Mk4 gli front end clunck noise

[vwnathan]

When I'm backing up and have the wheel turned to the right I get this loud clunck noise from the front end. New struts, bearings, and mounts up front. Cv joints are fine and all bolts are snug. What else could it be? Could it be the dogbone mount? Is that hard to swap out? It's a 1.8 gli with a 6 speed. I'm stumped!!

[Flyin18T]

You might have broken a motor mount bolt. Be careful and have it looked at asap.

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[GTIVRon]

Dogbone replacement is easy to do, 3 sockets, a ratchet, and 12-18" prybar is all you need. Could take half an hour if it's your first time, 10 minutes or less 2nd time.. That is unless you broke a bolt or cracked the trans housing.

[vwnathan]

Okay so finally got to checking things out. Its not any motor mount bolts. I rule out strut bearings because it did it still right after I replaced them!!! The only other thing I haven't done is the dogbone mount. I have another one with a urethane insert in it. I'll give that a try and see what happens.

[twin2626]

My ball joints were rattling. Just replaced both front and the clunk over bumps is gone.

[vwnathan]

Okay. So today finally got around to doing the ball joints. NOPE. Clunk is still there. No difference. I think I'll try the dogbone mount next. It's a gli and the bottom of that part of the subframe has bottomed out a few times from what it looks (damn speed bumps). Will update after the mount replacement.

[vwnathan]

Okay so far I have replaced struts, mounts, bearings. Front ball joints, tightened sub frame bolts (that were already tight). Tie rods are tight. Power steering fluid is up. Picked up a set of r32 control arm solid bushings, gonna try that next. Dogbone mount is a-okay. I can hear a clunk going over bumps coming from the rear. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong spot? Has bilstien sport struts in the rear. Maybe time to swap to oem? Maybe its the rear axle beam bushings? Motor mounts all seem tight. I'm beginning to become stomped. Maybe it's the steering rack itself??

[DC Jetta Guy]

If the clunk sound is coming from the rear, that sounds like a shock mount - specifically the shock-to-mount connection. Unbolt your shock mounts from the body and make sure the mounts are tight on the tops of the shocks. That's easy to do and rule out...