1994 Buick Century - 3.1L Strange Noise

Specific repair issues for all GM cars + FWD vans
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Tim Martin
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1994 Buick Century - 3.1L Strange Noise

Post by Tim Martin »

This 94 Century with a 3.1L engine and a 4 speed auto trans has a very strange issue.

While the car is being driven and the front wheels are straight ahead, it has a knocking sound corresponding to wheel rotation and the noise is not there if you are accelerating or making a turn either way. There is no bent rims, no tire issues, actually has new tires on it. We replaced both drive axles and wheel bearings/hub assembly. I am really stumped.

What am I missing?
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steven kiser
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Re: 1994 Buick Century - 3.1L Strange Noise

Post by steven kiser »

OK, was the noise there prior to the new tires? If I had to guess I may think cracked wheel. If you rotate the tires will the noise move? Basically the way I'm seeing this is under a load there is no noise but just rolling along there is. I bet there is no noise when vehicle is on a lift. If this has steel wheels drive it without the hub caps, I've seen some strange noises coming from them and have had to grease the tangs on more than a few. On steel wheels the lug stud holes can be opened enough to allow the lug nut to bottom against the rotor face. Inspect the lug nuts or rotor faces for signs of this. If these are alloy wheels they can be cracked and difficult to find. By moving the wheels around is one way. I've flipped them over and hit the inside with a ball peen hammer. It like when the Three Stooges were trying to find which tooth was bad in Curley's mouth. Ping, ping, clunk.

The other issue is all the work you've put into it already if the wheel is junk. Another question here, while driving straight and the vehicle is making the noise does it go away if you ride the brake a bit? I think the key to the puzzle may be a talk with the customer. You may find it happened after the new tires, he got new tires because he hit a pot hole and blew out the r/f.

A few years ago I had a customer come in with a banging noise in the l/f. Actually he was my old boss when I started in the field. I forgave him years ago for allowing me to stay and not telling me to go back into the Teamsters. We drove the car around and it felt like there was someone under your feet tapping the floor boards. Pretty much the same description you gave. After a while I had it on my alignment rack and he was in the car and we were both listening for the noise. I grabbed the l/f wheel and wiggled it like I had done a dozen times and it made the noise. The outer tie rod was slightly loose and would on occasion make a little clunk and somehow it sounded terrible in the vehicle. I would jack this car up on the lower control arm and see if the ball joint is walking. That's about all I got for now.
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