97 Camry Popping/Clunk Sound

Recently, when turning while the car is in reverse, I started noticing a popping sound coming from the area near my right front tire. Now, when I accelerate quickly from a dead stop or drive away after being stopped on a hill, I'm hearing that same popping/clunk noise from the right front tire. When I'm stopped at a light and then take my foot off the brake, wait a second, and then gently accelerate, I don't hear it. I've had a couple of mechanics take a look at the cv boot for the right front tire, but they tell me that it's not cracked or broken. Is it possible that the cv joint has gone bad, but the boot is not broken? Or, is there something else going on? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

To me it sounds like a classic inboard CV joint (aka plunge joint) failure. The telltale sign is a clunk during acceleration and deceleration just as you're hearing/feeling. It's true cv joints usually fail after the boot tears and the grease comes out. Key word is usually. Should see extra play in the joint and if it's bad enough duplicate the clunk. Since it's only one side you should be able to compare the play in the two axles and see a difference.
Don't count out upper strut mounts, control arm bushings, ball joints, etc.

What RIP said...
And to add to this. The boot is only a cover for the joint. It may brake or may not brake. The joint itself is definitily bad. But since the boot itself is not open you still have some time to drive the car. You will have eventually to replace it in the future since it probably may lock up on you.

Sam

I'm having a similar problem, though I don't believe it's the same issue. The car is also a 97 Camry, automatic with the 5s-fe 4cyl. I recently did the timing belt and water pump. For the following week since then, there has been a popping sound coming from the passenger side of the engine bay. At first, it only happened when shifting into reverse from park. Now it happens more frequently and also while driving. It seems to happen when the chassis's weight shifts or when load is changed on the engine. . . leading me to think it is a motor mount. I looked at the engine while someone shifted into reverse from park. It seems the angle of the motor changes quite a bit.

The real question I have is how would I go about accurately diagnosing this problem? I have good reason to believe it is not my CV joint as this has never occurred during a turn. The only mount removed during the TB install was the top right "dogbone" engine rod that mounts to the strut tower. IIRC, there is a lower mount on that side as well? Which mount should I check, and how would I diagnose it? Any help (sooner than later) would be great and very helpful as we are making a trip to Colorado from North Carolina in two days! Please reply here or even feel free to text me at my personal number (540)446-8604. The name's Wilke. Thanks!

I have had a popping noise from my right front axle when turning for years. It has never gotten worse and I am not going to change it unless it worsens.

Wilke, start a new thread with your unrelated problem.