So, it's 5:30 PM, and I'm driving down a major boulevard in a
minor city, turn off (left) onto a less busy side street, go
over a set of RR tracks, and hear "ta-bing -thump!"

Yep, just like that. Front left.

Next little pot-hole it's just the thump, but it has a family
with it, and when I make the right turn a ways down, the
intermittent CREAK!

Omigawd, I thought, the awful Audi Creak. The Squeak. I've
read about that on the NG. Upper and lower control arms, mebee,
or tie rod ends or something.

I pull over and call my favorite mechanic, who's in the process
of closing up shop. Nice guy (and should be, I guess, after 30
years of repeat business.)

So I drive the 6 miles, slowly and cautiously, thumping at each
dip or bump, creaking on every turn.

He gets in, and drives to a vacant parking lot for a test. Up the
drive and *thump!*. "Wow", he said "that *doesn't* sound happy."

Did a turn: creeeaaaakkk!

So he pulls over, I spend some time bouncing the front end while
he inspects behind the wheel with a pocket flashlight. thump
thump-thump. I'm thinking $700.00, minimum. "Well" he says, "you
don't have a broken coil spring." I'm gratified, he's really puzzled.

"Let's go back to the shop" he says, but just then reached behind the
wheel once more and said "What's this?"

A bit of twisting and he showed me a black walnut, shell and all,
that had managed to get securely lodged in the coil spring.

My 'saved me $700.00' Nut. But a few tense moments.

Damned squirrels.


Lloyd
*****