My 2000 sunfire has a clunk that really feels like it's in the steering and not in the lower front end. I read on here that it could be the steering shaft, that there is a TSB on greasing it or replacing it.
I took the few minutes to replace the front rotors and pads last night and I believe I checked the ball joints right - just placed a big piece of board under the control arm and lifted to see if there was any slop in the joint. Didn't appear to be any. Maybe someone here has a better method to use to confirm?
The clunk in the car can be made without even moving the car, just lightly turning the wheel left or right and you can really feel it in the steering wheel. From my experience with ball joints you don't normally get the clunk if the vehicle is sitting on a smooth surface not moving.
if you can hear and feel it "clunk" have someone move the steering wheel back an forth while you are under your car and finding where the sound is comming from
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BTW: This is my Sig.
I always push on the top and bottom of the tire while its suspended in the air.
yes, cavalier has unloaded ball joints, which means that to check them you can jack the car up by the frame and wiggle wheel up and down/back and forth to check for play.
Loaded ball joints must have the weight of the car on the suspension to check (have the car down on a jack stand to load the suspension), and are checked the same way once the suspension is loaded. Sometimes I employ a pry bar under the tire to pry up on it to check for play with these types.
My clunking noise was the same as yours and it was a inner tie rod. What a pitty to change. But i got the noise back after about a a year and it is either my rack or the joint between the rack and steering shaft
