# Metallic Sound from the front driver side **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** audi, a6\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 8:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216 "2012-12-18T08:18:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manojb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@manojb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/manojb)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/1 "2012-12-18T08:18:37Z")
Hello The issue is with my 1999 Audi A6 Quattro, I have driven 205,000 miles on the car and after 100K I started doing the maintenance. There is a sound coming from the front driver side, when you drive the car through a bumpy or gravel road, which sounds like “click, clank, click, clank”, to me its origin is from the suspension or the shock absorber. Both control arms were replaced due to misdiagnosis. Even the local maintenance shop can’t identify the issue, even after doing an alignment and inspection. I am not seeing any uneven ware out on the front tire. Now my only option is to take it to a dealer and spend $120 for the proper diagnostics, and you know how it works! I will be really appreciate, if you can point out the issue. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/2 "2012-12-18T08:21:26Z")
Is the clanging at a certain rate, say, the rotation of the wheel? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/3 "2012-12-18T08:31:52Z")
You might want to have someone look at the front sway bar end links. If a link breaks and is hanging, each time the lower control arm bounces up and hits the broken link it can make a noise. And it depends on where the link is broken which dictates how much noise it makes. Tester ---
**Author:** ![manojb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@manojb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/manojb)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/4 "2012-12-18T22:25:43Z")
Thanks for the reply, I will have the mechanic check it this weekend. Is it safe to drive the car with a broken link? ---
**Author:** ![manojb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@manojb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/manojb)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/5 "2012-12-18T22:29:21Z")
Thanks RemcoW. The clanging frequency varies, depends on the speed. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/6 "2012-12-18T23:41:07Z")
I’d look at the drive shafts or maybe the brakes. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/7 "2012-12-19T00:32:54Z")
My Camry had this issue and it was the struts. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/8 "2012-12-19T08:35:40Z")
I concur w/ knfenimore, this sounds like the struts to me. An experienced mechanic should be able to tell you one way or the other with a visual inspection. ---
**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/9 "2012-12-19T08:54:51Z")
The top of the strut has a shaft that goes through the body and bolts inside the engine compartment. This should have been checked when the lower arms were done but… The top part has a rubber damper that always went bad on my old ford. Is the speed more important for the noise or road surface? Ie no noise when smooth? ---
**Author:** ![manojb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@manojb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/manojb)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/10 "2012-12-19T19:44:25Z")
It won’t make much noise on a smooth road, speed is not a factor. When the alignment was done at Tire Plus, I mentioned to them about this issue and they couldn’t find anything wrong with the control arms or suspension!! I am not seeing any uneven wear on the tire though. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/metallic-sound-from-the-front-driver-side/76216/11 "2012-12-19T22:51:51Z")
The rubber bushing had to be changed on mine. You could only hear it over rough/washboard roads.