For over a year, a knock from the right front end is driving me and everyone else crazy. My 2006 has about 105,000 miles on it. Withing the last 12 months, I have replaced both front brakes and rotors, both strut assemblies, sway bar links, motor and trans mounts, lower control arms, and right front axle. All needed to be changed, but none stopped the noise. It only happens when I hit bumps or uneven road surface. Steering and tirewear normal. I have had six (6) different mechanics test drive the car with me, then put it on a lift and none could find the problem. It sometimes goes away, but only briefly. It actually sounds like a bad LCA,. I checked the sticky thread on front end noises. I saw frame bushing listed there. Could that be it? OPr the sway bar bushing (but that looks fine).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

 

You didn't mention sway bar bushings. I know they were the issue with my 'bump' noises

 

Loose bumper cover, broken air cleaner bracket, loose hub caps, screwdriver dropped below the radiator, loose fender liners, loose plastic bits under the radiator.

 

My last front end noise was one of the strut mount bolts was broken!

 

x2
+ front shock absorber bearings

 

I rebuilt the whole front end on my 2007.The last thing I changed were the sway bar bushings.And yes they were making the thump.

 

Yup, I don’t see swaybar bushings in your list of replaced parts. Now you have an ‘06 so the sway bar should be a 23 mm diameter, possibly they were replaced with 25 mm bushings? Or Energy Suspension 1” bushings , both are to big and both cause a noise. I see in the RockAuto site the Dorman bushings are from a certain VIN number , so double check the vin or measure the bar

 

The front cradle to frame bolts and lower control arm bolt. Check to see if they are tight

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas. Is there a way to check the sway bar bushings? If they are bad, will the sway bar move, either weighted or unweighted? And would it cause a knock when the car is on the ground and you rotate the right front tire forwards and backwards? No noise on the left side, but a clunk on the right side as I rock the tire.

Thanks again.

 

So it knocks just by turning the steering wheel? Even if the car isn't moving? Maybe the sway bar end links are the ones that are too long?