car pulls to the right, clunks when passing centre

GeX · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:08

Hi all. I have a 2002 Xsara VTS. This morning as I was turning out of my parking space the OSF clunk. It did it again as I pulled onto the road. Once on the road it was pulling to the right and if I let go of the wheel, the wheel will be pulled off centre to the right.

I had a quick look at work and at a glance the wheels didn't seem to be aligned with each other (one straight, one not quite) but having since again looked - i'm not 100% on this.

Got the car home this evening, still pulling and clunking. It clunks as I turn left and it just passes the centre. Jacked up and looked under, nothing is loose that I can see. Can't localise the clunk atm either.

Any ideas?

Ginger-Menace · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:12

not a mechanic but mite need an alignment and balance?

GeX · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:13

it'll need aligning once it's fixed yes, but something has suddenly snapped / slipped / split hence the sudden onset of the noise!

Stormster · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:15

track rod end maybe?

Daniee · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:16

Could the clunk be a suspension spring?

When mine went it would make a loud clunk when turning the steering wheel.

RenoRanes007 · 10 Jan 2011 at 20:19

I'd go with Tie Rod or Wheel Bearing.

GeX · 10 Jan 2011 at 21:14

I've checked the springs, they don't look unseated / damaged at all. Trouble is, it's a pita to get safely under the car in a car park and when you do - the undertray is 100% in the way of *everything* !

mattyfez · 10 Jan 2011 at 21:21

How long have you had the car? Has it been knocked/curbed hard recently?

It sounds like a knackred bush/bearing/cv

GeX · 10 Jan 2011 at 21:47

Had the car since July, and it's not been bashed into a kerb or anything lately. It was fine when I parked up, and I was getting out my space this morning it clunked for the first time!

Dogbreath · 11 Jan 2011 at 10:22

Sounds to me like a top mount bearing has seized. If this happens it forces the spring to move on the seat (thus making the clonk noise), and since you are effectively winding the spring up it also makes the steering pull. Should be a fairly cheap and easy fix.

GeX · 11 Jan 2011 at 11:04

ahh that makes sense, I can test for that by watching the spring whilst turning the wheel can't I?

Dogbreath · 11 Jan 2011 at 15:02

Yes, get someone to turn the steering and you should be able to see if the spring is winding up and jumping.

energy · 11 Jan 2011 at 16:58

Dogbreath said:
Sounds to me like a top mount bearing has seized. If this happens it forces the spring to move on the seat (thus making the clonk noise), and since you are effectively winding the spring up it also makes the steering pull. Should be a fairly cheap and easy fix.

This. You might need to look carefully as its not always very obvious that the spring is jumping.

GeX · 11 Jan 2011 at 17:00

what I plan to do is turn the wheel to lock, mark the spring position on the seat and then turn it half lock / full lock back and see if it moves ( i can't fit my head in the arch, or safely lift the car off the ground!)

pat_1234 · 11 Jan 2011 at 17:25

its your bottom ball joint m8 i do loads of these at my garage when the car is jacked up it is not always possible to see any play in the ball joint but i would put money on it being that

BigglesPiP · 11 Jan 2011 at 18:52

I was also about to put money on the bottom ball joint, clunking when changing lock and pulling in directions are both symptomatic of this.

You can only check the bottom ball joints with the car jacked up. You want to be pulling and pushing hard at the bottom of the wheel when facing the face of the wheel. Listen for a clunking, look for play at the bottom of the suspension upright.

Any play in the bottom ball joint is an MOT failure, it is often caused by hitting potholes and other such things. It's also bad news for you if it fails completely. Replacing it would be best done by replacing the bottom arm (preferably both sides), it's sometimes possible to get just the joint and press it into the existing arm, but they don't last as long.

Edit:
And GeX, you can suck eggs by opening your mouth really wide and...

GT3 · 11 Jan 2011 at 19:21

My Xsara's wishbone snapped at the rear mount. That made one wheel look further forward in the arch than the other one and made all sorts of clunking noises.

I was driving like an utter **** over a blind crest and it snapped when the car hit the floor though, it didn't just happen over night.

GeX · 11 Jan 2011 at 21:12

currently waiting on my trusty helper to turn the wheel for me whilst I watch, but just looked down at the car and there are lot of 'rust flakes' on the ground around where the OSF wheel/strut was when I was going lock to lock.

You can only check the bottom ball joints with the car jacked up. You want to be pulling and pushing hard at the bottom of the wheel when facing the face of the wheel. Listen for a clunking, look for play at the bottom of the suspension upright.

aye, that's what I want to be doing - but I can't do that with the car sat on the spare wheel jack :eek:

mattyprice4004 · 11 Jan 2011 at 22:07

GeX said:
aye, that's what I want to be doing - but I can't do that with the car sat on the spare wheel jack

Why not?

GeX · 11 Jan 2011 at 22:23

ok, i'm sure enough to order a new part that it's the strut top bearing. I can see the spring jump when it clonks.