Crazy Situation we've never seen before....

**Pauley** · 12-28-2011

I have an annoying clunk when I start my engine, when I brake. Doesn't do it all the time, but most of the time. Also happens sometimes when I am starting to accelerate. So I took the wheel off and seen where it's doing it. The hub and or the rotor studs are moving in their respected holes, cluncking against my hub? It's hard to describe. Both of my front hubs have been replaced with OEM hubs a few years ago. I first started noticing this about a month ago. My front lower engine mount was bad, replaced that thinking it had something to do with this. Well, my engine is sitting stable with new mount but hubs are still hitting my lug nut studs. Beats me, we've never seen anything like this...A friend suggested installing spacers on the studs because they are bottoming out causing this noise...I always torque to 100 ft pounds..
Hope all this make sense! It sure don't to us.....

**Explicit_Spade** · 12-28-2011

So basically, your lug studs are moving?

**Pauley** · 12-28-2011

To say it short and sweet. Yes.

**Explicit_Spade** · 12-28-2011

Get new hub assemblies, or if the ones you bought had a warranty, warranty them out for a new set.

If you really wanted, you could weld the back of the studs to the assembly.

**Pauley** · 12-28-2011

Hubs are OEM AC/Delco usually good for 100,000 miles...Only about 10,000 and 14,000 respectively. I don't think both hubs are toast.....

**BlackGT97** · 12-28-2011

the studs will move and hit the rotors. are they just hitting the rotors or are they actually moving seperate from the wheel hubs?

**Explicit_Spade** · 12-28-2011

Rotor holes are a little bigger than the bolts, which leaves some play, but it shouldn't be clunking while driving.

**Pauley** · 12-28-2011

Yea, that's where it's clunking. I'll get it back into my friends heated garage. The very first thing we thought was the holes were too big for the studs but these have been installed for a couple years already with no issues. Also thought perhaps my CV joints were going bad but not getting those symptoms..

**Explicit_Spade** · 12-28-2011

Make sure the axle is pushed in the hub, and the axle stud is secure.

**BlackGT97** · 12-28-2011

the studs hitting the hub is normal. If you are hearing clunking when you shift, brake, or anything like that, im gonna go ahead and say control arm bushings.

**stealthee** · 12-28-2011

Motor mounts

**BlackGT97** · 12-28-2011

control arm bushings

**BlackGT97** · 12-28-2011

lol

**Bob Padilla** · 12-28-2011

Swaybar mounts and or the bushings for the swaybar,I had that happen once,apparently I lost all the bushings on the drive side.

**BlackGT97** · 12-28-2011

yes. thats is also a possibility, but i would think that would be more of an up and down movement that would cause it to clunk, not a front to back movement.
i would check both upper and lower motor mounts
then check the control arm bushings (front bushings only usually goes bad)

**Zef_66** · 12-29-2011

If your studs are actually moving, them your lug nuts are bottoming out and not getting tight on your wheels, which would cause major problems. At 100ft-lbs, your stud should tighten up and not move. So if it is, then your wheel would be loose as well.

I'm going to say that you have a bad bushing or mount somewhere.

**Pauley** · 12-29-2011

My front lower mount was just replaced, all others have been inspected and good. Again, we can see and hear exactly where the clunk is coming from and it's right at the hub area where the studs are. Would a bad LCA bushing cause this to happen? I had the entire arm replaced about three years ago and sway bar and links last year...

**blueguy** · 12-29-2011

Man...and I thought this was a life situation story...because I was gonna tell about the time wulfpack06 and I got shot at.

NVMD.

Carry on.

**Zef_66** · 12-29-2011

Originally Posted by Pauley

My front lower mount was just replaced, all others have been inspected and good. Again, we can see and hear exactly where the clunk is coming from and it's right at the hub area where the studs are. Would a bad LCA bushing cause this to happen? I had the entire arm replaced about three years ago and sway bar and links last year...

So the lugs moving have nothing to do with the control arms. Completely separate.

How are you able to observe the lugs moving? Is it just a matter of replacing the lugs with new ones that are tight in the hub?

**BlackGT97** · 12-29-2011

he is seeing the lugs moving because the wheel is off. If there is nothing holding it tight, it is normal for the lugs to have some play in them and hit the rotors. No al LCA bushing will not cause the lugs to hit the rotors, but if the bushings are bad enough, you will hear it clunk when you put it in reverse/ drive and i imagine when you take off and stop also.