Clunk Help...Shocks?

[Gottagetone]

Clunk Help...?

In the past few weeks I installed a Sahara bar with winch, that brought the front down, my torsion bars were just about maxed out so I reindexed them and leveled it back out. Shortly after, my wife noticed a vibration in the passenger side floor board, she took the wheel and I certainly felt what seemed like the wheel was about to fall off and sure enough....it was. I knew I had a brake job coming so I went ahead and did the brake job and repacked the bearings, turns out the front PS wheel had no preload and was loose. That job complete, I figured all was well. Turns out there is still some sort of clunk that you can only feel in the PS floorboard. The vibration is gone and the ride is much better.

I took the truck to a shop I trust and we put it up on the lift only to find....nothing noticeable other that the sway bar link bushings are rotting and the Metal Tech slider bracket is touching the bottom of the floor pan. The sliders are on solid and have been for a while so I dont think thats the problem. We checked the upper and lower control arm bushings and they are solid, no play in them.

The stock shocks feel solid, still dampen and dont leak. The heat shield above the cat is not loose......ARRRGGGHHHHH!

Process of elimination leads me to new sway bar bushings and shocks???

Thoughts?

 

[elkaholic]

My bet is the MetalTech slider bracket. The body mounts are there to isolate the body from vibrations that make it to the frame. With the slider mount contacting the floor pan, it will transfer any vibration from drivetrain and tires to the body and you will feel / hear it.

Just my $0.02

 

[hoser]

x2 the slider mount should not touch the floorboard... and there should be some space for movement. Uninstall that one slider and drive around a day or two without it.

 

[RobRed]

Seems like the slider is the place to start if it touches.

I was getting a clunk on the PS of my rig under certain turning and loading conditions that the replacement of Sway Bar Bushings took care of.

I think you should change the title of the post and remove "shocks"

 

[Gottagetone]

Here is a pic of the mount, its the front bracket right under the PS floorboard. The drivers side looks the same.

Ill pull it and see if the clunk goes away but the sliders have been on since they first came out and I have not heard the existing clunk.

New bushings are certainly in order but I still wonder if it could be a shock?

Thread title is changed.

 

[2000UZJ]

The new shocks are stiffer, this may cause more body/frame movement. It very well could be the slider. I was shocked at how much the ARB moved going over expansion joints and gravel roads, and that is drilled into the frame. How close is the slider to the body?

 

[Gottagetone]

The slider has plenty of clearance from the body and is solidly in place, the top of the mount is touching the floor pan and has since it was installed. The clunk is somewhat muffled and happens even on small bumps in the street. I know thats vague but its all I got.

 

[2000UZJ]

Yep. I have the same muffled clunk with my Bilsteins. Drives me up the wall. I haven't found out what it is. I'll be pulling my front shocks and driving around my neighborhood ( lots of small bumps) to verify its the shocks this weekend most likely.

 

[Gottagetone]

I think I am just going to order new sway bar bushings, they are cheap and it certainly wont hurt to replace them. I am also going to order a set of the IronMan shocks, they are affordable and I have not seen a bad review yet.

 

[2000UZJ]

I think I am just going to order new sway bar bushings, they are cheap and it certainly wont hurt to replace them. I am also going to order a set of the IronMan shocks, they are affordable and I have not seen a bad review yet.

What shocks do you have right now?

 

[Gottagetone]

Stock shocks, clunk started after Sahara install and reindex.

 

[hoser]

Check to make sure your body mounts are tight too.

 

[Gottagetone]

Body mounts are tight....everything is tight, it's crazy!

 

[elkaholic]

Looking at the picture, I may have to revise my thought re the slider. If there was any significant contact, there would be some wear marks on the slider mount / body pan. Any chance the winch hook is making this clunk?

 

[Gottagetone]

Checked the winch hook, it's connected to the tow mount and it solid.

 

[hoser]

Any interference between the Sahara bumper and body?

 

[Gottagetone]

The gap between the edge of the bumper and body is actually larger that I would like.

 

[Softride62]

my 2000 had a broken shock (that was brand new) but had no signs of damage/leakage until I had a shop remove it and when they loosened it and try to pull it off it broke in 2 pieces... it was the exact same clunky sound and feel you describe and mostly felt on small bumps...almost like a lose sound...I replaced all 4 at the time and it went away. Turned out to be a defective shock, I had driven on hwy only for maybe 500 miles...on the new shock

 

[Gottagetone]

^^Thanks, New shocks and bushing will be ordered in the next day or so.

 

[Gottagetone]

Update***

This weekend I installed four new Ironman shocks and 4 of the 6 bushings on the front sway bar. While installing the front passenger side I noticed, from the old cv grease being wiped clean, that the sway bar had been hitting the lower control arm, I think this is where the muffled clunk was coming from. My guess is that the shocks were so shot that there was just nothing left to absorb the bumps. Here is a pic with the new bushings installed just before I wiped all the old grease away.

No more muffled clunk! I still need to install the two inner sway bar bushings but that will require the removal of the torsion bars and a bit of work because the bolts that hold the bracket on are way rusted from the A/C condenser dripping on them for 12 years.

While I was in there I replaced my rear brakes and shocks, the brakes were easy, the shocks not so much. I busted my keister trying to remove the rear shocks without drilling a hole....that didnt happen.

I drilled out 2, 1 1/4" holes, one over each top bolt and that made the job doable. I so didnt want to do it but afterwards I realized that it was really to only way the job was going to get done. To cover the holes I picked up some 1 1/4" metal covers and siliconed them into place making sure to cover the underside of the holes to avoid rust.
Finished Product:

I thought my LC rode good but now realize it sucked. The new Ironman shocks got a big thumbs up from me!