Really weird front end clunk (was embarrasing 4k sway bar Q)

[Larry C Leung]

COuld this be similar to the VW '84 - '87 GTi, GLi pinion gear eats the
tranny case problem (yes, I know the actual gearbox has absolutely no
relation, but the pinion gear assembly may be very similar....). Check
the gear oil for aluminum particles, caused when the final drive pinion
starts machining the final drive. If there are any, the gearbox is
essentially toast, as there is no way to repair all of the pits caused in
all of the shaft and gear faces. Hope this isn't it! (ask me how I
know.....)

LL - NY

On Tue, 03 Apr 2001 19:07:49 -0400 Dwight & Tina Varnes
<mxbreed at lancnews.infi.net> writes:
>Continuing with the diagnosis, I've determined my problem is NOT the
>sway bar mounting. It only hits the strut bottoms when the car is 
>topped
>out, i.e. up on jack stands. Plenty of clearance on the ground.
>
>Symptoms (and read them all and think first; it's not the obvious
>answer):
>1) Thunk or pop during hard left turns, like parking
>2) Steering wheel straight, then will 'pop' and be off center while
>going straight   (after a turn, usually a left). Tracks basically ok
>with only a slight pull off center. Squirrely, unpredictable 
>cornering
>during left turns.
>3) With the wheel turned hard left and pushing the car slowly, I can 
>see
>the RF wheel 'pop' along with the thunk sound.
>4) This is the good one...reverse is intermittently a problem. 
>Depending
>on the position of whatever is causing the problem, reverse will work
>either perfectly or pop out of gear every time and be impossible to 
>hold
>in!
>The problem is concentrated on the right side. It appears (but may 
>not
>be) it is related to the hub/axle/bearing/transmission more than the
>steering or strut action.
>This all started very suddenly after driving carefully on a gravel 
>road.
>Nothing was impacted.
>Tie rods ok, steering rack firmly mounted and ok. No noise from wheel
>bearing or cv joints. All bushings are new or reasonably new. Ball
>joints, A-arms, subframe mounts, etc. all appear fine and are not
>moving.
>This is baffling to say the least. My only ideas are:
>1) wheel bearing (should make noise, or have made noise previously)
>2) CV joint or axle (where is the clicking sound?)
>3) transmission (worked fine before, and why would it be related to 
>the
>wheel angle?)
>4) ???
>Ludicrous suggestions welcomed.
>
>Dwight Varnes
>86 Coupe GT
>