Suspension issues?

[Yadkin]

I'm back from a recent two week trip to New York. The roads were terrible up there: potholes everywhere. With the taxes they pay their roads should be as smooth as glass.

On the way home we drove through a snowstorm, saw trucks jackknifed- the whole deal. Then about 8 hours left to get home I started hearing a clunking noise. Sounded like the front end was loose or maybe a wheel bearing. I pulled into a gas station and felt all the wheels- nothing was hot. Grabbed the tires and checked for looseness- nothing. Pulled chucks of ice from the grill. The sounds were still there- ominus.

Yesterday I washed the car and took all the loose stuff out of the passenger compartment and my tools out of the spare tire well. Today we took a country drive to diagnose the noise. Nothing at all until the car warmed up, at least a half-hour into the drive. Then the clunking noise started again, and in my mind I'm planning a major suspension overhaul. Baby Doll started taking about trading the car in...

Tonight I was cleaning the hood. As I worked I heard the same rattle. So I cleaned up underneath and found this. It's a big hood, aluminum that expands when hot, with hard plastic pads to keep the sides aligned. All the salt and grit from New York roads and the snowstorm...

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

I'm back from a recent two week trip to New York. The roads were terrible up there: potholes everywhere. With the taxes they pay their roads should be as smooth as glass.

On the way home we drove through a snowstorm, saw trucks jackknifed- the whole deal. Then about 8 hours left to get home I started hearing a clunking noise. Sounded like the front end was loose or maybe a wheel bearing. I pulled into a gas station and felt all the wheels- nothing was hot. Grabbed the tires and checked for looseness- nothing. Pulled chucks of ice from the grill. The sounds were still there- ominus.

Yesterday I washed the car and took all the loose stuff out of the passenger compartment and my tools out of the spare tire well. Today we took a country drive to diagnose the noise. Nothing at all until the car warmed up, at least a half-hour into the drive. Then the clunking noise started again, and in my mind I'm planning a major suspension overhaul. Baby Doll started taking about trading the car in...

Tonight I was cleaning the hood. As I worked I heard the same rattle. So I cleaned up underneath and found this. It's a big hood, aluminum that expands when hot, with hard plastic pads to keep the sides aligned. All the salt and grit from New York roads and the snowstorm...

I'm always seeing posts here and elsewhere, complaining about horrible roads, gigantic potholes, etc. A lot of the posters are from down south, everywhere.

The roads around me, in Ontario County NY, at least, are great -- I haven't seen a pothole on paved roads in years, literally. (The dirt road I live on has them this time of year, but that is to be expected. The town will grade it usually early April).

Even with the freeze/thaw cycles, salt, etc. around here that they don't have down south the roads are fine. And the next county over, Livingston, the roads are also are nice.

You were over by Syracuse somewhere, right?

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Bruze

I'm always seeing posts here and elsewhere, complaining about horrible roads, gigantic potholes, etc. A lot of the posters are from down south, everywhere.

The roads around me, in Ontario County NY, at least, are great -- I haven't seen a pothole on paved roads in years, literally. (The dirt road I live on has them this time of year, but that is to be expected. The town will grade it usually early April).

Even with the freeze/thaw cycles, salt, etc. around here that they don't have down south the roads are fine. And the next county over, Livingston, the roads are also are nice.

You were over by Syracuse somewhere, right?

Downstate, at my MIL's, Rockland County on the Jersey border. The worst roads were on a day trip to Hunter Mountain. Middle of the week on I87 they had a lane closed off to fill potholes on a bridge. That whole bridge looked like it had been carpet bombed.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by Bruze

You were over by Syracuse somewhere, right?

I lived in Onondaga Co for 10 year, back in 1972.
Worst roads ever.

But seriously, I was there for 10 yeas (1971-73, 75-83).
Town of Clay, between Syracuse and Fulton/Oswego.
Snow belt region.
Roads were bad.

[Vandelay Industries]

You can't spell Porsche without POS.

[MadInNc]

Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries

You can't spell Porsche without POS.

Yaddy takes POS to NY

POS get salt and crap in hood gaps

Wife say trade car in

Story over

[dvarapala]

German car out of warranty? No wonder retired Yaddie has to design garages on the side.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Drop a Deuce

Yaddy knows about as much at fixing suspensions as brain surgery

I've rebuilt several junior. You?

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by MikeB

I lived in Onondaga Co for 10 year, back in 1972.
Worst roads ever.

But seriously, I was there for 10 yeas (1971-73, 75-83).
Town of Clay, between Syracuse and Fulton/Oswego.
Snow belt region.
Roads were bad.

I'm old now, but when I was young there were a lot of potholes but that was in or around Rochester. Maybe they still have them, don't know, haven't been there in several years.

But here in the rural counties the roads are fine.

And Yaddy was talking about an interstate. I was on I-390 (goes north to Rochester) last summer, and they were completely rebuilding about 15 miles of one lane. But the road is close to 40 years old so it probably needed it, although I don't remember it being bad previously.

[higgyburners]

In before the love of GTO

[Strats-N-Vettes]

So; the change in molecular structure from ambient temps caused the clunking noises that indicated it was a suspension problem....but wasnt?

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Strats-N-Vettes

So; the change in molecular structure from ambient temps caused the clunking noises that indicated it was a suspension problem....but wasnt?

The hood is a giant U- shape, and when it warms up the sides move away from the chassis slightly, causing a gap and thus a clunking noise. That's my theory anyway. My next drive with some kind of lube on the plastic parts will test this theory.

Back in the day cars with a similar shaped hood would have mechanical catches in these areas.

[Strats-N-Vettes]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

My next drive with some kind of lube on the plastic parts will test this theory.

That...or...temporarily tape a piece of old felt to see if the noise is totally eliminated.
Something similar to pool table felt.


Do you have a hypothesis as to why you've never heard the clunking before?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Ill Duce

Yaddy knows about as much at fixing suspensions as brain surgery

Attachment 76495

Originally Posted by Yadkin

I've rebuilt several junior. You?

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Strats-N-Vettes

That...or...temporarily tape a piece of old felt to see if the noise is totally eliminated.
Something similar to pool table felt.


Do you have a hypothesis as to why you've never heard the clunking before?

I think all the road grit rough-sanded the pieces together. So instead of sliding smoothly as the hood moves it locks up, then shifts abruptly.

[GTOguy]

* ominous
*talking
Baby Doll has a level head on her shoulders and gave you the solution to your problem. Listen to her. Trade your money pit in before it becomes yours for keeps.
You know, deep down, that she's right. Just like you know, deep down, that Porsche is NOT 'the best car in the world". You're smarter than that.

[Onebadcad]

My town has the best roads in THE USA, i write city hall weekly to ensure such.
The worst roads I have ever seen were in warwick, ri, and almost all roads in RI suck arse.
nj has pretty shitty roads, as does pa, in the northeast there is too much pol fraud, about 90% of tax dollars never get used for public projects, they cry broke and wait for fed monies to show up, once the fed monies show up they steal about 90% of them.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

* ominous
*talking
Baby Doll has a level head on her shoulders and gave you the solution to your problem. Listen to her. Trade your money pit in before it becomes yours for keeps.
You know, deep down, that she's right. Just like you know, deep down, that Porsche is NOT 'the best car in the world". You're smarter than that.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

* ominous
*talking
Baby Doll has a level head on her shoulders and gave you the solution to your problem. Listen to her. Trade your money pit in before it becomes yours for keeps.
You know, deep down, that she's right. Just like you know, deep down, that Porsche is NOT 'the best car in the world". You're smarter than that.

Baby Doll loves that car. I've been instructed to fix it before we take our next trip to Colorado.

Except for the electronics (same as any modern car), it is almost as easy to service as a tractor. If I was to trade it in, it would be for a 718 (not tractor-like at all).

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Baby Doll loves that car. I've been instructed to fix it before we take our next trip to Colorado.

Except for the electronics (same as any modern car), it is almost as easy to service as a tractor. If I was to trade it in, it would be for a 718 (not tractor-like at all).

Neighbor at my last home had a Cayman, I think a GT something?
Nice but not 100K nice. IMO