Today I was being stupid and went too fast down this neat forest road I found. I was going downhill and hit a waterbar hard before I could slow down. The bumper hit a big rock in the hill coming out and the cross piece got all bent up but I don't care because the bumper is already destroyed anyways (this is the 2000 Limited I am fixing up) and I'll get a new bumper. But the suspension took a hit.

If I am on a smooth surface everything seems fine and the alignment isn't affected but if I hit a pothole or rough patch it makes this godawful clunk like something is loose, almost like a bracket is broken and held on by the force of the suspension when driving on a flat surface but when the suspension suddenly goes down in a pothole, it becomes loose. I have pulled off the bash plates which also got hit. I can't see anything wrong with it. Everything seems sturdy when I push on it. I'm not sure how I'm going to find the problem when I can only experience it while driving over a pothole.

You can feel this clunk on your foot on the gas pedal, that's how big it is. I am planning to take this thing across BC in 2 weeks...

I propped that corner up on a jack so the suspension droops and removed the wheel but everything still seems sturdy.

Driver or passenger side? Are your shocks still intact? I don't know 3rd gens well but the sound you describe fits the lack of dampening from a blown shock on one side. Or motor mount? Sway bar? Lots of possible culprits you'll just have narrow down one by one.

I'm going to take a stab and say it's not related to suspension at all. it's something else you broke and it's like a skid plate or maybe that part of the bumper you wracked? something is still attached but cracked or broken and when you get a good hit it kind of twangs and makes a noise.

it's always something obvious once you find it but it has nothing to do with the suspension. it's because you have a preconceived notion that it's the suspension and your just overlooking what is really busted/crack?

I don't think it's driveline / engine related because acceleration has no impact. Smooth highway driving is perfectly normal. When the passenger side hits a "pothole", and that is a strong word, basically any kind of dip, it gives this big rattle / clunk, which feels like it's from a critical part of the suspension, not some accessory thing like the bumper.

The transmission pan took a hit from the rock and has a big dent but otherwise seems fine. The transmission mount looks good.

I don't have a lot of time to sort this out so I'll probably bring it into a shop.

How old are your front springs and shocks.

I had a similar issue with my front right shock, I know it had leaked completely dry but the truck still drove fine until I hit a sharp bump or pothole on the front right corner. Caused a loud bang which I figured was those factory hard bump stops hitting the frame.

If the shock is totally gone the truck still rides and steers perfectly fine until you hit a hard bump. Basically it was just riding on the spring which was still in reasonable shape. I just avoided bumps until I recently replaced the front suspension - problem gone.

Any signs of fresh leakage on the shock or any chance it is dry?

Gary

It's dry. I'm thinking this may be the problem. Surprising how a bad shock can make such a racket and make the suspension feel like it's gonna fall off. The shocks were in good shape, look like original Toyotas but maybe this impact just blew it out internally. If so then I'll have to figure out what to replace it with quick since I am leaving soon. I will upgrade these to stronger aftermarket ones in the future to handle the front bumper and winch I will put on but I'm not ready for that yet. In the meantime I'll need something.

Maybe throw some kyb’s on it. People seem to like them and the price is right.

Could be shocks. The cold up here kills Monroe’s. Won’t last a winter without developing an internal knocking that is darn hard to find in the garage.

As luck would have it my manual '98 isn't insured due to Covid and needing a clutch job so I'll take the strut assembly from that one and see if that fixes it.

I cracked loose all nuts on both donor and recipient trucks. Except for that back upper one on top of the shock tower. Not sure how they expect you to get at that one when there's corrosion. There is a hole in the bodywork right above it that I'll increase with a hole saw to get a socket on it. It should have come from the factory with a hole above it. Anyone else done this?

Yup some Japanese engineer is still laughing over that bolt location.

I was thinking of enlarging that hole myself, only has to be large enough to get an extension through as a socket will just fit underneath. Depends which side though as you may have to remove stuff above to get the extension and ratchet in place. Passenger side looks easier than the driver’s side.

Got lucky and got mine off with PB blaster and heat. Had to leave the passenger to soak with the penetrating oil overnight though.

Driver’s side I was able to get a pry bar between a regular box end 14mm wrench and the inner fender for some extra leverage.

Forget getting a torque wrench in there as well…..

Gary

I used a box end wrench. 1/2 a turn out, then back in. Brush off the rust. Repeat. Took forever. Use the nut as a thread chaser.

The nuts arent too bad. It's just the initial cracking that I cant get. I tried a claw foot but it interferes with the big circle thing and wont go on the nut. I could try a box end wrench but they are 12 point so I could strip it.

Kanoe, my sister has a 2003 echo. Good little car but she went 10 years without changing the oil. "No it's all good, I keep it topped up". But it's still going strong with over 450k.

Can you recreate the noise by compressing the suspension on the front corners while the vehicle is parked and on the ground? Better yet, have someone do that while you peak underneath and try and isolate the sound. Don't even necessarily have to get under it.

I had a loud pop/clunk when hitting any kind of bump or dip. Turned out to be loose sway bar end links where they attach to the lower control arm. Can't say for sure this is your problem, but this method helped narrow my problem down.

Replaced the strut and it still does it