doesn't seem to have any play but i will check out all the above suggestions also. 

[jjcb]

Got underneath the car and was able to isolate the sound! I basically held it a 12 and 6 o clock and if I pulled/pushed enough it would make the click. Checked the usual suspension components and made sure none were loose/torn

Hopefully someone one can help me out!

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[GTSBoy]

Are you kidding?  If you're pushing that wheel from 6 & 12 and there is as much movement as I can see, then the whole bloody wheel looks like it's just about ready to fall off.  If it were me, I wouldn't drive it.  At the very least you need to get someone else to push the wheel while you put your head under it and listen.  Use a piece of dowel or similar as a stethoscope.  But I'm damn sure you should be able to see what's f**ked from about 50 feet away!

[jjcb]

Are you kidding?  If you're pushing that wheel from 6 & 12 and there is as much movement as I can see, then the whole bloody wheel looks like it's just about ready to fall off.  If it were me, I wouldn't drive it.  At the very least you need to get someone else to push the wheel while you put your head under it and listen.  Use a piece of dowel or similar as a stethoscope.  But I'm damn sure you should be able to see what's f**ked from about 50 feet away!

Sorry I think the placement of the phone makes it look like 12 and 6 o clock movement but the movement is more from the left and right (turning) wheel movement. I was using some force so was wriggling the wheel from all directions until the 12 and 6 position created the sound

I was trying to reproduce the clicking sound and didn’t even notice you could see anything lol

But yeah thought someone here might recognise the sound