Bad roulette wheel clicking noise

Tiny
SANDSTORM58
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  • 1998 DODGE CARAVAN
  • 3.3L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 360,000 MILES
The van listed above is a Sport model.

After replacing basically, the entire front-end drivetrain like drive axles, wheel hubs/bearings, rotors and brake pads I still have a severe roulette wheel clicking sound coming specifically from the driver side. It begins immediately upon moving forward or reverse and during turns (sharp left only at this point during drive up our street), increases when speed increases. Like I mentioned everything is new, not rebuilt. It has a vibration but I somewhat attribute that to it needing an alignment, tires are all brand new so no separation problems. Transaxle isn't original to car, replaced with used one after a mechanic put Dexron III in instead of ATF+4 destroying the inside of the transaxle. Transaxle has just over 200,000 miles and no problem that I can see after changing seals, gaskets, sensors just before installing it at a shop. What is causing this irritation? Could it be a transaxle problem after all? The only thing I haven't messed with is the power steering rack and steering system, tie rods look okay from what I could see.

What am I missing here? No, not junking this car after thousands of dollars refurbishing it with its original engine never being rebuilt.
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022 AT 11:50 AM

13 Replies

Tiny
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This could be a number of things so we should start with putting the front end on jack stands and then operate the drive wheels to see if it clicks with no weight on it.

If it does, then we can figure out what the issues could be by laying on the ground next to the wheel and pinpoint where the noise is coming from.

Here is a guide that will help with lifting the vehicle:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/jack-up-and-lift-your-car-safely

Clearly the most common cause of a click while turning is a half shaft and here is a guide that talks about this and will give some more ideas:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/clicking-sound

So, let's put it on jack stands and see if we can get the noise to happen. If not, then the noise is only from something that is affected by the weight of the vehicle which would be like a wheel bearing but let's get there after we confirm this.
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Thursday, February 24th, 2022 AT 8:11 AM
Tiny
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I have a shop nearby with a lift so I will try to get access to it soon. Like I mentioned I've replaced all those items you mentioned with brand new OEM parts.
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Thursday, February 24th, 2022 AT 10:00 AM
Tiny
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Understood. Which is why we need to get it on a lift and rotate the wheel before we replace any other parts because the common ones have already been replaced.

Let us know what happens and we can go from there. Thanks
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Thursday, February 24th, 2022 AT 4:54 PM
Tiny
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Okay, no noise off the ground. But! Forgot about an incident back in November 2020 when on my way to Utah I got pinned into the fast lane by a rig which forced me into hitting a chunk of metal at high speed which tore my CV boot out and damaged the end plate of my transaxle. AMACO checked my transaxle and said I was missing a small piece of the block, but it wasn't cracked, only leaking at the gasket on the end cover which I fixed. Made the big mistake of taking it to Pep Boys for a checkup underneath, put the new CV axle in (couldn't remove the inner connect shaft so they did it) and realign the front end. When doing all this work I noticed those idiots never put the hub washer and wave washer back on, so it ran over a year not locked in place correctly. I also came to a realization they probably never checked the lower control arm and bushings so in all possibility the lower control arm bushings and ball joint are shot or about to go and the strut stabilizer rods need changing. Logically the LCA and stabilizer rod are weight bearing issues if I'm correct. I'll order a new one of both first thing tomorrow morning.
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Monday, February 28th, 2022 AT 11:40 AM
Tiny
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You nailed it. If this does not make noise on jacks, then it is a sprung weight issue.

So, your plan sounds great.

Please let us know how it turns out. Thanks
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+1
Monday, February 28th, 2022 AT 1:54 PM
Tiny
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Problem still there. Only goes away on hard right and left turning like turning around in a cul-de-sac. The only suspension item that hasn't been changed is the strut itself. Strut has only been on since 2019 but when changing the sway bar stabilizer, I noticed the stabilizer was bent slightly and the upper capping of the strut was out of place coming down the rod. I'm having to spend money on a strut but it's the last of the weight bearing suspension parts needing replaced. One last thing, while I had the cradle plate down, I must have removed 5 pounds of sludge and rocks just in case it was something getting knocked around between the cradle and the plate as well as looking for oil coming from the strut which I've experienced after an accident which made some really weird noises as it was going out.
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Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 AT 8:32 PM
Tiny
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Okay. I am going to say that at this point if it is a repetitive clicking only when the vehicle is moving in tight turns that this is going to be inside the differential and not the strut.

If it were a single pop, then I would think a strut could cause this, but a repetitive clicking is something that is turning or related to this like what you replaced prior. So, I suspect it is one of the splined axles where they go into the differential at this point.

Is it possible to turn sharp and drive in circles around someone shooting a video to try and capture the noise? Does the noise follow your speed? Meaning when you go faster in the turn it gets faster?
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Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 AT 4:12 AM
Tiny
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Will do all that once the weather clears, expecting snow. To clear all this up a bit the roulette sound is only when moving forward or reverse. The sounds are gone when making sharp left or right turns. On test drive I ran up the road to the cul-de-sac making sharp turns in both directions, no noises. Straighten out it returns. As soon as I can i'll attempt to get this on video.
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Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 AT 5:36 AM
Tiny
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Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. It doesn't change much at this point because if everything you have done but it is important to know if it while driving straight and not turning when it makes the noise.

However, this means it is still in something that is rotating but changes when you enter into a turn. This would point again to the differential.

I would have suspected a wheel bearing but clearly that has been covered which leaves an internal diff issue.

Thanks again for the update.
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Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 AT 7:40 AM
Tiny
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Video will show you it's still doing it and also in turns. Had to pop speed limit but got up to 35 MPH just for an idea of rotation change in the sound. By the way, just removed the strut and sway bar stabilizer and found problems. Both top and bottom bearing bolts were seized so had to cut the bottom one off in order to remove the strut. Both were loose in movement even with grease in them, meaning shifting when moved up and down. Replacing it with new one while doing the strut which was showing lubricant coming out of the top where the spring is. Whole assembly being replaced. Here's the link to the video that wouldn't go on here: https://youtu.be/x9s-elxXHh0
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Monday, March 14th, 2022 AT 2:08 PM
Tiny
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I am sorry. We should have started with the video because that is not at all what I expected it. That is not really a clicking noise, that is a thumping. It is not a big difference in words but in the auto world it is pretty significant.

I also notice that it appears to be jerking or vibrating with the thumping.

So basically, what you found is surely going to be the issue. That appears as though the whole strut assembly is thumping around in its cavity.

Let us know how it is after you get that replaced. Thanks
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Monday, March 14th, 2022 AT 2:36 PM
Tiny
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Well, apparently, it's not because I still have that same issue. NEW- Strut, Sway Bar Stabilizer, Wheel Hub and Bearing, Lower Control Arm, Tires, CV Half Shaft. Let me add a more detailed description of this thumping. You have a tire blow out and the belt shreds slapping into the wheel well, this is the thumping sound. No "vibration" as per say but when it thumps you can feel it more like that blown tire beating the fender apart. You don't need to even leave the drive to test it as it's coming in reverse too. I might add I had noise on the passenger side in the beginning, but it got resolved by replacing a CV Half Shaft and a defective wheel hub and bearing assembly then the driver side came into play then I changed the CV Half Shaft on that side right away. Also, I was looking to my rebuild guide for this 41TE transaxle and it doesn't seem logical that differential would be the problem (see photo) since the half shaft splines go deep into that gear in the differential. I called the AMACO mechanic in Utah. I saw when the transaxle was damaged (the end gear area) and he said it's highly unlikely the differential is the problem since no thumping when operated off the ground. His explanation was that had it be the differential there'd be radical noise coming from both sides of the car not just the driver's side. Missing something here.
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2022 AT 12:06 PM
Tiny
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I am truly surprised. However, with this info, something we didn't think of is that since it doesn't do it off the ground, have you swapped the tires front to rear and see if moves to the rear?

I understand that the tire is not flat but if you have a broken belt in the tire then it can cause a thumping noise. I know you said the tires are new but was this an issue prior to replacing the tires or did it start afterwards? If the tires have been replaced since this issue started, then clearly it is not them. However, even new tires could fail so if it started after the tires are replaced, it is worth rotating them to eliminate it.

If that is not it, then we truly are missing this and with this noise that obviously is hard to believe we can't figure it out.

The only other thing I would think is a control arm that is allowing the tire to move around when it is spinning but I thought you replaced them.
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2022 AT 6:37 PM

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