Gluk: LCA Bush Revisited

I almost thought the issue with the gluk was over until they jacked up my car during an oil change last weekend. To my surprise, I found the large lower arm bush cracked even worse than before. Got me thinking, what the heck was wrong. 

Check out those cracks... its worse when its on the car.

Something doesn't feel right and I started to suspect something was a miss with the previous LCA bush replacement earlier. Acting on a hunch i decided to replace both the arms. Bought the replacements for left and right @RM600 each. Now that really cost an arm (no pun intended hehe)

Notice anything yet?

Looking at the new arms.. I immediately suspected something when I first saw the orientation of the connecting piece to the body. The bushes has orientation marks on them!! Now I just need to confirm the suspision when I have the LCA arms on the X removed.

True enough to my suspicion. The previous LCA bush installation did not follow the orientation markers. Arrgh!! Damn the Chang Soon foreman and their pressing workshop !! So a word of advice to all that plans to replace their LCA bushes to save money. Please check the bush press to make sure the orientation markers are correct. Else you'd be screwed to replace them again.

The replacement job was done at Kedai Tayar and Bateri Relau (Bridgestone). Charged me RM20 for replacing the arms.

Total damage RM1200 + RM40 for labour + RM24 to realign the wheels.

Driving around, the steering definitely feels more "stiff" and the road harshness don't feel that hard anymore.

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Replacement: Rod-Stabilizer / Rod A-Connecting

The latest attempt to resolve the Gluk. Today's hangout place after lunch is a big Bridgestone tyre shop in Relau. Can't miss it.

This is the original left absorber link after being removed

Drove into the shop and gave them an overview on the gluk. The foreman took the car for a test drive then came back and had his helpers removed the left front wheel. After that he had what he termed the absorber link removed. Reattached the wheel and tested the car again. Claims the sound was no more. I took a go at it and yes its true enough the gluk disappeared without the absorber link.

The new replacement unit

Same part but different part number and description

Rod-Stabilizer or Rod A-Connecting ? Should I be worried?

Left Side

Right Side

Replacement cost me RM135 x 2 = RM270 in total.

Drove away skeptical whether was it really fixed. I still think its there but then again, today I have a blocked nose and slight fever so I could be hearing things. The usual 1 week adjustment period test will be applied.

Praying hard this will solve the problem...

Gluk currently leads by 3-0

It is sad to say, all the repairs to date has yet to resolve this problem. I could feel that it much less obvious now thanks to the  new engine mounts but the gluk gluk gluk sound is still there.

The latest thing i notice is that the alignment is slightly off. :-?

Just had the alignment done right before getting the engine mounts changed. A surprising turn of events was I got a call from TC. They called to check if the car was ok.. I told them the problem was still there and they offered to have me bring the car in for further diagnosis. 

??!!??!?? 

Why so helpful all of a sudden? They almost refuse to entertain me earlier, I had to ask the right questions and be in the workshop to check on the things myself when the car was sent in for other jobs.... hmmmm.....

Anyway back to the problem at hand. Here are some new observations. As bumps are a plenty in the office, i realised these :-

1. Taking bumps head on fast or slow does not yield that gluk sound
2. Taking on bumps slowly while turning will yield the sound. (This is when one tyre moves up first then followed by the tyre from the other side.

I think I'm closer to solving this. Just hope the parts that I replaced recently don't get damage again with problem at hand.

The Gluk-Gluk Strikes Back !!

Damn ! The Gluk-Gluk is still there. What on earth is causing it??!!?!??!!! Arrrgh!!!

I was at Queensbay Mall for lunch. Parked the car at the open air carpark. The place was filled with pot holes and bumps. Totally uneven terrain. Was driving  S L O W L Y to navigate the best path out and then it happened. Gluk... Gluk.... Gluk.... when i passed moved over bumps and potholes that made the car ride up one side after another... 

My observation so far :-

1. No more gluk gluk sound when driving on tar road or in the apartment compound (maybe its unnoticable?)
2. Gluk sound damn obvious when driving in VERY uneven terrain
3. The vehicle feels more responsive. Less idle time between throttling and the car doing something (maybe its just my butt?)
4. Fuel gauge seems to be moving slower than before (but that could be the weather and the highway travels...hmm..)

What else could be broken?

1. Links?
2. Stabilizer bar?
3. Connecting Rods?
4. Ball Joint?

I am lost at this point. Need to go back and do more research and a better mechanic to help me diagnose this. 

Out comes the old engine mountings

Finally got the my X-trail back at 2pm. The car spent 1.5 days at Tan Chong. It was ready in the car park but no one called me >_< . Luckily I decided to stop over after lunch. Caught them unprepared. Documents were not ready. 

They included 2 "missing" clips for my air filter intake which so happen to be secured properly by cable tie when I sent the car in. They wanted to charge me RM4.50 for each of those clip when I already had a bag of those under the arm rest. I had them take it out and replaced it with my own on the spot. =P

Anyway back to the mountings and all the gluk gluk sound...

Here are the old ones. There are some serious cracks in each one of them. Luckily I purchased and had all four of the mountings replaced. I've marked the fault areas on the mounts. Please click on the  image for a better view of the mounting faults.

Rear mounting - Visible cracks.

Front mounting - Slight crack and material fatigue.

Left hand mounting - Visible cracks. 

Right hand mounting - Small cracks are starting to appear.

I am seriously wondering where on earth did the previous owner drag the X-trail through. This is a 2003 model. Its only been like 5 years. Maybe it was 5 years of neglect?

Anyway back to the topic of gluk.. Will this solve that annoying gluk-gluk sound thats been bothering me? I still can't tell through the preliminary tests. I'll probably conclude it after a week or so after the brain overcomes the euphoric phase of replacing a new part in the X-trail.

Fingers crossed everyone !!