Front suspension clunk

[JacksonRally]

mine clunks and its from my shot shock bushings. been spending $$$ on both kids vehicles and new 35's for the wifes jeep so my bilsteins will have to wait a little longer.

This is one most people miss. Stock shocks/lower bushings last quite awhile. When you start getting up there in mileage they will degrade and develop a clunk. The funny thing is a lot of people get a clunk with new shocks sooner than the 100k miles that are on the originals due to improper installation. The lower shock bolt should only be tightened when the vehicle is on the ground. When you tighten it with vehicle on jack stands then the bushing will be stretching/stressed at ride height and further stretched in the same direction when the suspension compresses. Ideally you want it neutral at ride height with little stretching in two directions.

 

[Mr. Weber]

I have a 2008 SR5. The clunking sound coming from my front end turned out to be due to the front stabilizer bushings. The sway bar is supposed to twist while seated in the rubber bushings but I think the rubber became less supple and was gripping the bar too much and allowing the bar to smoothly twist in the mount. When it finally did give, it made a clunking sound. I replaced the bushings with new ones but probably could have just taken it apart and put some silicone grease between the bar and the bushing and solved the problem. Easy cheap fix. FYI the bushing bracket clamps are marked left and right.

 

[slimjj]

Happy to report that replacing the sway bar bushings (Moog Poly) and end links (Moog) fixed my front end clunk (more like a bonk sound). Easy fix and greatly improved the on-road handling, much tighter feeling, much less body roll (which isn’t a benefit for off roading so much).

SPC UCAs and Moog tie rod ends going in this weekend.





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[beingnotdoing]

I had the same issue. I went through an uneven and humped mud pit at an unadvisable speed while out wheeling. What immediately manifested was a clunk going over bumps at relatively low speeds coming from the front driver side suspension. I thought no way it could just be a sway bar end link. It turns out I was dead wrong.

My clunk was coming from a sway bar end link that was not torqued to the proper spec on either the lower or upper bolt. A couple of swings of a torque wrench and my clunk has disappeared. May you have as good of luck as I did!

I should add, that I torqued the lower bolt to 51 foot pounds and the upper bolt to 14 foot pounds.