Sway bar links/bushing?

[dom]

1994 Saturn SCII

When starting out I hear a clunking noise in the front passenger side downstairs.

Sounds like something loose and it goes away after about 10mph.

No other symptoms to mention.

[grouch]

1994 Saturn SCII

When starting out I hear a clunking noise in the front passenger side downstairs.

Sounds like something loose and it goes away after about 10mph.

No other symptoms to mention.

At slow speed, move your steering wheel back and forth a bit. Dos this cause the thump? This could be a tie rod end or a sway bar end link. If it's only when you're moving and makes no difference if you are moving the steering or not, it may be a loose or worn strut. If you hear a creaking though at low speed, check your lug nuts.

[MikeHalloran]

Visually inspect the swaybar pivot bushings. Sometimes engine oil rots them away completely, so there's no bushing to inspect; the bar just hammers on the retainers and the frame.

If the link bushings are gone, a whole new link assembly is pretty cheap.
You probably don't want the brightly colored urethane link bushings; the standard OEM crap is just fine.

[dom]

Thanks guys, hopefully I can get it up in the air tomorrow morning.

Steering does not affect it.

Pretty sure we're talking a bushing, or a strut.

[dom]

Update:

Aight, so I got up early and went to my buddy's shop before work today.

Nothing like hitting the shop up in the morning with your big boy pants and shirt on trying to avoid getting dirty.

My buddy is pretty cool to always let me have free rein on his shop, so I can't complain too much.

Got the car up in the air, shook down the wheels, and everything is tie-tie-tight. Just the way me likes. Then I spun the wheels a bit and went back and forth. Doh, the freaking mounts are fried. The engine and trans-axle has a bit of play.

Going to order the jankz this week, and have my buddy's mechanics do it. -maybe