Front end clunk drivers side when stopping fwd or reverse. Fairly certain not drive shaft

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skshepherd

Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Threads
38
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203
Location
New London, NH
When coming to a fairly hard stop either forward or revers the drivers side front has a clunk or pop. It happens as the truck is stopping and not when I start to move again. I have had the driveshaft clunk before in my 4runner and this seems to be something different.

It doesn't happen at every stop. Sometimes it seems worse when stopping with the wheels cut a little to the left.

Also usually seems to happen more when on a decline. Stopping going forward downhill or reverse downhill.

Anyone experience this before?

Thanks
 
Check sway bar links & bushings. Many people including myself have experienced a similar problem and have remedied it by refreshing the sway bar components. Mine is passenger side and caused by the A/C condensate dripping on the link and making it rust and pop often.
 
Good to know, I'll start there. I guess jack it up and use stands, pull,pry, and wiggle to find loose or warn links/bushings?

Thanks!
 
While you're under there check your LCA ball joint and UCA ball joint for play.
 
Yes jack it up, grab the tire at 9 & 3 o'clock, and give it a good shake to see how much play the wheel has. If it has a lot then it is going to be either sway bar links/bushings or tie rod ends
 
I have the same clunk, under hard breaking there's a clunk that sounds like the front drivers side break pads are sliding forward with the force of the breaking.... I replaced my front sway bar bushings and upper control arms and still have the clunk. I'm still trying to figure this out. Thinking of checking front diff supports next. I'll chime in if I find what it is.... Good luck!
 
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I did jack the truck up and grabbed the tire at 9 and 3. There was some play on both sides but I'm guessing it was just me moving the steering rack? I was able to pry against the sway bar and noticed I could move the bar up and down within the bushings on the endlink.

I also shook the wheel at 12 and 6 but there was no play there.

I could fairly easily rotate or twist the tie rod end but I am not sure if this is normal or not.

Any suggestions on checking the upper or lower ball joints? I couldn't really find anything to leverage against with the pry bar to see if they were loose?

Thanks for the help guys.
 
Had the same thing recently and turned out to be the diff bolts needed tightening, got underneath and tightend all suspension, steering and drivetrain components to spec and it's gone.
 
Try removing your drive shafts cleaning out all the old grease then lubing them up real good. Sounds like your slip yokes are sticking
 
mmaakk said:
I have the same clunk, under hard breaking there's a clunk that sounds like the front drivers side break pads are sliding forward with the force of the breaking.... I replaced my front sway bar bushings and upper control arms and still have the clunk. I'm still trying to figure this out. Thinking of checking front diff supports next. I'll chime in if I find what it is.... Good luck!
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Make sure your rotor is tight to the hub. Have you replaced the rotors or had your hub apart at all? Those studs can back out. Unlikely, but we saw it last year on a friends 100.
 
I did replace the rotors a couple of months ago. I'll give that a check too. Thanks for all the tips guys. Hopefully I'll get this sorted out and maybe this will help others in the future.
 
Would I need to remove everything or could I take the wheel and caliper off to check the rotor to hub tightness?
 
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You should be able to feel the play by taking the tire and caliper off and turning the rotor by hand (back and forth like a steering wheel)

Does the clunk happen each time you switch directions? If you were in a parking lot and drove forward and stopped, put it in reverse and stepped on the gas ..... clunk? Stop, put it in drive and step on the gas..... clunk?
 
I'm actually chasing a very similar thunk right now. I've tried running without the front drive shaft and it's still there. Wheel bearings are new and jacking up each side it feels sound wiggling in all directions. Lower control arms have less than 50k, TC upper arms could be loose. Also thinking it could be my rear MT links shifting on the stock bolts.
I'm going to keep looking and hope to have the guys at Slee drive it later this week to see if I can find it. I'll post up what I find out.
 
Similar noise here. This weekend I pulled back the leaking inner boots on both sides-thouroughly cleaned, regreased and rebanded. There was no significant backlash between inner tulip and the diff. Despite some gnarly looking grease, the bearings, cage and inner tulips looked pretty good. My clunk-thunk what ever you want to call it is front DS between outer tulip and the hub. I hear it more as it down shifts from 2 to 1, or letting off /on the gas. Fair bit of play (backlash) at the rotor turning back and forth before it engages the axle. How much is acceptable?

Brakes were redone prior to me purchasing the truck- not sure if the "gas station" that installed them got the torque right on the axle nut. By slim chance would this have any impact the on the backlash? I have a feeling the hub or axle splines are worn. I recently replaced the snap ring which was loose and had been reused.
 
I have the same clunk. Was meaning to crawl underneath the past few days and check play and bolts, but we've been getting rain here... digging this list of things to check now! I suppose a little procrastination actually paid off this time. Ha!
 
paflytyer said:
You should be able to feel the play by taking the tire and caliper off and turning the rotor by hand (back and forth like a steering wheel)

Does the clunk happen each time you switch directions? If you were in a parking lot and drove forward and stopped, put it in reverse and stepped on the gas ..... clunk? Stop, put it in drive and step on the gas..... clunk?
Click to expand...

Yes, and typically when on an incline or decline.
 
I've just ordered some sway bar end links since they aren't that expensive and whether or not they are the culprit could stand to be replaced anyway. I'll update when I get them on. Later this weekend I'll check the rotor also.

One thing to note is that I only hear it when braking and just before or as the truck stops either forward or backward. I don't hear it on speed bumps or when just driving up angled inclines or declines.
 
I'm intrigued by this thunking '99 thread! Let's make sure everyone posts as solutions manifest, to keep the community fed with these useful factoids!
 
skshepherd said:
I've just ordered some sway bar end links since they aren't that expensive and whether or not they are the culprit could stand to be replaced anyway. I'll update when I get them on. Later this weekend I'll check the rotor also.

One thing to note is that I only hear it when braking and just before or as the truck stops either forward or backward. I don't hear it on speed bumps or when just driving up angled inclines or declines.
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Well then there's a small chance it couldn't be your sway bar links. Your anti-sway bar (the technical term for it) helps dampen body roll and pitching from side-to-side. Speed bumps and angled inclines/declines are where you experience some body roll - however, you also experience it during the times where you say that you hear your clunk. But regardless it is always great to replace the links especially if the ones currently on there are OEM. And you never know, maybe that is the solution. Good luck and please update the thread once you get the links installed, any tips or things you would've done differently during the install since I plan on doing the same in 2wks, and whether or not they solved the 'clunking' noise. :cheers:
 
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