Hi all,

So I have an '08 G35x with about 107k on it. I had been hearing an odd clunking noise whenever I would get on the gas from a stop, or when I would get off the gas and then get back on when I was cruising at freeway speeds. The shop diagnosed this issue as a worn out front right CV axle, and replaced it. This made sense, and I noticed the car had less slack in the time between when I would hit the gas, and when the car would start to go. The loud clunk also stopped.

However: I replaced my front sway bar end links and bushings probably a month ago, prior to the CV axle replacement. Initially, I could not find the torque specs for the brackets that hold the bushings so I just torqued the hell out of them. Turns out I torqued them about twice the required amount so I loosened them up after a couple weeks. I started noticing the slight popping noise soon after I installed them.

What I'm getting to is this: I'm still hearing a popping sound from the front end, even after the CV axle replacement. I can make it reoccur every time when I'm cruising at speed and get off the gas completely and then get back on it hard. It's noticeably more quiet and a lot more subtle but still noticeable. My thoughts are that I might have killed the new end links or bushings by tightening them too much and now they are messed up and making noise, but I also wonder if the shop messed up the CV axle install. It's just annoying the hell out of me that I can't figure this out and it's kinda stressing me out because I'm (admittedly) way too **** about my car. Does anybody have any thoughts? I apologize for the long winded post. I went ahead and ordered the OEM sway bar end links and bushings in the meantime just because I'd rather have OEM parts on my car (not sure what I was thinking when I ordered 3rd party ones.)

Anyways, thank you in advance for any help you might offer!

 

What about lower control arm bushings? Not uncommon to be an issue.

 

I know the front right lower control arm/ball joint was actually replaced at 93,000 miles due to the previous owner hitting a really nasty pothole. I wonder if it is maybe the upper then. I'd love to take it into a shop for a full inspection but I'm just so damn broke due to being in college.

 

Ok so it turns out the shop goofed big time and they did not actually replace my CV axle. There was some communication error, they are comping me back a big chunk of the cost, so that's THAT problem. I did also notice that the bushing where the strut bolts to the lower control arm was pretty worn out on the driver's side LCA so that could also be a source of the noise. We'll see what still makes noise after the CV axle is actually replaced!