$50 Bounty: Front end clanking post lift (1 Viewer)

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Jun 4, 2015
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Location
Reno ,NV
Hi Guys,

I'm having a hell of a time figuring out why my front end is clanking and thought I would ask for some Mud' wisdom.

Right before my trip to Baja I installed a new 2.5-inch OME lift with Icon 2.0 shocks. I also ordered swaybar drops and new bushings where the sway bar connects to the frame hanger thingies (technical term). With just the new springs and lift I didn't have any clanking. Once I messed with the sway bar it started up.

The symptoms are: Every time I got into a tight turn like in a parking lot I get some sort of "clunk" . It also clunks if I drop a wheel into a hole or the truck rocks back in forth. It's driving me crazy!

What is likely causing this? I took into my normal mechanic and he couldn't figure it out. Said things looked installed correctly. I also tried removing the sway bar drops, still clunks.


Thanks!

Dan
 
I have this same lift (minus the Icon shocks), and I get the same noise. For me anyways, it always comes back to a loose nut on the sway bar link, frame side. They look tight, but I can usually get a few turns on the nut and it goes away for a while.
 
You want to tighten down the larger nut on the hanger thingies. Kind of a PITA to get really tight since you have to use a hex key to keep them from spinning while you tighten the nut itself.
 
It's very easy to install the front lower shock bolt/stud off center. Make sure that the centering washer was put into the shock mount correctly (the washer has a lip built in to center itself properly in the shock mount hole), or the actual stud of the shock could be contacting the mount, creating a noise. I learned that the fun way a long time ago.

And sway bar bushings can always get noisier when sitting at a new resting position after a lift. Mine had worn axle-end bushings, so I replaced all of them pretty quickly.
 
Make sure that the centering washer was put into the shock mount correctly (the washer has a lip built in to center itself properly in the shock mount hole), or the actual stud of the shock could be contacting the mount, creating a noise. I learned that the fun way a long time ago.

You wouldn't happen to sell those washers would ya?
 
OK so I am losing my mind. Went over to some friends house with 80s and had them come for a drive. They where of the opinion that it was not the springs or the axle but sounded a lot like the way bar hitting the tie rod. We also made sure to torque everything to spec. Still clanks

How is this eve possible? It started happening right after I took the truck to a very reputable shop to have the OME caster bushing installed. Could they have installed them wrong? Going to hit them up in the morning and ask whats up! Noise is so terrible that I gotta cancel my ski trip this weekend :(
 
I have one of these sounds coming from the front end of mine. Mine is almost a instant release of a binding thing.

I've given up trying to figure it out. Figured that I'll know what to replace when it eventually breaks.
 
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You can't see where the contact is being made? No paint rub or flat spot in the works?

Long shot...check that the tie rod end clamps are installed correctly. The opening of the clamp should be pointing towards the back of wagon.
Here is the FSM info on that.

ps.
Let me know when you get the EWD I sent ya
 
Took it into the shop that did the work today. They had no clue why it was clanking but was convinced it wasn't the sway bar. Wondering what else could be going wrong?
 
N
Any loose body mounts?
ot sute, hopefully the shop will figure it out Monday. I just kinda don't trust them though. They are the most reputable offroad shop around but seem to work on trucks and aren't land cruiser experts
 
OK so I am losing my mind. Went over to some friends house with 80s and had them come for a drive. They where of the opinion that it was not the springs or the axle but sounded a lot like the way bar hitting the tie rod. We also made sure to torque everything to spec. Still clanks

How is this eve possible? It started happening right after I took the truck to a very reputable shop to have the OME caster bushing installed. Could they have installed them wrong? Going to hit them up in the morning and ask whats up! Noise is so terrible that I gotta cancel my ski trip this weekend :(
Caster bushings might have busted. It's extremely rare though.

Take front sway bar off, go for a drive, and look for the same noise.

Check those clamps like the other guy said, you won't see them binding while it's sitting in the driveway probably.

Are the springs seated in their lower coil seat properly? Shocks too long perhaps, and coil becoming unseated? There could be a lot of different things going on up there, but you should be able to see some wear marks somewhere if that's the case.
 
@crikeymike I talked with Kurt at cruiser outfitters. He thinks it must be the sway bar or something he has never heard of. Going to have the shop replace every single bushing including the little ball joints that hang down from the frame.
 
@crikeymike I talked with Kurt at cruiser outfitters. He thinks it must be the sway bar or something he has never heard of. Going to have the shop replace every single bushing including the little ball joints that hang down from the frame.
Kurt is the man!!!

Those front sway bar bushings on the axle are very small, so it's easy for them to not seem like they're making a noise. That's what happened on mine. The OME bushings for those are really good, with the shoulders on them.
 
Super weird! The truck just fixed itself. I had it into the local 4x4 shop after i demonstrated the issue to them. They couldn't recreate it but installed new front sway bar bushings.

Thanks Kurt and @cruiseroutfit for the new bushings!!!!!
 
And sway bar bushings can always get noisier when sitting at a new resting position after a lift. Mine had worn axle-end bushings, so I replaced all of them pretty quickly.

Yes. Firstly make sure the swaybar bushes are torqued properly too, after fitting my OME 2861/2 coils I had a similar knock, which I eventually traced to dying (poly) sway bar bushes, but which actually got a bit better when I first torqued them, rather than just "spanner-tight"

edit. ah, just saw I'm too late with this. but was on the right track :)
 
After a weekend Wheeling trip clanking is back. Going to replace the bushings and hangers on the frame side. Also plan on installing drop blocks.
 
After a weekend Wheeling trip clanking is back. Going to replace the bushings and hangers on the frame side. Also plan on installing drop blocks.

Do you see any evindence of rubbing? Any way to replicate the condition and force the noise? Any way to record the audio?
 

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