01 lesabre - when turning slowly I feel and hear a little clunk

[RustX7]

Title pretty much says it all. When I'm turning slowly in parking lots (I think it happens in both directions but it might only be left) there is a subtle little clunk that I can feel in the steering wheel, as though tension has built up in something and then been released. It doesn't inhibit steering and doesn't sound dangerous but I want to know what it is and if I can check it out somehow myself.

I recently had new tires put on and for some reason the moment the car came out of the tire shop it decided it decided it was time for one of the passenger side front trailing arm bushings to go. So I bought a new trailing arm on rockauto and put it in and then got it realigned. I couldn't find any torque specs on this part so I just made it "pretty dang tight" and everything seemed fine until this little clunk came along.

Any ideas? CV joint perhaps? Something I caused (I'm guessing that's likely)?

[Robdaparamedic]

Allignment wasn't done correctly. That's the problem with thinking people working at these shops, know what the hell they're doing. I'm having issues with both my '01 and '02. Good luck finding a shop that will do it right and getting your money back from whoever did the first one.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by RustX7

subtle little clunk that I can feel in the steering wheel, as though tension has built up in something and then been released. It doesn't inhibit steering and doesn't sound dangerous but I want to know what it is and if I can check it out somehow myself.
Any ideas? CV joint perhaps? Something I caused (I'm guessing that's likely)?

Bushing on strut? Have the struts been replaced and new bushings put in? When mine bound up, it sometimes would release as a twong feeling in the floor and steering wheel. It has an echoing effect as the movement in the spring bounces from end to end. If someone rotates the steering wheel with the car parked on grass or somewhere the wheels rotate easily and you hold your hand on the spring while they move the steering wheel, you may feel the release as well as hear it. Mine on 03 did it within 36000 mile warranty.

Hub bearing looseness shifting as the wheel changes vertical alignment due to the caster setting? Checked the hub bearings?

[RustX7]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try to check out the spring that way with a friend's help. When you say "hub bearing" do you mean "wheel bearing" as in the kind you check by pushing/pulling at the top and bottom of the tire with it off the ground?

Rob, the tire place I had the alignment done at is pretty well respected around here. I don't know how it is supposed to be done but when I watched them they used what seemed to be laser leveler sorts of things attached to the wheels. Not that that implies it was done correctly... but I haven't heard complaints about them.

Slight update: I get the clunk occasionally when braking in a straight line now. Starting to think it could be brakes somehow.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by RustX7

When you say "hub bearing" do you mean "wheel bearing" as in the kind you check by pushing/pulling at the top and bottom of the tire with it off the ground?

Wheel bearing. The GM spec is .005 in movement in and out along the line of the axle.

[jbman987]

don't forget to check stabilizer links. if they are rotted, this causes a clunk as well.