Clicking from driver's front wheel well, turning right at slow speeds

[Logomongo]

 

This is on a 2017 Evora 400, 15k miles.

Hearing a loud clicking from inside the left front wheel well only at slow speeds, such as turning into a parking space/garage.
But I don't hear this sound going over speedbumps. 
Clicking continues as the car moves until I straighten out.

Noted some rust after a rain but on the noncontact surface of the Rear rotors.  Dealer balance the tires about a month ago.

Took it to a local tire/suspension shop, who did absolutely nothing and couldn't figure out the problem.

I've read some of the posted topics, and think it could be anything from the wheel hub needing cleaning to the front sway bushings going bad.

Any other ideas?
 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Logomongo

[21gg]

How long has it been doing it? First thing to try is to tighten the wheel nuts, that will cause a clicking, noticeable at low speed but will turn into a knocking over 100-150 miles.

[ramjet]

I would remove the wheel. Clean all mating surfaces and then replace the wheel and retorque the wheel bolts.  Then retest the same movement that caused the click before. 

If the click is still there, but is only there when you are turning one way and not turning the other way, I would suspect your wheel bearing.

I cannot think of a reason that a front sway bushing would cause clicking unless it was bad enough that a metal to metal contact was occurring, though I would expect that to only happen once and not be repetitive when turning.

[EGTE]

I had this and it was caused by loose subframe bolts.

[Logomongo]

It's been going on for probably 3weeks.  Forgot to mention, the local tire shop did retorque my front suspension. 

Wheel bolts seem tight when I just tested.  Looked inside the well, also looks clean, nothing obviously rubbing.

Guess next step is to remove wheel.

Attached a video of the clicking noise while making a slow right (only seem to hear it when turning more than 45deg and at 5-10mph).  If I go 1 mph easing on the brakes, don't seem to hear.

LotusClick.MOV

Edited April 21, 2021 by Logomongo

[rallyesax]

Also have this on my 400.

It only appears when weather is warmer. Never any noise during winter season but as soon as sun is out and, let say, about 20°C or more this noise can be heard in similar conditions. 

That's something you can find with other car makers and in my experience only on RWD cars. So no shaft on front axle. 

BMW solves this by inserting a very thin layer of steel (less than 0,1mm) between the wheel hub assembly and the brake disk contact surface if my memory gets it right. It seems to help reducing a gap that can appear in some conditions. 

[Bruss]

It is a common problem and will need the wheels to be removed. All mating surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned. Also clean the bolt threads and every surface you can get to on the hub/disc, the wheel and the bolts.

Torque it back up. If it still clicks then replace the wheel bolts. They have been stretched.

[Whitey]

7 hours ago, Logomongo said:

It's been going on for probably 3weeks.  Forgot to mention, the local tire shop did retorque my front suspension. 

Wheel bolts seem tight when I just tested.  Looked inside the well, also looks clean, nothing obviously rubbing.

Guess next step is to remove wheel.

Attached a video of the clicking noise while making a slow right (only seem to hear it when turning more than 45deg and at 5-10mph).  If I go 1 mph easing on the brakes, don't seem to hear.

LotusClick.MOV 20.11 MB · 7 downloads

You mention the tyre shop retorquing the suspension bolts - if they torqued the wishbone pivot bolts, these should only be done with the car laden down - ie 2 people sat in it. Other than that, do what Bruss suggests above.

[Colin P]

Mine had this issue repeatedly and a few goes at the main dealer to look at. Everything cleaned, then 100 miles later it was back time and time again. I added 5Nm to the torque setting on the wheel bots and zero problems since.

[EGTE]

Have you checked the subframe bolts?

[Logomongo]

You guys were right.  Btw, only noticed it more when the car had been driving for a bit (engine warm).

Took the wheel off, noticed there was a thin layer of surface grime and some small pebbles inside the center wheel cap. 

Wiped down and cleaned the surfaces and bolts.  Torqued to the manufacture setting of 77.  Didn't check the subframe bolts.  Didn't feel like cleaning the other wheels yet.

So far, no more sound, thanks!

 

[Logomongo]

So after only a day (40mi of driving).  The next day, clicking has come back... 😒

Guess I'll look into replacing the bolts now (which looked fine) and tightening the undercarriage bolts.

[ramjet]

Do you get the clicking when you only turn one way or both?

Do you get the clicking in forward as well as reverse?

Low speed or high speed?

I think if you check in the service manual, that there is an overall length of the wheel bolts specification. There is for the Esprit. You might be able to find this measurement  for the Evora?

For your wheel bolts to have stretched, one or more have reached their elastic limit. Once they are tensioned again, for the problem to reoccur, one or more must have stretched again. Remove the wheel bolts and record the torque required to undo them. Not a perfect measure, but should give an indication before you just shell out for new bolts. It takes a lot to cause a bolt to stretch.

Post the results up in here.

[Logomongo]

Just when wheel turning right at very slow speeds.  It can also happen in reverse (when wheel also turned right). 

Here's a better video of the ticking/clicking (timed with wheel rotations), from last week.

Tickingtwo.MOV

Edited April 27, 2021 by Logomongo

[Bruss]

3 hours ago, ramjet said:

Do you get the clicking when you only turn one way or both?

Do you get the clicking in forward as well as reverse?

Low speed or high speed?

I think if you check in the service manual, that there is an overall length of the wheel bolts specification. There is for the Esprit. You might be able to find this measurement  for the Evora?

For your wheel bolts to have stretched, one or more have reached their elastic limit. Once they are tensioned again, for the problem to reoccur, one or more must have stretched again. Remove the wheel bolts and record the torque required to undo them. Not a perfect measure, but should give an indication before you just shell out for new bolts. It takes a lot to cause a bolt to stretch.

Post the results up in here.

It has been reported elsewhere that Lotus supplied replacement bolts for some customers who experienced this. Once a bolt is ‘stretched’ it will stretch again more easily.

 

[Logomongo]

So I don't think it's the wheel bolts - i swapped the left wheel bolts into the right wheel and vice versa.

Clicking still happening from left wheel well.  I seem to only hear it after driving 15-20mi (suspension heated up) and more so when turning on an incline.

Will take the wheel off again this weekend and look around again.

I swear this sounds almost exactly like a bad CV joint, like this sample video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c1nxR7aq1o

 

[Bruss]

Cv's tend to clunk rather than click?  Could it be a circlip catching or something similar?

 

It would be good to hear what this is when you find it though.

 

 

 

 

[ramjet]

I'm with Paul. A CV is generally a deeper toned noise.

The next time you have ensured that it is there, jack the car up and turn the wheel first to see if the tick is still there when the wheel has no load on it.

Once the wheel is off, turn the steering to the same position as when the click occurs and then try turning the hub on its own.

Can't guarantee that you will find it this way, but it should narrow down things to look at.

[mg4lotus]

The clicking CV joint on the Youtube video is on a front wheel drive vehicle. The Evora is rear wheel drive. As the clicking is coming from your front wheel that is not your problem.

Another thing you could test to eliminate possible problems would be to swap all the wheel nuts from the front left wheel to the front right (and from right to left. If the click also swaps sides then the problem is with the wheel nuts.

[Bruss]

"The clicking CV joint on the Youtube video is on a front wheel drive vehicle. The Evora is rear wheel drive"

 

OOPS!  Good point, well made. 😀

[ramjet]

I didn't pay much attention or think about that either.

[mg4lotus]

Just re-read the thread and you've already tried swapping the wheel nuts.

To eliminate the wheels you could try swapping the wheels over. If your tyres are uni-directional they won't work so well in the wet so drive with care and once you've completed the test swap them back.

Is the stub axle wheel nut torqued down correctly?

Other than that people have already mentioned wheel bearings and sub frames etc.

[mg4lotus]

You could always support your local Lotus service centre and pay them a visit.

[Logomongo]

tried retorquing to 5lbs more than the rec 77.5lbs, tightened the under panels (would have to remove the panels to get to the subframe?), reinspected the wheel well, don't see any issues. 

Didn't try swapping the wheels (they are unidirectional).

Still makes the clicking/cracking sound. 

Will be bringing it back to the Service center (about a month ago they had balanced the wheels and bled the brakes)

[Logomongo]

Update: took to dealer, they said this happens alot to the Evoras, as you guys stated.

In addition to taking off the wheel, they also removed the hub assembly/calipers and cleaned additional debris.

Looks like the sound is gone now.

Thanks for all the support