cracking noise at hard slow turn

[john 05141]

I have had this problem for a few years now and as I was trying to deal with it this year, the problem did not go away.. .it became worse.

I'll try to describe the problem;
Drive in a straight line backwards and forwards no problem. Small turns no matter what speed no problem.
Now turn your wheels more than 70% to full and slowly drive forward or backwards (like into or out of the garage) and then it happens...
One every second more or less I hear a sound that is hard to describe. Sounds like metal under stress, light thuds or so.turn the wheel straight while driving, and it is gone.

Meanwhile I have a new steering rack (brand new aftermarket) new upper arms, new bushings all over the car, new knee joints. or ball joints (how is it called) and this winter the lower arms and the stabilizors are removed, sand blasted and coated. All being put together again, and the problem is back and now it can be heard too driving slowly over a speed bump. I can not say of it comes from left or right but certainly from the front.
A friend that owns a Delorean, did his own frame - off (so he knows the car well) took a look. turned the wheel yanked on the wheels, nothing seems abnormal, except for one thing. The bearing on the left wheel has some play. Not much, and the car passed thechnical inspection just over a month ago without issues.

Anyone has an idea what that is? could this bearing cause that noise?
Anyone else had this?
It worries me a bit, and maybe the noise does not come from the suspension but the frame that gets stress while turning full at low speed. Is that possible?

Hope to get some reactions,
John

[Bitsyncmaster]

Sounds like a frame/body movement problem. My car has a clicking sound sometimes coming from the passenger side rear fender when just idling the car.

Check the two large bolts on the round support members in the engine compartment. Those have been known to get loose over time.

[Spittybug]

I have an issue when I make the hard right turn (into my driveway for example). It's like a pulsing whack, whack, whack noise. Not too loud, but definitely from the front. I've had the car up on the lift many times to ensure it isn't a steering or suspension issue.

I believe it to be a case of bending the speedo cable to an angle it doesn't like and stressing it a bit. In my case it is only happening on hard right turn, so maybe this isn't the same as yours. I also notice that on some cars the inner wall of the front tires can actually rub on the stabilizer bar. The tie rod ends also contact the stabilizer bar when the car is lifted (not when sitting on ground), so I suppose it is possible that if you were turning hard and going over a bump????

[David T]

You are going to have to get the car up and inspect the front suspension. In the meantime check the obvious, tire pressures and lug nuts.
David Teitelbaum

[Ron]

I'd definitely jack it up to get the load off of the that wheel bearing then check it out again...

[john 05141]

thanks for the answers guys,


We checked it when it was on a jack, both wheels up. we were yanking the wheels so hard I feared the Delorean would fall of its jack. But it all seemed very normal.
The wheels touching the stabilizer bar could be. I will have to look at that. The bracket from the speedo cable has been renewed, I partially broke so to rule this out, it was replaced too. I do not think the wheels are touching the tub.
But I forgot to say it happens in left or right turns, so it does not matter.
I should get a camera under there...

John