Noise coming from font 2007 Mazda 3

[johnnyh55]

There is a noise coming from the front when driving over bumps but it's not like a metal on metal clunk more like a knock not to to loud. I jacked both front wheels and checked the play in the front suspension and eveyrything seems ok. I then drove up ramps and moved the swaybar up and down and there is very little play. I put my hand over the sway bar bushings as I was moving them and couldn't feel any play in them. Should there be any play in the end links? Or they should be really tight? Is it ok if I checked them while the car was on ramps and the wheels weren't hanging so the suspension would be unloaded?

[jeff7670]

Endlinks should be tight. I would also check to make sure the spring isn't broken. I guess is it is your endlinks.

[JonsMazda]

Any oil leaking out from the shocks?

[morganc]

My guess is ball joints. You have to take the load off of the suspension to properly check them for play, otherwise the strut keeps tension. Get a car jack and a 2x4 under the spring seat and compress the strut about 4" when you have it in the air.

[johnnyh55]

My guess is ball joints. You have to take the load off of the suspension to properly check them for play, otherwise the strut keeps tension. Get a car jack and a 2x4 under the spring seat and compress the strut about 4" when you have it in the air.

This page
http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Ball-Joints Part 2 Step 2

says that if you have a McPherson strut front suspension, you need to



Let the McPherson struts extend as far out as you can before you try to check the wheels for play.


So I'm not sure, I thought you could check ball joint play with the suspension fully extended?

[Flagrum_3]

Its probably a ball joint. Gone through both sides already and had the same 'clunking sound over bumps'. You can check the ball joints when on a hoist easily, load off the suspension, pry bar look for excess movement.


_3

[morganc]

I am a pure believer in empirical problem solving and when my ball joints fubared, they didn't present themselves as faulty with the struts extended. When I took the load off, I was able to give the bottom of the arms a little tappy-tap with a rubber mallet and they moved around :)



This page
http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Ball-Joints Part 2 Step 2

says that if you have a McPherson strut front suspension, you need to

So I'm not sure, I thought you could check ball joint play with the suspension fully extended?

[LeonIRL]

Have you replaced the front struts recently by any chance? When I did mine, I bought el-cheapo ones off eBay and installed them. The warning sticker on the new struts says not to touch the main spring nut so I presumed it was nice and tight. However, after driving for a couple of hours I was getting a similar noise to what you described which was resolved by tightening that main spring nut. Also might be worth checking the torque on the strut mount bolts. Good luck.

[bastymn]

A bad passenger motor mount can cause a knocking sound also.

[johnnyh55]

So I just got around to fixing this over the weekend and for anyone who was wondering it was the front stabilizer links causing the issue. Now that they are replaced, no more noise.