Clicking Noise When Turning? It Could Be Your CV Joint

If you hear a clicking or popping sound when you turn sharply, especially while accelerating out of a parking spot or around a corner, the most likely cause is a worn CV joint.

What a CV joint is

CV stands for constant velocity. Front-wheel-drive cars, and many all-wheel-drive cars, use axles with CV joints at each end. They let the wheels receive power from the engine while also moving up and down over bumps and turning left and right.

Each joint is packed with grease and protected by a rubber cover called a CV boot.

How CV joints fail

Most CV joint problems start with the boot. Heat, age and rough roads cause the rubber to crack or tear. Once that happens:

1. The grease is flung out.

2. Dirt and water get in.

3. The joint wears quickly and starts clicking.

Potholes and unpaved roads, which are common in Jamaica, put extra stress on boots and joints.

Warning signs

• Clicking or popping when turning, usually the outer joint

• Grease splattered on the inside of the wheel or around the suspension

• Vibration when accelerating, which can point to a worn inner joint

• Clunking when shifting between drive and reverse

Catch it early

If a torn boot is spotted before the joint is damaged, sometimes just the boot can be replaced. Once the joint is clicking, replacing the axle (or the CV joint) is usually the better option.

Is it safe to drive?

A clicking CV joint can carry on for a while, but it will get worse. In severe cases the joint can break, leaving you with no drive to that wheel. Have it inspected as soon as you notice the noise.

Need help with this? RCJ Mobile Mechanics comes to you in Portmore, Spanish Town, Kingston, St. Andrew and across St. Catherine. Call or WhatsApp (658) 207-6565 or book a mechanic online.