HGV

I have driven this car with a front end clunk that i cannot find. Most everything on the front end has been replaced. Wheel bearings, axle shafts, control arms, shocks, tie rods inner and out, greased sway bar bushings, and sway bar link, front drive shaft and that is about it. I did not replace the shocks mounts. The noise is very pronounced when the chassis rocks. No noise over speed bumps but if turning and going over a crest the crunching noise is heard. I cannot define exactly the source of the noise. The car has 295k miles and i am the original owner. I know the complete history. Only things left to inspect would be strut mounts, steering column and rack and pinion. I am hopeful that this is not a unique issue. The parts replaced were worn, Each part took car of something. Drivers side axle shaft was clicking. replaced both with factory rebuild. Front drive shaft u-joint failed, shocks were shot.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks
Henry

Mmr1

Maybe what you didn’t do, strut mount , I did the same , replaced everything

Silver Shadow

The noise you describe sounds like a strut mount. Not a hard job to replace but it would have been easier to do at the same time as the shocks.

arocarty

If the strut mounts don't solve the issue, maybe check the engine mounts? Didn't see that either in the list of things done.. I once had a CRV that made a rattle/clunk only when the chassis leaned to one side... turned out to be a bad engine mount - tho the struts sounds more likely

andreigbs

Sounds like the strut mounts. Still, 295k miles? That's nice.

HGV

I need to check with and see if i did the strut mounts. I can't remember. Time to get some stick on mics and start listening. I was ignoring the sound but it is annoying. I changed one of the engine mounts trying to find the cause. No effect.

HGV

I wasn't sure if i had replaced the shock tower mounts. I went through my order records and confirmed that i have replaced them. I also replaced the drivers side engine mount. I can rule those two items out. I will have o do some investigation. I almost think it is the rack and pinion as i don't have any idea what else it could be. Wish i could take it out and drive the car. I wonder what CEL code would come up. Maybe the village idiot one.

ecohen2

I have the clunk... Super annoying...

Please update after you replace the struts / strut mounts and let me know if that solves the problem.. I will try that first since I can't see anything else that is wrong.

HGV

The front end on my GLK has had a bunch of clicks and clunks over the years. Started with a caliper clunk. The lower slide pin on the drivers side froze as a result of a ripped boot. Took the caliper out and cleaned it up and used slide pin grease. Removed the sway bar completely and drove the car with it removed. No change to clunk
This is a list of all the items replaced:
1. Front Wheel Bearings
2. Upper Control Arm
3. Lower Control Arm
4. Shock Absorber
5. Strut Mount
6. Sway bar link
7. Axle Shafts
8. Front Drive shaft (Almost failed completely)
9. Inner tie rod
10. Outer tie-rod

There is not much left to replace. Most of the items were worn except the tie-rods. Not sure what else it could be. I will check the steering coupling next and list to the rack and pinion with the car on jack stands. I did not replace the upper and lower coil spring seat or the strut bumper, but i don't believe that would be a problem. I suppose it could be the carrier member bushings. Not sure if it has bushings. I will check. This is driving me up the wall as there is a constant reminder whenever I hear it.

AllPhonesAretap

Are the engine mount heat shield bolts fully torqued down, if not, they'll make a nasty noise

calder-cay

Any update ?

glkoffroad

find the issue?

FlyGLK

I wonder what HGV found that about.
I had same issue with my 2015 GLK250 and found one of clunking noise caused by Left intermediate shaft bearing (seal) worn on oil pan. It took long time to find that out after many hours and dealer visits.
290K mile on it now.

HGV

I have not been able to diagnose the noise. Car went in for the exhaust warranty. Dealer said it needs motor mounts and tranny mount. Maybe that is the source of the noise. Car rolled over 200k miles today. Please explain the Left intermediate shaft bearing (seal) worn issue. Both front axle shafts have been replaced.

calder-cay

Can't comment on a GLK 250 (we have a GLK 350), but at about 300k on my wife's 2001 E320, I changed the motor mounts and tranny mount (didn't need it, but thought while I'm under there changing motor mounts, might as well) ... clunk noise gone

FlyGLK

This is the bearing location going thru top of oil can. Shake axle up and down.

300SE1993

Bringing up an old thread, but I've been chasing a noise in mine. It never would have occurred to me that this could have been the culprit, so THANK YOU!!! I made a video about it

glkoffroad

did u actually replace it and the clunk was gone? else you are just assuming...

300SE1993

Have not had this done yet. I am going to make a more specific thread about this.

glkoffroad

did u replace it? fix the problem?

300SE1993

I haven't replaced anything and have driven several thousand miles without incident or symptoms.

FullMoonParty

My 2015 has a similar light clunk in the rear occasionally, not to derail the thread. The car was rear-ended before I bought it and I've always assumed some sort of linkage or bushing was damaged and not replaced. Over four years and 50k miles it's never gotten any better or worse. Someday I will play detective.

glkoffroad

so after about 2 years of trying to figure this out I think I got it. I started with strut mounts like usual, not it. then did struts. nope. keep in mind I had 2 licensed mechanics look at this and all appeared ok. so I used my press to push apart the bushing on the FRONT FORWARD CONTROL ARM and u can see they are not solid rubber and have a steel rod inside them the rod was thumping on the outer race of the bushing. I'm going to order new bushings $50 instead of the 200-300$ arm and press them in. my 3 ton press would not do it, I used a 25 ton but I think a 10 would do the job. my CV axles are sloppy like shown above. I wrapped huge *** zip ties around the cv shaft to the lower control arm to hold them from moving while driving very slowly over 1x2 board that seems to make it clunk everytime. its not the CV axles IMHO. you can see in the pictures where the inner steel pin was connecting to the outer bushing housing. hope this helps. when u guys find the solution to your problems bloody tell us!!!! everyone comes here with problems and never bothers to post the solution! lol. cheers

glkoffroad

a 2" socket from my 3/4 drive socket set seems a decent fit to push out the bushing

John CC

I just changed them on mine and it got rid of a mystery clunk on one side when I ran over a sharp bump, like the back side of a pot hole. New Lemforder arms from FCP Euro were $108 for one and $135 for the other. Changing the bushing probably would have been just as good, but this way I got new ball joints, too, and no extra labor pressing the bushings out and in.