Help me!

[hatchet]

I dont have much money, being this close to christmas... so i cant put my car in the shop...

Last night on the way home from work, my car started making a knocking noise. I pulled over and thought the worst, that my engine was knocking, but it turns out its not the engine.

As i drive, it sounds like a strip of tread from my tire is just flapping and hitting something making the knocking noise, it gets louder and worse the faster i drive.

I checked the tread its not the tread. my brother suggested it might be the shocks, the cv joint or the wheel bearings...


Can anyone help with any suggestions??

[growe58]

It’s really hard to diagnose a sound via an internet post. We need to narrow it down; you seem to be saying that the noise is speed dependent, e.g. the faster you go, the faster the noise gets and it doesn’t matter what speed the engine is going (and throwing it in neutral doesn’t change the sound). Is that correct? Also what wheel is it coming from? – if the back, you can rule out CV joints. Finally, can you do a visual inspection? – look for road debris stuck under the car or in the suspension, rocks in the hubcaps, torn CV joint boots, loose components, bad bushings…(don’t get under the car while it is held up by only a jack).

FWIW, a bad bearing usually makes a constant humming noise which you can sometimes reduce by braking (the brake pads take the load off the bearing). I don’t see how a shock absorber could make a knocking noise unless the bushings were bad in which case it would tend to rattle more over bad roads and potholes. It may be a CV joint, although usually they tend to get louder over time, not suddenly knock. Believe me, I know what you’re saying about Christmas and cash, but I wouldn’t let a bad CV joint go unrepaired for very long. It can be dangerous.

[neon_rt]

I've had a similar noise in my Grand Caravan, turned out to be a loose wheel. CV joints usually don't start all the sudden, they start by vibrating some and then getting worse over time and then shaking and clunking.
The only way I would think it was the shocks it if the noise was consistant with bumps in the road.
Also, one last thought, I have had the experience of the seatbelt getting shut in the door and the metal buckle being on the outside. When I got up to speed the buckle started banging against the side of the car, the faster I went, the faster it banged.

[hatchet]

the sound is coming from the FRONT driverside tire... i have checked under the car, and i dont have hubcaps. Its actually sounds like a strip of tread has come loose from the tire and is slapping something under the car every time the tire rotates. it gets louder the faster i go. it doesnt make a noise until i hit about 20 mph. Ive been told it could be CV Joints or Wheel bearings, or maybe shocks... i have no money to put it in a shop... so i cant be certain

[rhandwor]

Jack up the side where the noise is coming from about 3 inches. Rotate the tire slowly look for a bolt in the tread or a bulge in the tire tread. Both of these will make a noise like you are discribing. Some times a piece of tread on the inside will come loose and make noise.