I was wondering what some common causes for CV Joint Failure were. I'm having a problem with my passenger side suspension or drivetrain, and I can't figure out where the noise is coming from, and I can't find a pattern to it.
(And my apologies if this is somewhere in this forum... I couldn't find what I was looking for in the search)
It's a loud knock sound. But it's not continuous. It's like someone at your door knocked once. Sometimes it does it when down shifting into 2ed. Sometimes it does it when I hit a bump. And honestly, it doesn't even have to be a big bump... It will still do it. I have noticed that it won't do if I'm in the higher ranges of 3rd gear, and in 4th gear. Only in lower gears, and when starting from a stand still, it does it sometimes as well.
I am really confused.

Well lots of things come to mind here. Noise when hitting bumps are normally strut mounts.

Secondly you can jack up that wheel and shake it for any play at all. Sometimes ball joints can cause a knocking sort of sound, tie rods normally clunk.

CV joints will click and all the time, the boot will be tore open, grease splashed all over. So if it clicking all the time, it is the CV joint.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

Rob S wrote:Well lots of things come to mind here. Noise when hitting bumps are normally strut mounts.

Secondly you can jack up that wheel and shake it for any play at all. Sometimes ball joints can cause a knocking sort of sound, tie rods normally clunk.

CV joints will click and all the time, the boot will be tore open, grease splashed all over. So if it clicking all the time, it is the CV joint.

My next question was going to be could it be a strut mount... That's what I was thinking the first time around, but I wasn't sure how often if ever the CV will click. Mine do click once in awhile, but mostly when hitting rather large pot holes.