07-20-2017, 12:43 AM
|
#1
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
Front end clunk help
I've been experiencing a front end clunk while turning (slight or heavy, pretty random), and I've got difficulty determining what it is. Happens while going forward, or going backward while turning the steering wheel and turning. I can feel the clunk in the floor. Happens most often while going slow to medium speed, but sometime can feel it at highway speed while changing lanes. Clunk won't happen if I turn the steering wheel while not moving. Clunk happens once, then I cannot reproduce it, then later will clunk again in another condition.
Sway bar would be out of the question, bushing and links are new, and even tried disconnecting the sway bar and the clunk was still there.
I've installed the new model rack guide
Looked at every suspension component for looseness, every bushing with a pry bar. Did the same for the steering rack, everything seems tight. Inner and outer tie rods are solid. Even tried to move the front diff to make it clunk, seems pretty stiff. Looked at shocks for looseness at the bushing level, stiff. Upper ball joints and bushing don'T seem to move.
I'm stumped here, if anyone could furnish any new ideas, that would be appreciated!
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-20-2017, 12:51 AM
|
#2
|
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Jose, California
Age: 58
Posts: 5,278
Real Name: Tim
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Jose, California
Age: 58
Posts: 5,278
Real Name: Tim
|
Check your motor mounts and trans mount.
__________________
"My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it!"
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-20-2017, 10:58 AM
|
#3
|
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Jose, California
Age: 58
Posts: 5,278
Real Name: Tim
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Jose, California
Age: 58
Posts: 5,278
Real Name: Tim
|
Did you crank on the lower control arms looking for play in the bushings. I think there's a good chance your clunk could be coming from there too.
__________________
"My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it!"
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-20-2017, 11:22 AM
|
#4
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbtim
Did you crank on the lower control arms looking for play in the bushings. I think there's a good chance your clunk could be coming from there too.
|
I did, in every possible directions. On both bushings. Both are solid, no slop in them. Also verified every rear suspension bushings to be sure, even if I definitely feel the clunk in the front floor. Rear is fine too.
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
Last edited by diverscale; 07-20-2017 at 11:52 AM.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-20-2017, 12:57 PM
|
#5
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
I don't think it could be engine/trans mounts. It is unrelated to throttle input, can happens at crawl speed or higher speed, always when turning (slight or sharp), forward or reverse, and random.
I guess that even if they seems solid, those LCA bushings are the most probable culprit. I've pried them loaded and unloaded, no clunk or unusual play. But I really cannot think of anything else.
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 01:02 AM
|
#6
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
update. Driver side LCA replaced. Found a cheap one with good bushings at scrapyard. Clunk still the same. Pretty much replaced it for no reason as those bushing seems to be of indestructible rubber. So:
New LCA
new link kits
new sway bar bushings
new lower ball joints
new steering rack guide
no play in any ball joints or bushings. Skid plates are tight.
Still feel that annoying, random clunk in my driver's floorboard when turning (slight or heavier, mostly at lower speeds)
If anyone has any ideas, feel free to add
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 02:46 AM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Arizona
Age: 51
Posts: 1,163
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Arizona
Age: 51
Posts: 1,163
|
Wish I could help because I have the same issue happening. But I've only got one week of R&R this time and I was busy with too many other things to even try to look into it. Next R&R I'll be working on my brakes so I figured then would be a good time to look around. But like you, I can't find anything obviously wrong. The way it sounds it seems like it would be easy to find, but no such luck. Most everything of mine has been changed out in the past 4 years or so.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 08:54 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: TX
Posts: 1,196
Real Name: Daniel
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: TX
Posts: 1,196
Real Name: Daniel
|
Happens only while turning? Does it happen when going over bumps?
I lost a brake caliper bolt a few weeks ago. Big clunk whenever i hit potholes.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 11:52 AM
|
#9
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: NorCal
Posts: 61
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: NorCal
Posts: 61
|
Are you sure it's coming from the front? I had a similar clunk when turning and hitting a bump, and I could have sworn it was the front. Turns out my rear control arms were a little loose and shifting. Tightened those up and the noise went away.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 12:56 PM
|
#10
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
Inspected brake calipers, everything is a-1.
I am gonna concentrate on the rear, thanks to sunsetrunner's suggestion.
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 04:36 PM
|
#11
|
|
Junior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 26
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 26
|
My clunk (same symptoms) was coming from my steering rack.
__________________
1989 SR5
1996 LTD
1998 SR5
1999 UZJ-100
1977 FJ-40
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-27-2017, 08:31 PM
|
#12
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: The Great PNW
Posts: 2,016
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: The Great PNW
Posts: 2,016
|
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-28-2017, 01:52 AM
|
#13
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by G-C@T
My clunk (same symptoms) was coming from my steering rack.
|
You mean it would be totally random, drive or reverse, and could be felt sometimes slightly turning and sometimes turning heavy?
Also sometimes it's pretty subtle, then other times it's a POP. You would get those?
Thanks!
Edit, checked every bolt on the rear, and disconnected the sway bar from the suspension altogether. That damned clunk and pop is still there.
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
07-28-2017, 06:34 AM
|
#14
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Jersey
Age: 56
Posts: 1,963
Real Name: John
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Jersey
Age: 56
Posts: 1,963
Real Name: John
|
Were all the new parts to fix the clunk? I had a couple clunks and found that my sway bar end links (which were new) were loose where they attach to the LCA. Also , when I replaced my LCA bushings, I had to REALLY tighten the LCA bolts as they seemed a little loose.
How are your steering rack bushings?
__________________
SILVER 2000 4runner Limited TOTALED
WHITE/SILVER 1999 4runner Limited l Rear Locker l Tundra/890 coils | 5100 Bilsteins all around | Sonoran Steel Bumpstops l 199 mm Tundra brake upgrade | SCS Matte Gray Ray10 Rims | 275 70 17 BFG KO2 tires | LR UCAs | EIMKEITH panhard brackets | LED interior upgrade l Rear LED tailights l Pioneer AVH-X5700BHS Alpine Type "R" speakers NVX JAD800.4 Class D Amp Kenwood Under seat Subwoofer l Front window tint 20% l Weathertech window visors and floormats l OutGear Solutions Full Length roofrack l Morimoto 40" LED lightbar
Last edited by JRZEE2000TR4LTD; 07-28-2017 at 09:43 AM.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
09-28-2017, 12:40 AM
|
#15
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 912
|
Update, the problem finally was both of the body mounts on each side, closest to the driver and passenger feet. Was clunking from both side, both randomly, which pretty much drives you crazy because it seems like it comes from direction components.
__________________
1998 4runner SR5
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is On
|
|
|
|