Front End Clunk???

[JerseyCruiser]

I hear a clunking, loose part sound in my front suspension whenever I hit a pothole or bump in the road. I installed an OME suspension in July and thought it was the old worn out loose shocks but it still does it. Its mainly on th DS could it be the sway bar bushings or motor mounts?

Thanks
George

 

[Romer]

I had a similar problem, turned out my slider had moved up to be in contact with the pinch weld. Don't know if you have sliders. Might also check your drive shaft vs the sway bar. See if there are any hit marks. If there are, get the Slee drop blocks. Take a look at your springs and make sure they are seated correctly, the end of the spring needs to be up against the raised part on the bottom of the block.

Feel around with your tie bars, saway bars, etc and see if anything is loose.

See if you can reproduce it by really pushing up and down on the front end of your truck, might be better able to hear were it is coming form.

Good Luck

 

[Rev. Coyote]

Tie rod end?

Have you checked the ball joints? I just went through this with my beloved 91 Lexus 400, and the sound was decidedly clunky. It turned out the upper ball joint and control arm are one piece. $750 a pair. Owee. But that's another tale.

 

[Grench]

Just to make sure...

The clunk happened both before and after the lift installation?

Maybe something more common and less difficult... Exhaust? The hangar behind the muffler can rust / let go and leave the pipe swinging resulting in a clunk or rattle.

Does it happen only with brakes applied? A loose caliper maybe?

 

[Skim]

I got the same drivers side clunk. Mine is coming from the lower control arm bushings at the axle. Primarily the front one.

It is allowing the arm to move up and down causing the clunk sound.
Mine has the OE bushings that are now wasted and need replacement.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

My Lexus did this. A buddy told me to make sure those control arm bolts were at 150 ft/lbs. We re-torqued and all is fine.

 

[JerseyCruiser]

I know its not brake calipers, springs, control arms or bushings, wheel bearings, shocks or the exhaust. The front axle was completely overhauled this past summer and I installed an OEM heavy lift. The noise was there before and after the lift. I hear it when I hit larger bumps and it sounds like it is coming from DS axle. I do have some issues with the sway bar I listed them below.

Thanx
George

 

[JerseyCruiser]

I finally got around to changing all of the bushings on the front sway bar and it totally eliminated the clunking sound I was hearing. The larger bushings from the sway bar hangers were rotted from my leaky oil pan and the ones where the bar bolts to the axle were egged out and allowed the whole bar to bang around.