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Hyundai Azera Front End Problems

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Comments

  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    Try using an electric warming blanket (infant size) to keep your tools warm. Lay the warming blanket on a bench cover with some shop towels to keep the warmer kinda clean, put the tools on the towels. I found it worked quite well and I used mechanics gloves to fend off the cold. If you put one on your creeper it will keep it warm for four or five minutes. I really tried to avoid creeper work in the dead of winter, concrete is just to #&* cold to get that close to. This is kinda like european tire warmers. I've even seen some folks use heat lamps, I'm not big on those.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 302
    I can't quite figure it out. My garage is about 83 degrees.
    We need tool coolers in West Palm Beach.
    Bye now, back to the pool.
  • dborthdborth Member Posts: 474
    And FEMA during hurricane season.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE; 304
    Now you know how to hurt a guy.
    FEMA shows up in Miami and pays claims for snow removal.
    We don't worry about hurricanes. We can always live in our Azera.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    "We don't worry about hurricanes. We can always live in our Azera."

    Yes, since the Azera has a top speed of around 150 mph, just keep it pointed into the wind and it'll manage a Cat-5... :D
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    Well, I woke up at 01:00AM. since it only got down to 32 degrees, @ I decided to get up,take my Azera, do a 15000 mile oil and filter change, and check the struts. Since I got the car back from Suntrup, it seems as though only the Rr struts have been clunking. Suntrup readily admitted that it is an engineering problem that they are presently trying to find a fix for. ( That's english for "TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT OF). Most all of the bolts were fairly tight, but now they are all really tight. The only bolts that were ???able, were the front upper center strut nuts (under the hood)and the lower A frame ball joints, The Rr were all very tight, so I quess the next step is to put vanity licence plates on it that say "clunker). What else can I say??
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    Before I changed my oil, See post 307, I needed to warm the engine up good. I had it at 148mph, and no indication of any type of speed limiter. Next week end, I'M going all the way with it, and I'll post where it gives up at. (Watch the obitchuary). :P My wife's speed limiter, ON HER '96 Cutlass, comes in at 108mph( what a total "SLUG"). :cry:
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    Hyundai, I gotta admit that I have never been anxious to do the things you did at that hour of the morning. WOW!
    I am supposed to meet a Hyundai rep at Dean Team on the 26th but I dont expect much in the way of help.
    Do you have any idea of what Suntrup may have done when they had your car? It's encouraging to know that by doing SOMETHING, the problem is alleviated. If I dont get any satisfaction from the rep, maybe I'll call/visit Suntrup.
    BTW, where do you go to run your speed checks? Seems like around here, if I did that, the local gendarmes would find a short rope and a tall tree!
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    The only correction Suntrup said they made was to tighten the center nut on the top of the strut. To gain access, open your hood and you'll find a plastic cover above the strut mounting bolts with 2 10mm bolts holding the cover in place. remove bolts,lift cover, and vawella (missp). Suntrup tightened the nut on the Rt strut only, about 1/4 turn. Made an amazing differnce, but still had a very slight clunk. I went an add'l 1/2 turn, went to the Lt did a 1/2 turn, tightend the lower ball joints (after removing the cotter pin, and now the front is totally quiet. As far as my speed checks, There is a stretch on Hwy 160 between New Baden and New Memphis, straight as an arrow, flat, and around 1 to 3 in the morning is always pretty much deserted and about 4 miles to GET-ER-DONE!!!
  • azgrandazgrand Member Posts: 50
    Well, I certainly haven't had mine up to anywhere near that speed, but I did run 'er up to the redline in the first 3 gears over the weekend for the first time. I expected it to run out of breath over about 5500 RPM, but she pulled hard all the way. Woohoo -- this thing feels strong for a car this heavy with a V-6!
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE: 310
    Is there a torque specification for these nuts, or is is a trial and error job?
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    Yes, Hyundai has torgue specs, and I'm about 100 percent sure I'm way over those specs. But quess what, It seem obvious that those specs are way toooo light. I am not the only one that has quieted the clunks by going beyond Hyundai's #'s. (review some of the prior post). Does that make since?
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    That's what I'm talking about, good job, as you know it cured mine also. The ball joint and strut end nuts should be tightened until secure. This cannot be attained using torque tools if the application can be in question, which it is.
    Tighten until secure, do not apply the force of Samson. The ball joint and stut will work just fine, the added tightening has no impact on function.
  • floridabob1floridabob1 Member Posts: 1,190
    RE:313
    In reviewing past posts,owners gave experienced different results with the re centering and tightening process. Some have reported no change, with continued "clunk" while others, like you and Jim have seen positive results. That was the reason for me asking about the torque. Perhaps you have tightened the nuts more than others. My question is simply, if the struts were not so loose as to be moving and torque does not matter, what would the tightening change?
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    absolutely nothing, remember there is tight then there is Samson tight, you don't need Samson tight
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    Hyundai2, I removed the RH cover and tried to tighten the top of the shock and the three mounting bolts. The mounting bolts were tight but I only had a big adjustable wrench to hold the flat end of the shock while trying to tighten the nut. I started to chew up the flats on the top of the shock with the adjustable so I stopped. What did you use? I dont have a special tool to hold it in place while torqueing the nut.
  • filbrooksfilbrooks Member Posts: 9
    I took apart the right front strut assy. During that process I was looking for evidence of shiny metal. Bingo, the bolt that secures the bottom part of the shock absorber with the wishbone was out of torque. You can see the shiny spot on the bottom of the shock that was moving up and down. No other component or part shows signs of been loose. I just reinstalled the strut assembly. I use a 3/8 drive impact wrench to torque all the bolts. The clunk is gone!!!! The clunk left the building. :)
  • chilliwackchilliwack Member Posts: 189
    It looks like our "near luxury" auto requires us to crawl underneath and perform an array of tasks that should be done by the dealer. Are Lexus owners re-torqueing their strut assemblies in the wee hours of the morning to try and alleviate a mysterious clunk? I doubt it very much.
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    a small open end wrench or a smaller 6" adjustable and the nut was tightened to secure, not actually torqued to a fixed poundage
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    Can't really say what them Lexus folks are doing, actually don't care.
    We, 2006 Azera owners, bought a 'NEW' model that has yet to be debugged and for those of us who can, will make effort to improve the ride while the 'dealers' are trying to get on board. If turning a wrench saves us several trips and much aggrevation with Hyundai service reps then you betcha we're going turn that wrench.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    Based on my "perfect" Azera it seems that the slightly "buggy" vehicles were from among those built somewhat before June 13, 2006 or maybe (according to another post) before mid-April 2006...
  • azgrandazgrand Member Posts: 50
    Looks like I might have beat the mark by one day then. Mine was built June 14 and so far (knock on wood) doesn't have the clunk. :)
  • sundevilssundevils Member Posts: 100
    I bought my Azera Limited w/ Ultimate in late May 2006 - it was built in early 2006 (I think February) and has no clunk.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    There have been "klunk" reports of Azeras with a build date after February, but so far, none posted for after June 2006. Certainly all the earlier Azeras wouldn't be likely to have the same problem IF it is occasioned by inadequate torquing, varying from car to car, as opposed to a flakey part placed on all the cars.
    I'm just curious to see if there is a sort of "cut-off" as to when the problem(s) cease to occur, by build date...
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    For the dollar difference the Lexus owners had to shell out, I'll turn some wrenches. This also gives me a chance to get better aquanted with what I'm driving. ;)
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    I used vice grip pliors to hold the center post.
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    OK Thanks Hyundai2. Simple tools work the best.
  • hyundai2hyundai2 Member Posts: 37
    3600 Lb Azera with 65 percent of it's weight up front,equals 1170 lbs of pressure pushing upwards on each upper bushing. The only downwards pressure front the top of the bushing is the tightness of the nut, which increases the bottom side pressure equally, so there is always a 1170 lb pressure difference, except for an instant when the suspension drops going threw a dip or drop. By tightening the bushing tighter, you have effectively decrease any movement or clunking. At least it's a theory. Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it :P
  • jcm68jcm68 Member Posts: 33
    My Azera build date is 1/25/06
    So far after 5k miles................. no "klunk". :)
  • sergio19sergio19 Member Posts: 90
    This is just FYI

    My cars, build if I remember correctly, is Oct 2005. Took delivery in June 2006.
    I have 23,000KM and NO clunk!

    Regards,
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    So, with very little data, we might hazard a guess that some Azeras (but not all) built sometime before mid-April-ish 2006 may have a "clunk" problem which may be caused by a mis-torqued strut assembly or maybe by a slightly mispositioned tie-rod...
  • wardswards Member Posts: 17
    Build date on my Azera Oct 05 took delivery Feb 06. Present mileage 25000 kms. No front end clunk But rear suspension noise when going slowly over small bumps sounds like boxes rattling in trunk.
    Dealer states same thing in all Sonatas and due to stiff suspension.
    Otherwise car has run flawlessly.
  • cdmuilecdmuile Member Posts: 152
    My Azera build date was 11/05. 8000 miles and no "clunk" ever.
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    I do believe the 'CLUNK' the rest of you have has been found.

    If one jacks up the right side, removes the right front wheel, places a safety stand safely under the car to start.

    Then take your flashlight and look behind the strut at the rubber bushing that holds the body to the frame. If you see a pointed bolt thread sticking out from under the nut you're in the right place. If you see a space between the top of the rubber bushing and the frame you have found the 'CLUNK'. There should be no space between the rubber bushings and the frame.
    There are other body frame mounting points and if you look you will see no space and there is no space for the same mounting position on the left side.

    Yes, my 'CLUNK' went away after tightening the strut bolts.

    The reason I know about this new find is, a buddy of mine bought a used Azera Limited Premium and discovered the 'CLUNK'. He called me and we went to work. The right strut took 1/4 to 1/2 turns and then I noticed the space on the body mount. The nut is tight, takes a big breaker bar to turn. We took it off, the thread on the bolt may be a little short or the bushing may be a little thin. We added two washers and put it back together. The space and 'CLUNK' was gone. We inspected the other body mounts, no problems.

    If the thread is short the nut reaches torque before it compresses the rubber bushing. The same think happens if the bushing is a little thin.

    Good luck, if you take it to the dealer and you can get them to put it on a hoist and look, it's really visible to the naked eye, maybe they will give a it a turn or add the washers if you ask.
  • cbrturbocbrturbo Member Posts: 16
    The 07 model has the klunk, i test drove it to see if it was an alternative to the lemon law.
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    RE: 270
    Mark, I wonder if you can send me copies of the high resolution pictures you took of the front suspension? I have an appointment with the Hyundai Rep on Monday and they would be very useful along with copies of several reports from other Azera owners who have found faults and corrected by tightening nuts/bolts. If you can, I will post my email address in the profile of this service. I can do that, can't I Pat?
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    Jim, where did you place the safety stand to see the space above the rubber bushing and the frame? I assume when you say "frame", you are talking about the subframe that holds all the suspension parts and the engine.
    If the stand is under the body at the normal jacking point, you might see it whereas if the stand is under one side or the other of the front suspension, the space could be hidden and look OK. I'm not sure where you put your stand.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Yes, in your profile, you can either change the setting that says you want your email to stay private, or you can put it (or a different one) in the bio section.

    Maybe Mark could post the pics on his CarSpace page so everyone could see them.

    I hope he sees your post. He hasn't logged in since the day he posted that.
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    OK Thanks Pat for the info about no posts from Mark. I'll just wait to see if he responds.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Just for future reference, you can see things like when the person last logged in by checking the person's profile.

    Anyway, hope it works out on Monday - let us know either way.
  • jim101jim101 Member Posts: 252
    The floor jack was placed just behind the right front wheel and lifted via body, not under the frame. I removed the right front wheel. When jacked up both right side wheels came off the ground. The safety stand was placed under the engine where the steel x-member is. Note, the stand was there and I did not lower the car onto it. There was just 1/4" space between the stand and the x-member. Adding another stand near the rear wheel would add to the safety if it slipped.
    Let me know if you need to know more.
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    Jim101, that was the exact answer I was looking for. Thanks very much.
    My two reasons for asking was that on Monday, I will meet the Hyundai Rep at a local dealer. I needed to know precisely how the car was supported in order to see the space you described.
    Since I am pessimistic that they will spend much time investigating my suspension noise after this third visit, I probably will be doing it myself here at home. I am willing to solve the mystery on my car no matter how long it takes me. I work cheap!
  • markeggertmarkeggert Member Posts: 12
    I've posted the pictures to "My Carspace". Hope this helps. My car just turned over 3,400 miles, but I've been out of town a lot and haven't had the time to take it in yet.
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    RE: 344 Thanks Mark, I saved and printed your pictures. I will take them with me on Monday to the Hyundai Rep. I assume that the separation is at the point of the wrinkles in the rubber bushing. Correct?
  • markeggertmarkeggert Member Posts: 12
    Correct. Good luck tomorrow!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Thanks for posting the pictures! :)
  • grayfoxgrayfox Member Posts: 166
    Today I met with the District Service Manager of the Central Region to voice my complaint about the front suspension noise. We took a brief ride in my Azera followed by a ride in his Azera over the same course. He said his car did seem to be a bit more quiet. Naturally, the shop was loaded and unable to look at my car. I have to get an appointment. I did furnish him with copies of pertinent parts of our discussions as well as two pictures furnished by Mark Eggert. It remains to be seen what, if anything, will be done. The Rep said that he will receive a copy of the work order after my next appointment. We will see...........
  • jack_spratjack_sprat Member Posts: 29
    Does anyone who bought a new 2007 car in 2007 have the clunk or have they fixed it.
  • gamlegedgamleged Member Posts: 442
    On this and other forums, best as I can tell, no one with an Azera with a build date later than mid-April of 2006 has had a "clunk"...
  • markeggertmarkeggert Member Posts: 12
    Have you heard anything back from Hyundai?

    I've gone through my car and tightened everything I can think of relating to the front suspension. I even found the body mounting bolt that Jim101 mentioned in post 335 and inspected it. The threads extend well up into the rubber part of the bushing, so there is no problem with the nut tightening before the bushing is properly compressed. My car seemed to be doing pretty well until recently. I've noticed that when the weather was cool, the "clunk" was non-existent or very faint. Today here in St. Petersburg, FL it was pretty warm and the "clunk" was very pronounced. Maybe it's my imagination, but I swear I can also feel it in the floor of the car when I hear the "clunk". The severity of my "clunk" seems to be directly related to the outside temperature.
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