Hey everyone!!
My Aveo is a T250 '08 A/T (I think is korean version, I'm from Venezuela).
Now my problem: I'll try to tell when the front end suspension sounds, because there are different sounds that have me clueless:
1) When driving at speed (let's say, 80kmh or 50mph) and turning, if hit a pothole (trillions of them in Caracas), there is a strong clacking sound in the front end, is like there are some bolts loosen or something. We though it was the steering wheel column (you can feel it in your hands), but now after a better look (or hear) and check everything under the dash, it looks like the culprit is the rack and pinion. That sound has always been in the car since we had it 3 years ago (yes I know... it shouldn't be there), but lately is getting louder.
2) There is this strange cracking sound in the front end too, is like the suspension has osteoporosis or something every time you turn the wheel (no matter what direction) or every time ANYTHING in the suspension moves up or down at slow speeds. When the car is cold, there is no sound... but when it gets hot and you are driving at slow speed (traffic, a lot of it in here too) the cracking sound gets REALLY noisy. Funny thing: if you (luckily) get out of traffic and drive a couple of km/miles at more speed, when you stop or start driving slow again the cracking sound stops... for a few minutes, then come back to haunt us (when driving at medium/high speed it dissapear too). The difference in here with nr 1 is that you can feel nothing in the wheel everytime the damm sound comes back, and when sound is on it do it everytime anything moves, and nr 1 only happens when turning and hitting a pothole at the same time.
3) And this one is new: so we lifted one side of the car, put the tire out, and start checking it out. When you move the steering wheel from side to side (car lifted, engine off) there's a "clack-clack" sound in the rack where the steering column connects. We were like "...the f... this too?!"... put everything back and "another day". I put this in another point and not nr 1 because that is been part of the car, and this one is new (I usually check for sounds in the car).
Car drive greats, no problems there. Brakes in straight line, don't pull to a side, no rust, no leaks, I always take care of my car, inner/outer rods and control arm is <10000miles, struts w/ bushing and bearings like <20000miles, tires <6000miles... did I mention Caracas has a LOOOT of potholes and bad roads, so it eat suspension parts for breakfast?
I'd like to record this sounds... but is almost impossible haha! Any ideas? I'm checking my car again this or the next weekend.
Sorry for the long post, here's a 1.6L 16V potato