Clunk in the front only when warm
 

New to me 2002 Boxster S in very well cared for condition. Dealer maintained its entire life, and now I’m the second owner. It rides and drives like a dream except for one thing that I noticed yesterday. After driving around for a couple of hours in mid-90’s heat, I started to hear a definite rattle coming from the front right, usually over low speed bumps like manhole covers.

When I got home, I could replicate the sound by pushing with my weight over the front right fender, but no sound while doing it over the front left. After letting it cool off and sit over night, I can’t replicate the sound now by bouncing the front right.

Could this be the sign of a strut going out? Or possibly one of the rubber bushings heating up and getting loose when hot? I had a 2012 Mustang that would squeak horribly over bumps when the control arm bushings would heat up, so that’s why my head went there first. Any thoughts as I tear into it?

Thanks much,

Dion

strut, control arm, tuning fork, sway bar drop links...all possible. When you do 1 side of a part you should do the other side also. typical of rubber parts that will go bad over years.

Brake pads rattling?

EDIT.
Scratch that idea. I missed that you could replicate by pushing the front.

I need to revisit it as I experience same thing.

I thought all rubber parts would be noisier at cold... but actually I hear the rattle very well when coming back from drive on a hot day.

It sounds like pads, but does not completely go away.
I know I have worn stablizer links in the back.

But would the source of the noise really be forks?

Did you resolve the issue? I am experiencing the same symptom. I changed front drop links but that did not stop the clunk.

I suspect the tuning forks. It's the exact same symtoms I had in the rear, which went away when I replaced them. Now I'm experiencing the same in the front, although I haven't yet had the chance to replace them.