first sign of trouble on my fj62

[norville]

Hey folks,

I know I don't post much. Not much going wrong. Till now . We just decided to sell the third vehicle and make my 88 fj62 a full time driver.

The problem: A thunk -- or low thud noise coming from under the vehicle. Kinda sounds like a rubber mallet slowly hitting the frame??? It seem to happen only occasionally.. After I back up driveway near the peak as I turn onto the srteet. Next After I srtaighten out and drive 20 ft another lower thud. Also if I take a long sweeping left turn at a lower speed(pulling out of street). Some time when I hit a pot hole. I can't seem to do it all the time. But it does it every time mentioned above.

I recently had heavey duty shackles installed w/bushings.
I know pass front shock is toast.
front pass birf a little gooey
lubed some fitiings in the front and the front axle.

What does a birf sound like when its going?? It doesn't feel kile it's in the steering.
Could my suspension be binding up? I checked all the lock nuts except the top 2 at the rear.
Bad shock make a thud?

Any thoughts??

thanks
norville

 

[Jim_Phillips]

Sounds like you may have checked the suspension already but I had a similar problem and it turned out to be the front shackle. In my case the bush was worn and the springs were moving around. I would check the suspension carefully for movement and the stabiliser bar - look at the bushes. Check the U bolts too. When my Birfield went it made a clicking sound not a thunk.

 

[60wag]

Is the thunk when you shift from reverse to drive? Or is it when you're making a tight turn at low speed? A thunk when shifting the tranny is a worn output shaft on the tranny - big PITA to fix. A clunk when turning could likely be the leaves in the spring pack shifting. It could be a bushing or shock issue but if you have addressed those and it still clunks, try this... Hose down the front springs so they are quite wet. Try cranking the steering from stop to stop with the engine running. If it clunks more when wet, then its the springs. Sometimes you can see the shift/clunk if you have someone else in the truck cranking the steering while you watch the springs. If its the springs, just make sure the ubolts are tight enough and don't worry about it. I haven't heard of anyone actually fixing spring clunk. Its definitely not the birf.

 

[TOZOVR]

[quote author=60wag link=board=29;threadid=16202;start=msg156134#msg156134 date=1084460597]
Is the thunk when you shift from reverse to drive? Or is it when you're making a tight turn at low speed? A thunk when shifting the tranny is a worn output shaft on the tranny - big PITA to fix.
[/quote]

Or merely a Ujoint....

 

[lowtideride]

i second the u-joint thing...i had a clunk and got rid of it with a new u-joint...got it from man-a-fre, like 30bucks cheap fix... a lil work ,but cheap fix

 

[jasond73fj40]

I have a similar problem on my 88 & I know of one other local person that had something similar. I took me a while to figure out what it was but for myself (and another) it was the passenger side Rear Stabilizer Link.
Mine is broken at the point that slips over the sway bar end. When the vehicle is sitting it can line back up so you wont notice the break.

This is the part
http://www.sor.com/shared/image/287-602-big.jpg



jason
jason@landcruiser.ca

 

[norville]

Thanks folks,

Sorry I took so long to reply, I can't seem to post at home. Well I think I got it figured out. Suspension! I am used to the normal knocking and shifting of leaf's having had a half dozen jeeps over the years. This was not normal.

For the first time in prolly 15yrs I took my vehicle to a shop to have the shackles and bushings swapped. I just didn't have the time. Well I guess he never did anything like this cause, he tourqued the $hit out of my bolts. I had backed off on all bet 2 uppers in the rear. I was able to get one and the noise was gone.

Thanks again I guess I just panicked

norville