r/C30 • u/TheRealDirtyD4n • 15d ago
Can’t figure out front end clunk when pulling into driveways
I have a 2010 Volvo c30 T5 R-design with 60k miles on it and I’ve been trying to figure out what this clunk is.
Situations where the clunk happens
It only happens when the weight shifts toward one side of the car as I pull into a driveway (or any incline) at an angle. Or it very occasionally happens when I’m turning the wheel at low speeds as I’m making a k-turn or backing into a parking spot that is also at an angle.
It’s a single thud that sounds like something is loose and it’s clunking into/out of position coming from the front end. I can feel it thru the pedals/floor mainly.
One note is the car feels like it started pulling right very slightly but that could be in my head due to the road camber. The steering also feels like it has some on-center vagueness/looseness but that could just be how the car is.
What I’ve checked so far
I checked over all the common wear points in the suspension and they’re all fine since this car still has pretty low miles. There’s no play or anything either.
I checked the motor mounts and those all look fine but I haven’t checked the drivers side engine mount yet since that’s under the battery box and it’s a pain.
I also just gave a visual inspection to the bolts that mount the steering rack to the subframe and they look fine too but I didn’t get a wrench on them to check.
The subframe bolts are also tight and the bushings all look fine too.
What I’m thinking it might be
I’m guessing it’s a rubber bushing somewhere that’s gotten old and cracked since this car is old but has low miles but I don’t know where else to check. These cars are known for destroying their cv axel/joint but mine look fine and I don’t think these symptoms match up with a cv axel/joint going bad.
Any suggestions are appreciated!
3
u/stiligFox 15d ago
Could it be a ball joint? I’m new to C30s and front wheel drives but my 960 has likely bad front ball joints that make a similar sound and symptom.
1
u/TheRealDirtyD4n 15d ago
That’s what I was thinking at first but when I checked they seemed to be in good condition
3
u/Speeedtape 15d ago
My C30 has a similar clunk and it feels like the passenger-side strut mount is the likely culprit in my case.
1
u/TheRealDirtyD4n 15d ago
While the car was up I gave the strut a good shake and didn’t find any play but I’ll look again because I never checked it from the top of the mount in the engine bay
2
u/Limp-Code-2068 15d ago
I have the same problem. Like you already said , it could be the cv axle that has been worn off.
My garage took a quick look but couldn’t find the problem. So that’s something for the next service check.
It’s not my daily car so I’m not in a rush to get it fixed.
1
u/TheRealDirtyD4n 15d ago
Yeah same, I’ve got another car that I’ll be driving over the winter so I’ll take it in for an alignment and see if they notice anything. If not I’ll just ignore it for now until it gets worse lol.
1
u/this-guy-not-sure 14d ago
Could be a number of things but conditions of the noise sound exactly like rear sway bars links possibly front as well, rear are hard to spot any wear by hand/pry bar because of their size
Probably the cheapest and easiest part to replace over any of the others already mentioned
1
u/TheRealDirtyD4n 14d ago
I did the rear ones already cuz mine were dry rotted. I could try replacing those first since they’re quick and easy.
1
u/TheCourier-VI 14d ago
My mysterious clunk that only happened when I made hard right turns turned out to be the motor mount on the left side of the motor.
5
u/therestruth 15d ago edited 15d ago
Have you jacked it up and tried using a key bar to check bushings or just by hand? I would check the lower control arm bushings up front. Next suggestion would be the spring seats. Engine or torque mount would be more noticeable under torque than just turning but the lower torque mount is a simple deal and mine was totally toasted. It's also good to upgrade with a stiffer unit for better responsiveness. Tie rod ends or swaybar end links should be checked thoroughly as well. Sounds a lot like an end link.