Where is this front end clunk coming from?? (1 Viewer)

[CarolinaGX]

Here is an out of the box idea. If it only happens when it dives (ie. on the brakes) could it be pads installed incorrectly allowing movement or a motor mount?

 

[dsm4ever]

After it makes some pops it won’t repeat itself. I can goose the throttle, dog the brakes, whip it right and left and nothing! Seems like it happens when the vehicle sits or something. Jack it up and shake everything down and no play in anything. It would be nice to have some knock sensors mounted to each suspension piece that you can datalog each knock or sound. Seems insane in this day and age mechanic shops can’t perform that service to diagnose

 

[Bralow]

After it makes some pops it won’t repeat itself. I can goose the throttle, dog the brakes, whip it right and left and nothing! Seems like it happens when the vehicle sits or something. Jack it up and shake everything down and no play in anything. It would be nice to have some knock sensors mounted to each suspension piece that you can datalog each knock or sound. Seems insane in this day and age mechanic shops can’t perform that service to diagnose

Exactly this.

This is what makes me think it's a bushing or something binding up and getting stiff and then it breaks loose and settles down again once you get some movement. It ONLY happens after I've parked overnight or a few days and pull out of my parking spot.

 

[mjimport]

I have experienced a similar situation where the brake pad/pins am were shifting under only certain conditions (not braking) but it was a lighter sound vs a ball joint clunk in my opinion. The behavior of the sound seems awfully similar to brake pins.

 

[Brake Weight]

Exactly this.

This is what makes me think it's a bushing or something binding up and getting stiff and then it breaks loose and settles down again once you get some movement. It ONLY happens after I've parked overnight or a few days and pull out of my parking spot.

This sounds like a likely culprit. There's a dry bushing that friction seats itself and finally pops loose when bound up.

 

[Leo Dorio]

Were you ever able to figure it out? Mine is doing the same thing. New lift OME, new upper and lower control arms, new oem cv shafts. Just does it under low speed. Can not make it do it over 40, even swaying back and forth. Can't really mess with it tell next week. Please let me know what you found. Thanks.

 

[HuntCA]

Sounds like the brake pads shifting back and forth. Check and see if the shims are missing

 

[canadacowboyboy]

Some background:

2005 Lexus GX470 with 112k miles on it. Very well maintained by previous owner. I've had it for the last 6k miles or so.

When i bought the truck i noticed that there was a pretty loud clunk when i was turning right to get into my driveway. I did some research and lots of people suggested that i need to replace the sway bar end links.
I bought some high quality non-OEM end links (used the same brand in the past on other cars with great success) and i replaced them WITHOUT replacing the sway bar bushings. Since i also replaced the CV boots when i bought the truck and i had to touch it, I also re-tightened the lower ball joint large nut - just in case.
All of this FIXED the clunk. The truck was quiet for about 3-4k miles.

Now, i have a new suspension clunk from the driver side. It happens only when i pull out of my driveway and/or when i start turning the steering wheel. It clunks once and then for miles, regardless of how i drive...the truck is quiet. Another time when i can hear it is when i step on the brakes hard and the truck leans forward. As the front end dives in, this is when i hear the clunk. Turning the steering to the right or left while moving does not bring the noise most of the time.

So, the new clunk is similar to what we had before but it is not the same, or at least it is triggered by different conditions (braking, moving the car after it's been staying parked for awhile, etc)

There are no other symptoms. No vibrations, no pulling to the side, no other strange noises. Everything under the truck looks tight and clean. Front shocks were replaced at 67k miles with OEM parts.

Where should i start looking? Any bushings that may be going bad at this mileage/age? Any common weak areas to inspect? Could it be the sway bar bushings, since i did not replace them?


Thanks!

Hi Dan : did you ever solve the problem?

 

[canadacowboyboy]

Hello : I have solved the problem. It was due to a golf balls rolling around under both the drivers and passenger seat. They were trapped in the space by the floor mats, and would bang off the metal under the seat, causing a very distinctive noise, that would appear to move all around the vehicle. Embarrassed of course, but if you ever heard it, you might be sympathetic !!!

 

[HomersCanyonero]

So the moral of the story is….if you hear banging, check where your balls are?