Hi,

over the last 500 km, a new and disquietening sound can be sometimes heard whilst driving my bravo. It sounds like some hammer going at some metal part, synchronous with wheel revolutions. The sound only appears while driving without any load on the front wheels (except the car's weight) on a straight road, that is taking the weight of the accelerator. Doesn't matter which gear. The sound has gotten continously louder over time.

The sound disappears when I
- hit the gas pedal slightly harder making the motor pull the car
- completely getting of the accelerator making the motor brake the car
- decerlating the car using the foot brake (but braking via the hand brake has no effect)
- turn the car to the left or the right

The sound only appears when driving a completely straight bit of road, the foot so much of the pedal that the motor does neither pull nor brake - any smallish load on the front wheels makes the sound immediately go away. There is one hammering sound for each revolution of the (probably front) wheels.

What could this be?
I did not notice any problem with driving itself - the car feels as much in contact with the road as before.

I have not yet looked at the car from below.

Thx,
Zardo

I had a simmilar problem while with another car and it turn out that the head pipe and the exhaust manufold had slacken due to the nuts backing off.
What was simmular was the noise had gotten louder after awhile and it was really loud especially after I had came off the accelerator and I really hated that sound.
Dont know if yours is the same but it wont hurt to check the joint where the manufold connects ot the headpipe.

bajeknight said:

I had a simmilar problem while with another car and it turn out that the head pipe and the exhaust manufold had slacken due to the nuts backing off.
What was simmular was the noise had gotten louder after awhile and it was really loud especially after I had came off the accelerator and I really hated that sound.
Dont know if yours is the same but it wont hurt to check the joint where the manufold connects ot the headpipe.

Click to expand...

Hi Bajeknight,
I think I had your problem once upon a time too ;-))
Yes but the sound at the time was very different - it did not depend on velocity or on wheel revolutions (but it depended on the gear and was synchronous with motor revolutions) and the sound was higher in frequency. I got it fixed by tightening the exhaust nuts.

I think my problem now is different, it sounds as if the left front wheel somehow comes loose - one bang with each wheel revolution. Somehow the sounds depends on steering, too. I even tried accelerating to some speed and then shifting gears to neutral, switching the motor off for a short period by turning the key (it was a straigth road) - the hammering sound remains. Could it be the differential?

Twice before the protection of the wheel axle was bitten off by some animal, and at the time I had to change the driving shaft (hope this is the correct word for it) because lubrication powder went out and the bearing facing the wheel got completly eaten away in no time. But there was a big difference: the car would not go very fast anymore without terribly shaking the steering wheel. This is not the case now, the car still goes fast without probs... steering wheel is not affected... the problem mainly appears at speeds under 100 km/h, the hammering sound gets louder every time. I'm trying not to use the car...

Did anybody have a similar prob?

thx
Zardo

I cant help you there Zardo.
I though the loud sound would be comming from the exhaust manufold but I was wrong.
If it was me (I am not a professional) I would investigate some more, I figure something might be loose or it might be the wheel bearing.
It would be nice to talk to a mechanic if you know one or wait for someone else reply.

jack the front up, spin each wheel while listening for any catching or roughness, then check for play and the condition of everything with a rubber bush (track rod, wishbone, antiroll bar drop link) and check the wheel bolts are tight.

MY sons Bravo had a similar sounding problem turned out to be the bottom ball joint on the lower suspension arm . Both sides were shot .