Hey guys. I have a 94 protege dx that my dad gave to me. It has about 158k miles on it and still running pretty good. Just recently today, when I was driving home I thought I heard something so I turned off the radio and heard the front right wheel making some noises. It's very weird......

When I am usually in either 2nd or 3rd gear underneath the car it makes some noises, rattles and is very scarry actuaully. It sounds like the car is gonna fall apart below me...

Now, when I hit a bump, the right front tire makes a knocking noise and doesn't take the bump well. It's like the shocks are screwed up too.

Anyone know whats the reason? I'm guessing I'm gonna have to go to someplace and get it looked at.

Also, as you can probably tell I don't know much about cars and I really need this car to work.

Any help would be very appreciated! Thanks guys and gals!

 

i had the same noises but from the left side. i had a mechanic look at it and he said i needed new swaybar links. i'm getting them fixed tonite or tomorrow morning so i'll let you know if that solves the problem.

 

I'm having the same problem too. I know both of my CV Joints are shot tho, but after i installed my coilovers and struts, there's been a kinda like popping/creaking noise comeing from the front left. Don't know what its from, it even makes the noise when i'm parked and push down on the front left side. I asked a shop here in town and they said that the coilovers weren't lined up properly (they didn't look at 'em) so i jacked it up and sure enough everything was fine. SO....................no idea what the other problem is besides the CV joints.

 

Describe the noise if you can.........

In the meantime check out these threads:

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...ht=noise+joint

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...ht=noise+joint

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...ht=noise+joint

 

well i got my swaybar links replaced today. no more creaking or noises at all. i don't know if this is the problem for all of you, but it sure helped out my car.

 

I think I've narrowed my creaking noise down to one of the 2 lower motor mounts. I'll know in a couple weeks after I get them replaced.

 

My noises like that happend right before my axle snapped. Does it do it while you're going straight, or while you're accelarting out of a turn, or what?

 

Mine do it only when turning, or going over bumps(like speed bumps or pulling in/out of driveways.

 

that's the same thing mine did too and it was just the swaybar links. do you notice it at higher speeds? i only noticed the noises from crawling to about 15-20mph.

 

my sway bar links just gave out less than 1,000 miles ago, and i'll tell you what, it makes a really BAD clunking sound after hitting bumps, sometimes when you accelerate, and especially when you brake and can sometimes be associated with the sound of something clanking around in your wheel well. leaving the linkage (basically a bolt) loose or leaving it out completely can be dangerous, cause after a while of your sway bar knocking around, you can cause some other damage i've been told, something like your lower control arm on your front wheel...etc. i just got my linkage replaced and drove it no more than 100 miles while it was broken with no problems for about $63 bucks. another over looked creaking or clanking sound can be caused by a bad caliper as well, but ONLY happens during braking. hope this helps you out JJcoola
peace

 

i can deffinatly tell you its the Stabilizer bushings. both my bolts broke a week apart. Cheapest place to get them is in Autozone or Advanced auto. $14.99 for both sides. Energy Suspension brand too. Each side comes with the bushings, bolts the odd " I " shaped piece and hardware. all u need is a 10mm socket wrench and some spare time. Its easier to install them with the car on the ground. DONT jack it up. bolts are not that long. look at them and see what you figure out. thats my knowledge.

IT could also be the struts...highly doubt it. to test that out, while car is parked push up and down on the front then rear bumper. Clicking noises? the car should move up and down 1 or 2x then stop. and should be stiff. if they are soft. then they are wearing out on you. or pretty much shot.


my $.02

 

I think i'm gonna try the swaybar linkage then. I know its not the struts i replaced them no more than 2 months ago when i installed my coilovers. Thanks alot guys appreciate it.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I have it set up to email me when a new post comes, although it didn't for some reason, thats why I'm late to post.

Ok, well I went to a local guy who did my brakes and he put the car up on the machine and got the car about 6 feet in the air and we looked underneath. Turns out the front stabilizer bar got screwed up and both sides where the stabilizer bar connects to the axle I think(?) disconnected. So when I turned, where it was disconnected, it would rub up against the stabilizer bar and scrap. There was some pretty brutal marks on the bar and that was only from one day of hearing it slightly and then another day of loud-very loud noises!

So, they cut out the old bar and put in a new one and had to get two new connections.

Total Cost with labor: $115 That is a lot for me since I'm 17, I do work, although I play paintball and have 13 guns.

Do you guys understand my newb dumass words?

Thanks guys for whatever that mumbo jumbo technical stuff you posted....

 

this is why i love working at a dealership. i got the swaybar link kits for both sides, $19.51 total. and i did the work myself, with the help of one of the techs, so that saves me a bundle too. ahhh, yes, plus last nite we got to go to the minnesota wild game against detroit. and the wild won, 4-0. but we had the executive suite, that was pimp. just another perk of working at a dealership. if anyone wants a good job, with awesome perks, work at a dealership.

 

More than likely ball joints, run u about 140 each... im gettin that now on my pass. side, after about 3 months ago, i got driver side fixed....