Clunking noise front passenger side (1 Viewer)

[caladin]

I took my 82 60 on a longish (20min each way) drive to the Dr. It was the longest trip I'd attempted.... and bad things happened.
Trip to the Dr was fine, the first time take her up to highway speeds.

On the trip back it started making a clunking noise, like something hard hitting with every tire rotation(metal on metal?). I drove it around a parking lot for a while and tried to figure it out.
The wheel was rock solid, I couldn't see anything wrong with the brakes. The caliper didn't seem loose.

The tiers were making a squeaking nose right before the bump. It sounded so much like a big rock stuck in the lugs of the tires that I got out and checked it several times with my hands to look for one but found nothing...

I decided to limp it home on the back roads, for various reasons including the state of my bank account Vis a vis a tow.

On the limp home, it stopped happening on every wheel rotation and started only happening when I used the brakes, or very faintly when I was engine braking and turning
(I basically engine braked her all the way home, only using the brakes very sparingly).
I haven't pulled the wheel off to look yet, but it's partly because I have no idea what it could be if not the brake caliper is loose. which it appears not to be.

My other thought is a wheel/axle bearing going bad, but there was no excessive heat coming off the wheel area, and grabbing the tire, and trying to move it up and down and side to side is rock solid.

I'm a 1 banana mechanic and I have no clue what it might be, nor what to check.

What should I be looking for, what tests should I do to determine what the exact issue is?
Does it sound like a common fj60 issue?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[duncanrm]

You cant check for bearing play with the vehicle sitting on the tyres.. you need to jack the vehicle up so that each wheel is hanging in turn then grasp it securely and check it for play in both vertical and horizontal directions.

 

[micruz60]

Raise the front right tire off the ground and spin it to replicate the sound.
Grasp the tire at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock , try to wiggle it.
Same thing at 3 and 9.
Report your findings.
Possibly the brake rotor is clunking the brake pads?

 

[micruz60]

Might be a wheel balancing weight is striking the tie rod end?
Are you running stock wheels / tires?

 

[MrMacdugal]

I was going to say probably a balancing weight. I've had it happen and completely throw me for a loop. If you have stick on weights inside your wheels(not clipped to the outer rim), looks and see if any have come off.

 

[caladin]

Might be a wheel balancing weight is striking the tie rod end?
Are you running stock wheels / tires?

Nah they are cheap American racing that were on it when I bought it.

 

[bentonrover]

So what was it?

 

[caladin]

Front driver Lug bolts backed off about a half inch. but you couldn't see it till it was jacked up for some reason, once it was in the air easy to find it. Easy to fix, feel like a Moron.

That explains the weird tire squealing right before it Clunked.

Thanks.,