Clunking when turning at speed

[ryanr623]

1999 4runner limited 4X4

I have a clunking/clicking (not a harsh clunk, but not a faint click) when i turn either way at speed. It is like a clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk.... until i stop turning. It only seems to do it when going over ten mph or so... for instance if im going slow and turning into a parking space it doesnt do it, or at least it hasnt yet. I also have intermittent shaking at over 70 mph. It comes for about 30 seconds then goes away for the remainder of the trip.... not sure if its related but worth noting.

Any ideas? Also, how do i go about diagnosing front end noises? I can diagnose bottom end noises, electrical problems etc.... but am clueless how to go about diagnosing front end noise.... if it did it while at rest i could have someone turn while im under it, but how do i diagnose something that happens at speed?

 

[cj80cruiser]

1999 4runner limited 4X4

I have a clunking/clicking (not a harsh clunk, but not a faint click) when i turn either way at speed. It is like a clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk.... until i stop turning. It only seems to do it when going over ten mph or so... for instance if im going slow and turning into a parking space it doesnt do it, or at least it hasnt yet. I also have intermittent shaking at over 70 mph. It comes for about 30 seconds then goes away for the remainder of the trip.... not sure if its related but worth noting.

Any ideas? Also, how do i go about diagnosing front end noises? I can diagnose bottom end noises, electrical problems etc.... but am clueless how to go about diagnosing front end noise.... if it did it while at rest i could have someone turn while im under it, but how do i diagnose something that happens at speed?

It's not your CV's clicking in the front when you turn? It's more of a thud sound like an ungreased driveshaft? Not saying it's your driveshaft. just tryna get how it sounds and where you think it's coming from.

 

[ryanr623]

It's not your CV's clicking in the front when you turn? It's more of a thud sound like an ungreased driveshaft? Not saying it's your driveshaft. just tryna get how it sounds and where you think it's coming from.

Its definitely not a thud. More like a clicking i guess. My first thought was a bushing, but they all look decent. Checked CV boots, do not look torn. I just got in the car and it still isnt doing it when parked and i turn all the way to either side. Only when moving.

 

[ryanr623]

Well i figured it out. Scary really. Kept getting louder. turned to a THUD everytime i turned.

During my recent 4wheeling expedition i must have loosened up the lugnuts (all of them) on my tire. 4 out of the 6 were hanging by a thread.....and i drove on the highway this morning. I have no idea how this could have happened.... i didnt even go through water or mud.

 

[Pikeman]

Always important to check wheels after wheeling. You are going over ruts, rocks adding additional side load especially if in rocky or sand environment so always a poosibility but usually only if the lug nuts were not torqued properly to begin with.

 

[brian2sun]

My front sway bar and links used to loosen up every few weeks and clunk before I removed them.

 

[ryanr623]

Always important to check wheels after wheeling. You are going over ruts, rocks adding additional side load especially if in rocky or sand environment so always a poosibility but usually only if the lug nuts were not torqued properly to begin with.

Yeah i couldn't believe it. Never happened before. Needless to say problem fixed. Scary though, i had JUST got off the highway to go to the shop and it started shimmying bad..... another 5 miles i woulda had BIG problems.

 

[Nelsonmd]

Dude, that is seriously lucky, I have heard of people getting killed in highway crashes because of a wheel improperly installed and falling off.

You should check your lug nuts from time to time as well. They are a much softer steel than the lugs and could get deformed or damaged with the stress of wheeling. They are only a couple bucks anyway. I would replace them periodically.

We did a case study on a similar thing in my materials failure class in college. It was a crash that killed 2 families on the highway (one lost a wheel, slammed into another car, both flipped) because the wheel wasn't installed properly.

 

[BTO]

No way did wheeling cause that. Somebody forgot to torque that wheel down. Who was the last to work on it?

 

[brian2sun]

No way did wheeling cause that. Somebody forgot to torque that wheel down. Who was the last to work on it?

I was thinking the same thing. Sombody probably put them on with an impact and forgot to go back over them with the torque wrench.

 

[ryanr623]

No way did wheeling cause that. Somebody forgot to torque that wheel down. Who was the last to work on it?

I DID just have a tire installed on that rim, it was a couple weeks ago, i guess that must be it

What do you guys do when you dont have an impact or torque wrench? I only have the factory lug wrench.... i just stood on it till it wouldnt go anymore

 

[brian2sun]

I just use German torque if I don't have a torque wrench...
Gudentight.

 

[Nelsonmd]

I just use German torque if I don't have a torque wrench...
Gudentight.

Yeah, I just go by feel. Standing on it is not a good way to do it. You should get it as tight as you can with your hands, and go a bit past that without jumping on it.

If you can borrow a torque wrench, try putting them on a couple times with the wrench so you get an idea of how tight it should be

And always used the proper procedure, tightening the lugs in the right order, and I have always heard you should tighten them snug, drop the car off the jack, then finish tightening them with weight on it.

Jumping on it can pretty easily damage the nut or lug.

 

[Rockdawg84]

the key is to tighten in a star pattern and go around a couple of times. I have had lugs come loose after they seemed tight because the rest of the wheel torques down. don't over tighten the lugs though IIRC the factor lug torque is only 80 lbs. with the lever arm of a lug wrench it is pretty easy to reach that.

 

[cj80cruiser]

I DID just have a tire installed on that rim, it was a couple weeks ago, i guess that must be it

What do you guys do when you dont have an impact or torque wrench? I only have the factory lug wrench.... i just stood on it till it wouldnt go anymore

If you stood on it then there is no question that they were tight as hell....overly tight. Do you have wheel spacers? I see most recommend some loctite with spacers I'm assuming because you lose some bite on the stud and not because the spacer is more out to cause loosening of the lug nut. I'm just curious though.

You are lucky as hell but I appreciate you posting here cause now I know that I will get a little warning before a wheel comes flying off on a wheel I torqued by feel. Which makes me wonder how people drive until the wheels come off. I can only imagine there would be some obvious handling problems before the nuts work themself all the way off or maybe the studs snap off from the added pressure on their ends. Anybody have any insight on this?

 

[ryanr623]

If you stood on it then there is no question that they were tight as hell....overly tight. Do you have wheel spacers? I see most recommend some loctite with spacers I'm assuming because you lose some bite on the stud and not because the spacer is more out to cause loosening of the lug nut. I'm just curious though.

You are lucky as hell but I appreciate you posting here cause now I know that I will get a little warning before a wheel comes flying off on a wheel I torqued by feel. Which makes me wonder how people drive until the wheels come off. I can only imagine there would be some obvious handling problems before the nuts work themself all the way off or maybe the studs snap off from the added pressure on their ends. Anybody have any insight on this?

Actually the wheel place was the one that installed the wheel, they must not have torqued them down correctly. I stood on the lug wrench AFTER i saw them loose, because i wanted to make CERTAIN that it didnt happen again.

About the last part. it was actually driving fine on the highway, a little shaking, but just slight enough to feel like it was just a wheel that needed to be balanced. THATS why its so scary, i probably wouldnt have known until the lugs came completely off and the truck started shaking BAD just before the wheel came off.

 

[cj80cruiser]

I have no hope of a warning then because my tires barely balance as is....probably would never know the difference. Guess I need to keep up the periodic checking procedure. It only takes a minute anyway.

 

[ryanr623]

I have no hope of a warning then because my tires barely balance as is....probably would never know the difference. Guess I need to keep up the periodic checking procedure. It only takes a minute anyway.

Yep, thats the moral of the story. I know i will check the lug nuts often. No reason not too

 

[brian2sun]

I worked with my buddy on his Jeep until like 4am one morning and he forgot to torque his lugs after he put the tires on with an impact. He was giving me a ride home and all of a sudden, we heard a runbling for about 3 seconds and as he started to slow down, the tire fell off. Luckily it was a rear tire and the truck kept a pretty straight path. We checked all the other tires and they were all loose. Moral of the story.. 4am is too late to finally stop working on your truck.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Just remember that over-torqued lug nuts are just as bad as under-torqued ones. ;-)

Especially true with aluminum wheels.

A decent torque wrench is not that expensive and worth its weight in gold. Whenever I remove a wheel(s) I go around them twice with the torque wrench counting 1,2,3,4,5.

About 20 years ago I rotated the tires on my Corvette. I was on the last wheel and had put the nuts on that last wheel just speed wrench tight (not very tight at all) and the phone rang. It was my buddy saying get on over to his house and join the party.

I jumped in the shower, went out and got in my Vette and was on my way to a night of debauchery at the party.

I made it about 5 miles away and was on Hampden Ave which is a 3 lane 50 mph road during rush hour on Saturday evening when all of the sudden the back end of the car started going left to right. Very bad feeling. Sort of like the feeling you get when a plane hits really bad turbulence.

I looked in the rear view mirror and saw something small bouncing behind my car and knew it wasn't good.

It was the 5th of 5 lug nuts. I got the car stopped on Hampden in the right lane (no emergency lane on that road) which is not a particularly good sensation when cars are slamming on their brakes and flying by you at 50+ mph.

The rotor was running on the inside of the rim and the tire/wheel had stayed on because it sort of wedged up in the fender well.

This was not a pleasant experience and could have turned out a LOT worse.

Now, I check any wheel I put on twice with the torque wrench. :lookout:

True story and the reason for what some might consider obsessive compulsive behavior concerning lug nuts.