TheSamba.com :: View topic - Knocking noise under floorboard while turning sharp corners

Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:49 am

Hi, My '72 has started knocking when I turn sharp corners. I can hear and feel it under the front floor boards. I checked under the front, and my upper ball joints were toast. I bought new ones for lowered front ends and had them pressed into the arms, and I reinstalled them. Everything else down there looked good, and tight. Took it for a test drive, and other than the front end feeling tighter, it still knocks. Turning the wheel all the way left and right while at a stop doesn't produce the noise,,,,it has to be moving. I was going to check the wheel bearings, but would that produce an audible knock that feels like it's under my floorboards? Would the steering box be a possible culprit? Front end is riding on a 5" narrowed adjustable beam w/ CB drop spindals. Thanks.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:13 pm

broken brake line bracket at the frame head? Or tires rubbing the inner fenderwells. Also make sure your tie rod assembly isn't hitting the tunnel or the gas tank...mine is really close.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:48 pm

Loose wheel, bad CV joint?

Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:21 pm

19super73 wrote: Loose wheel, bad CV joint?

He says its from the FRONT.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:01 pm

ovalteen wrote: 19super73 wrote: Loose wheel, bad CV joint?

He says its from the FRONT.

So? It can be deceptive. I had a right rear wheel bearing going bad on me and it sounded like a right front.

Good rule of thumb, check all corners. :roll: Thought this would be a pretty obvious thing to do...

Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:13 pm

Thanks for all the responses: The knock started about 2 weeks ago, and the tires have been rubbing the headlight buckets for longer than that ;) I hope to get in there to check all the bearings tomorrow, and I'll look at the brake line brackets as well. Rolling in a straight line produces no knock or noise, so at least at this point, I'm checking the front end first. I'm just hoping it's something simple, and cheap :lol:

Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:17 pm

19super73 wrote: ovalteen wrote: 19super73 wrote: Loose wheel, bad CV joint?

He says its from the FRONT.

So? It can be deceptive. I had a right rear wheel bearing going bad on me and it sounded like a right front.

Good rule of thumb, check all corners. :roll: Thought this would be a pretty obvious thing to do...

The original poster stated " I can hear and feel it under the front floor boards"

I only say that because he says he can FEEL it in the floor at the front floor board under his feet. A sound is a different story. I've spent more time than I care to chasing sounds, water leaks and wind noises in vehicles as a technician. But you are correct..check everything over, it can be deceptive.

Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:54 am

while driving shut the car off (make it real nice and quite) and do your turn... may help where to point the finger.

Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:25 am

Have you checked the front wheel bearing assembly? It may need to be tightened.

Mine walked loose after I bought the car. I did not let it go two weeks though.

Now after I fill up on gas I walk around the car kicking each tire. If I feel something wrong I check the lug nuts, etc. It takes less than a minute to do and you have to go around the car anyway....

Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:36 am

[quote="Mark33563"]Have you checked the front wheel bearing assembly? It may need to be tightened.

Mine walked loose after I bought the car. I did not let it go two weeks though.

You assume incorrectly that this is a daily driver or even a regular weekend driver :) The car has set while in this condition (except for the test drive after the ball joint replacement of course) Gotta squeeze some time from the wife and kids to get in the garage to finish this thing up ;)

Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:42 pm

sneed21 wrote: ....You assume incorrectly that this is a daily driver or even a regular weekend driver....

No, just relaying that maybe a PO did not take the care to make sure everything is up to snuff OR that parts wiggle free after time.

You might have made an adjustment and forgot to tighten the allen head. It happens to the best of us. THere is a story on the forum where someone forgot to tighten their lug nuts and almost lost a wheel. Sometimes we are 'called away' from a task before we are finished, then forget where we left off when we get back to it.

With that in mind, did you check the front spindle nut?