I recently started noticing a popping noise at slow speeds on my '05 Cobalt. I just replaced the struts and checked everything on the suspension, and it all looks tight. However, I noticed a crack down the middle of each steering knuckle where the steering knuckle connects to the ball joint. It's such a perfect crack down the middle of each of them, I'm wondering if maybe it's not broken and is supposed to be like that. If the steering knuckle needs to be replaced, does anyone have any suggestions? I haven't been able to find much information about it online and can't find the actual steering knuckle for sale anywhere. Any help would be much appreciated. I am a total novice when it comes to car repairs. I've attached a photo. It looks like that on both sides.
Cracked Steering Knuckle
- Thread starter kcmolisa
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Bass_Waves
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Seems OEM but I'll try to take a look at mines. Check your control arm bushings on the passenger side. They tend to go. Mines pops but I don't mind it. PRD Control arm bushings are for me. Only 200$ the bad part
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ivaylonikolov
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those are not broken ,the bolt on the side hold the ball joint tightly into the wheel hub.check ur cv axles ,they will make clicking noise if they are going bad .steering shaft might be bad as well or inner/outer tie rod ends
Bass_Waves
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Most likely he will need control arm bushings
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Yeah, I kind of figured it was supposed to have that crack after both sides looked exactly the same. Thanks for the responses! I've come to the same conclusion as you guys that it's either the control arm bushings or the half shaft. The tie rods seem fine and I can't get any wiggle out of anything. It makes more of a popping sound, not the clicking sound that I thought CV axles made when they were going bad. I'm going to replace the control arms on both sides next weekend and see if that fixes it. I have 150,000 miles on it and I live on a gravel road, so I knew I would need to do some suspension work at some point.
Is it while going straight or with the wheels turned to the lock?
From your description it sounds like CV joints to me. You'll hear them usually while turning. The cabs are usually on bumpy roads.
From your description it sounds like CV joints to me. You'll hear them usually while turning. The cabs are usually on bumpy roads.
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