Hard to locate clunk in front end, only in the rain

[sjwelna]

So I've had a random clunk in the front passenger side for several months now and can not locate where it is coming from. The odd bit is that it really only happens when driving in the rain or the underside of the truck gets wet. It sounds like a popping sound, decently loud, and you can feel it in the car when it happens. I'm pretty well versed at fixing cars but I can NOT find this one.

I have checked out the swaybar endlinks and even took the passenger side one completely off to inspect, seemed OK. (I can pivot the lower bolt around in the joint but no odd binding/noises/etc, didn't seem overly loose). I have pried on the lower ball joints several times with the truck in the air to see if there was any play, can't see any. The lower shock bushing is a little cracked but not totally wrecked, I even pried under that with the truck in the air to see if there was excessive play there and it barely moves. The only thing I can think of that is left is the upper ball joint. It has weeped a little grease out but not a lot, I even wedged a prybar in between the upper control arm and the knuckle last night to see if it had play and couldn't see anything odd.

Could this be control arm bushings? I can't see them well to know if they are trashed, but I'm about to start throwing parts at this thing.... Seemed like this all started around the time I put my 1.5" body lift on, but the noise is most definitely occurring #1 when the truck gets wet, #2 when there is some kind of loading the suspension on that side of the truck (big bumps, off camber turns that load the suspension, basically anything that jarrs that side of the truck. I've looked all over under the truck to see any rub/ding marks from where other things might have been knocking together but I haven't found anything yet.

Anyone else with a good idea before I start dumping money at this problem?

 

[LookAtThatDog]

I had a clunk that only happened when it was real windy, turned out to be the hood was flopping around a little bit.

It happens when the underbody gets wet? Like if its dry out and you drive through a puddle? Maybe the skid plate? LBJ?

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/207798-front-end-clunk-when-driving-wind.html

 

[sjwelna]

Yeah it happens when I'm driving in the rain 99% of the time, virtually never when the underside of the truck is dry. It will start clunking if I go through a puddle (offroad/etc) and get the front end wet.

I should add: I have replaced the swaybar bushings and steering rack bushings with energy suspension/polyurethane replacements, as well as the swaybar endlink bushings.

I almost want whatever it is to just finally break so I can figure out what to fix...would just hate to have it be a LBJ though... PS, lug nuts are tight and torqued properly in sequence.

 

[sjwelna]

FWIW I'm about at the point to start attaching our baby monitor in the wheel well to try and watch things moving and see if anything has some weird play. If someone else drives you can watch it in real time, though it could be difficult to do in the rain without wrecking the monitor.

EDIT: I may also grab a spray bottle of water and try to localize/recreate the conditions that are causing this. Once the clunk shows up I will have better info on where it's coming from...

 

[sjwelna]

Just thought I'd update this thread in case anyone else reads it. I pulled the endlinks off the swaybar in the front today and drove around and the clunk was still there. It had gotten a good bit worse since the winter weather had arrived and had started making the sound on the driver's side as well a bit. Looking around under the truck some more the front shock bushings are looking pretty bad, worse than the last time I looked. I think it's time for new front shocks, now the debate of whether I want to drop 5100s and a lift into this thing or just get some OEM ones and call it a day.

 

[TheOGConCon]

Wouldn't be able to watch in real time, but maybe try placing a GoPro up under there somewhere. Then drive and try to recreate the sound, then see if you find anything in the footage. And no worries about ruining it from water

 

[sjwelna]

I ended up snagging a set of front/rear Tundra 5100's off of jet.com for ~275 shipped so for the time being I plan to just put the fronts on and keep the lift at stock height. I am debating if I want to get a set of OME 880/906 springs to lift it an inch or two, but from what I can see the 906 rears are borderline too short for the tundra 5100 shocks in the rear. If anyone has experience with the OME 906 with tundra 5100 rear shocks I'd be all ears.

 

[sjwelna]

To update this thread, I put the front struts on (tundra 5100s) and so far the clunk has disappeared. Looks like it was the lower shock bushings. This is what the original strut bushings looked like (original struts, ~65k miles):

 

[sjwelna]

Well, scratch that. The clunk is back with a vengeance, even worse than before. I had my wife turn the wheel on the truck side-to-side to see if I could see anything moving that shouldn't be, and it looks like the LCA bushings are likely dead. I can see ~1/8-3/16" of total movement of the control arm front-to-back (of the vehicle). The uppers don't seem to be moving around at all. The clunk is so bad now that it basically does it continuously while driving. I'll probably order new LBJ's and a new steering rack guide to replace it all at the same time, might as well while the truck is up on stands again. I tried inspecting the bushings without moving the steering wheel and they only looked like they had some surface cracks in the rubber, but my guess is they are toast. I will probably replace with the Whiteline poly bushings and not OEM.

 

[sjwelna]

Whiteline W53377a bushings on order along with the parts to change out my steering rack guide to the 'new' version, and some LBJ's. I figure the truck is almost 17 years old now and even though it only has about 68k miles on it, I might as well just do them for peace of mind, especially while I'm in there doing the LCA bushings.

 

[4Runner4TW]

Whiteline W53377a bushings on order along with the parts to change out my steering rack guide to the 'new' version, and some LBJ's. I figure the truck is almost 17 years old now and even though it only has about 68k miles on it, I might as well just do them for peace of mind, especially while I'm in there doing the LCA bushings.

Here is a great link that will help with the LCA. I just did mine last week and wow what a difference. Truck feels brand new now.
I now have pretty much a new front end. In the past year I have done LBJ, UBJ, lower shock mount, LCA bushings, sway bar, sway bar end links, OTRE, and new steering rack and bushings. I bought new UCA bushings but haven't tackled those yet. Everything is OEM except the sway bar components and all steering components. However I do wish I went OEM on the OTRE because they have already cracked and grease is leaking.

Good luck!

 

[808islerunner]

Long shot here but could it be something in the brakes, caliper, brake pads? Doesn't it clunk regardless your on the brakes or not? Motor mounts on both sides look ok? I know I'm stretching this but it seems like you covered all the suspension components already

 

[sjwelna]

Long shot here but could it be something in the brakes, caliper, brake pads? Doesn't it clunk regardless your on the brakes or not? Motor mounts on both sides look ok? I know I'm stretching this but it seems like you covered all the suspension components already

It's not the brakes, it will clunk whether I'm braking or not. I haven't checked out the motor mounts but like i noted above I can see some deflection of the LCA even when my wife turns the steering wheel lock to lock, I can only imagine how much it is deflecting while driving and the suspension is moving. I have to wait a bit to swap these out since the reed valves went out in my compressor, have to get new ones first before I undertake the LCA bushings. Don't want to get caught with my pants down without air tools if I should need them and my truck on jackstands.