Front end clunk when braking

[PNWRunner]

This seems to be a recent problem, or I just havent noticed it until now. Most of the time when im in stop/go traffic every time I brake or step on the throttle from a stop I will get a dull clunk that comes from what seems to be the passenger front tire area.

I had my girlfriend rapidly start and stop yesterday but couldnt hear anything outside the vehicle except the rear driveline. Heres a list of things I checked yesterday that I thought could be making the noise but arent.

Brake caliper bolts
Lugnuts
Upper/Lower shock mounts
Springs contacting spindle
Swaybar endlinks
Differential mounts (1" diff drop)

Does anyone have any ideas? The brake pads are fairly new and I have been in at discount tire quite a few times in the past months because they cant seem to balance tires right the first, second, or third time. maybe its something they did?

 

[00_4runner]

This seems to be a recent problem, or I just havent noticed it until now. Most of the time when im in stop/go traffic every time I brake or step on the throttle from a stop I will get a dull clunk that comes from what seems to be the passenger front tire area.

I had my girlfriend rapidly start and stop yesterday but couldnt hear anything outside the vehicle except the rear driveline. Heres a list of things I checked yesterday that I thought could be making the noise but arent.

Brake caliper bolts
Lugnuts
Upper/Lower shock mounts
Springs contacting spindle
Swaybar endlinks
Differential mounts (1" diff drop)

Does anyone have any ideas? The brake pads are fairly new and I have been in at discount tire quite a few times in the past months because they cant seem to balance tires right the first, second, or third time. maybe its something they did?

My front knocks like a mother, I can say with some certainty that your lower control arm bushings are shot. This happened to me soon after I put in my lift. I have yet to replace them and they knock like crazy especially when its wet out. Id check those out, I had no idea what it was until my mechanic told me.

 

[PNWRunner]

thanks for the reply, will give it a look in the morning.

 

[PNWRunner]

So the LCA bushings look fine, no play at all and they show no signs of wear. Someone else has to have had this problem. Anyone?

 

[00_4runner]

So the LCA bushings look fine, no play at all and they show no signs of wear. Someone else has to have had this problem. Anyone?

How did you check for play? Mine show little to none, until my mechanic took it in and threw it on a lift I had no idea what was knocking. If you have a trusted mechanic take it in and have them look at it. My mechanic will check any problem for free so that's probably your best bet. I tried to ask people here for the same problem and didnt really get much help.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Check the CV as well. Are the still original?

 

[HCurphy]

I know you said it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side, but if you have exhausted other options. Check your U-Joints. Sounds like a drive-line clunk to me. Mine used to make that noise...for like years. Then my drive-shaft fell out of my runner.

Might just need to grease 'em up.

 

[00_4runner]

Im not trying to completely dismiss your guys other ideas but ive heard many angles for this problems, now not to say that your doing this but i see a lot of people just regurgitate information that they have read here without any real car knowledge or personal experience, now im not saying i know all but this sounds identical to my problem and it took some persistence to figure out. There is the possibility that with too much lift in the front they might make noise but its slim. As far as the u-joints go just check for play in the one in the front, simple as that. Like i said try going to a mechanic and tell him your having this problem. Dont even say what you think it is, just wait for their response. If they have problems figuring it out then ask them to check for problems with the a-arm bushings.

 

[PNWRunner]

Ujoints are fine, CV's seem fine, not really sure how to check. Ive got it in the garage now and i stuck a big prybar between the LCA and the mounting bracket and the most i could get it to move was probably ~1cm.

Heres pictures of both.
Rear passenger LCA bushing

Front passenger LCA bushing

I had a buddy roll and brake while i was walking by the passenger tire and i couldnt hear anything from outside the vehicle. Im lost here

 

[00_4runner]

How much lift in front? And keep in mind that if the lcsa are moving it will take more force than a prybar, when you brake the entire weight of the car can shift there now add in added force from momentum and that's a lot of force.

 

[PNWRunner]

Around 3 inches on my Toytec adjustable coils, I took it to a shop today and a tech watched the tire as I went back and forward while braking hard and there was no movement in the LCA at all. At this point I would really just like it to be the bushings so I can replace them and be done with this guessing game, But when its $220 in bushings for both sides I really want to be sure. Ive played the throw money at it game before and always regret it.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Since we are just firing off here with possible variables, does temp have any effect? How about stopping speed? Is the clunk present when you go over a speed bump? Is it the same volume each time or does it change?

With my right CV clunk, I could physically get the inner shaft to move with the car at rest. Eight months later, I still have the bad one ready to get rebuilt.

 

[PNWRunner]

Temp doesnt seem to have any effect. Its been pretty much the same here in Washington over the last couple months, wet and cold. There is no noise when the suspension is articulating, it still rolls over the bumps smooth as always. I removed the swaybar for a bit yesterday to double check and that didnt make a difference. As for volume, sometimes its louder than others, but it doesnt seem to have any pattern. It can be really loud while braking from 5 mph or quiet braking from 60.

Ive grabbed both cvs to check for play and they havent given me any wiggle other than the usual tiny bit of play. My boots are starting to rip though, hooray. I appriciate the ideas, keep throwing them out its only a matter of time before something will check out.

 

[00_4runner]

Around 3 inches on my Toytec adjustable coils, I took it to a shop today and a tech watched the tire as I went back and forward while braking hard and there was no movement in the LCA at all. At this point I would really just like it to be the bushings so I can replace them and be done with this guessing game, But when its $220 in bushings for both sides I really want to be sure. Ive played the throw money at it game before and always regret it.

Okay mine started clunking a week or two after the lift was installed, and they clunk badly in exactly the weather your describing cold, and most importantly WET. I started to notice it more often when I put the car in 4WD after the lift, since power is actually going to the front diff there is more stress on parts. Try that maybe give your runner a quick but hard tap on the gas, drive around for a bit, stop and go, and see if the clunking happens more often then before. Maybe even spray the bushings with some water to see if that makes them slide back and forth easier while testing. Now you can buy a full bushing kit from toytec for 50 bucks. They just started to carry them. Its the install that is a PITA. Labor is crazy expensive and you need an alignment after.

 

[matthinnant]

I dont know if this will help you out any but the same thing happend to me for awhile and all my cv, u-joints and all of that were fine but for some reason I wanted to make sure the bolt that goes to the A-Arm was tighten and it wasnt for some reason so check that and make sure its tightend down to specs. If your having trouble figuring out what im talking about its the big bolt you see if you look under your truck with a silver dial that kinda resembles a spark plug gapping gauge. Hope this helps you out.

 

[awdjunkies]

I am not sure if you have checked these yet but, when you say "Clunk when braking" to me sounds like either an engine mount or a transmission mount. Give that a try, couldn't hurt to look these items over.

 

[PNWRunner]

And the winner is 00 4Runner!

Its the front pass LCA bushing, used a mirror to get a closer look in there after i saw only my pass CV boot was ripping. Must be from all the wiggling.

Looking for lower mileage arms to replace them with, im in-between houses now and dont have any clamps or a torch accesable to replace just the bushing.

 

[00_4runner]

Haha glad I could help. I have yet to replace mine hopefully this won't lead to my boots tearing. But on another note finding a lower mileage a arm to replace yours with is extra work. Like I said I'd buy the toytec bushing kit. It includes all control arm bushings, not that you'd need all of them. Remember to do an alignment after you take apart anything relating to the suspension.

Edit: didn't read the part under the pictures. Whatever is easier for you then.

 

[CAN-03runner]

I dont know if this will help you out any but the same thing happend to me for awhile and all my cv, u-joints and all of that were fine but for some reason I wanted to make sure the bolt that goes to the A-Arm was tighten and it wasnt for some reason so check that and make sure its tightend down to specs. If your having trouble figuring out what im talking about its the big bolt you see if you look under your truck with a silver dial that kinda resembles a spark plug gapping gauge. Hope this helps you out.

This is what fixed this clunk on my 4runner. Not saying it is the case here for sure, but this could be one of those things where changing one part requires the removal or replacement of another part that is actually at fault. Anyways, I was ready to spring for bushings or whole new LCA when we noticed this bolt was too loose. Symptoms might show up after an alignment since that is used for alignment.