Loud "Clunk" with slight left hand turn?

[STRRAYNGE]

Loud "Clunk" with slight left hand turn? **SOLVED**

Ok guys, ive searched the forums, and read several thread on folks having a loud clunk when at full turn, but mine is different. It does it after ive driven and come to a stop. Like this morning, coming off the highway to the crossroad. Stopped at stop sign, started my left turn onto that road, and CLUNK! It sort of sounds like one of my springs isnt seated, and when I turn, it pops back into place or something. Sounds like its coming from the right side too. Its done it several times now in the past week or so. At first I thought it was my front struts, so I replaced those last weekend. Now its still doing it. But ive gone over everything, and cant find anything wrong or loose. I cant tell if its in front or rear for sure, but the sound is really loud and resonates throughout the frame. I have no unusual vibes or noises or anything, just that clunk? I dont know what to check at this point. Ive replaced both upper and lower balljoints as well. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

[badattitude]

The coincidence with the cluck happening after the front strut install is hard to ignore. Perhaps the install was not correct?

Another idea is broken sway bar end links. They break when they get to be 10 years old. Check them out and see if they are broken.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

The coincidence with the cluck happening after the front strut install is hard to ignore. Perhaps the install was not correct?

Another idea is broken sway bar end links. They break when they get to be 10 years old. Check them out and see if they are broken.

Unfortunately, the clunk started before the strut install, which is the main reason I did them, and sure glad I did. Mine were bad bad. As far as sway bar, thats out too since ive completely removed both front and rear. I appreciate the suggestions though.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

This might be a stupid question, but would anyone just happen to have a picture of the top and bottom side of the stock upper strut mount? Im thinking that may be my problem, but looking online, I can only find a top picture of them, and im thinking mine is missing something, but cant tell til I see a bottom pic.

 

[JohnsD90]

Check lower control arm bushings.

 

[IanB]

If you are able to get it to make the clunk when you do a certain thing, see if you can get someone to do that thing and be outside the truck when it does it, so you can pinpoint the origin. Or have a passenger try and figure out where the noise is originating from (my wife LOVES this kind of thing, lol). You need to confirm where you should be looking before you're going to find it.

If it was making this noise before you did the strut install, I'd be surprised if it was the strut. Did you have a spring isolator on top of the spring/under the tophat when you took it apart/reassembled the assembly?

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Check lower control arm bushings.

I will check those and see. I gave em a glance yesterday, but ill look more thorough today after work. Thanks.

If you are able to get it to make the clunk when you do a certain thing, see if you can get someone to do that thing and be outside the truck when it does it, so you can pinpoint the origin. Or have a passenger try and figure out where the noise is originating from (my wife LOVES this kind of thing, lol). You need to confirm where you should be looking before you're going to find it.

If it was making this noise before you did the strut install, I'd be surprised if it was the strut. Did you have a spring isolator on top of the spring/under the tophat when you took it apart/reassembled the assembly?

Yeah, my wife gets tired of me for always doing that too her, lol. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. As far as the isolators, thats why im wanting to see a pic. I have the rubber isolator that is in between the spring and the mount, but from looking at pics of the top mounts, like on advance auto or autozone website, it looks as if there is a piece of rubber or isolator through the center of the mount that the strut shaft slides through? Is there supposed to be something there? Mine has nothing, its just the metal part of the mount. The only isolator I have is between the spring and mount covering the studs.

 

[IanB]

Aftermarket top mounts often have small differences from the OEM ones, so the pics may not be of what you should expect to see on your rig. I can't remember for sure, but I think there may be a bushing that slides into the tophat from the top that the strut shaft fits through, if you're missing that it could cause your clunk as there would be extra space around the shaft where it passes through the tophat.

This is where Toyo-DIY would be great if it still had illustrations. Have you tried DLing the service manual and looking in there for an exploded diagram?

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Aftermarket top mounts often have small differences from the OEM ones, so the pics may not be of what you should expect to see on your rig. I can't remember for sure, but I think there may be a bushing that slides into the tophat from the top that the strut shaft fits through, if you're missing that it could cause your clunk as there would be extra space around the shaft where it passes through the tophat.

This is where Toyo-DIY would be great if it still had illustrations. Have you tried DLing the service manual and looking in there for an exploded diagram?

Yeah, there is nothing on my top mounts at all for the strut shaft to slide through. So, im hoping thats whats it is, just that strut shaft moving and hitting that mount. Ill try to get the service manual and see what I find. Thanks!

 

[theizzardking]

Yeah, there is nothing on my top mounts at all for the strut shaft to slide through. So, im hoping thats whats it is, just that strut shaft moving and hitting that mount. Ill try to get the service manual and see what I find. Thanks!

my very own personal learning curve threads, kind of related and pics included.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...u-shock-bushing-placement-not-like-stock.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...-bushing-washer-placement-before-top-hat.html

what can happen if not properly installed and WILL cause a clunk.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

my very own personal learning curve threads, kind of related and pics included.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...u-shock-bushing-placement-not-like-stock.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...-bushing-washer-placement-before-top-hat.html

what can happen if not properly installed and WILL cause a clunk.

Great!! Thanks for that pic and that info. When I pulled my struts a couple weekends ago adn changed them, thats what my passenger top hat looked like, well, not quite that bad but close, and the strut shaft itself was almost worn in two!! Is there supposed to be something, a bushing or anything, in that wollered out hole there in your pic? Was your clunk really loud? Mine is loud, makes you jump and cringe when it does it!

 

[theizzardking]

Yeah, there is nothing on my top mounts at all for the strut shaft to slide through. So, im hoping thats whats it is, just that strut shaft moving and hitting that mount. Ill try to get the service manual and see what I find. Thanks!

i've been through 3 sets of "tophats" "upper strut mounts" or whatever you want to call them this day of the week, and all of the toyota ones i've came across have the rubber bushing already pushed through the center of the mount.

if the coil isn't properly assembled the shaft of the shock will start to literally saw through the upper mount and bushing eventually blowing the bushing out and start cutting a key hole pattern into the top mount, my problems arised from 2 separate problems which caused me to burn through 3 sets of these before i got them figured out.

the first issue was in proper bushing placement, once that was sorted i thought everything was good, but to no avail...

the second issue which destroyed everything after i got the bushing placement right was the fact that i was trying to assemble the coils with a home coil compressor and could never get the coils compressed enough to have the complete assy in optimal range..... i broke 4 pairs of spring compressors of various makes and models using hand and air tools to compress the springs and short of trying to kill someone with exploding coil compressors i just wasn't getting everything buttoned down enough.

i finally gave up and got a buddy to chuck them on a wall mounted 2 ton compressor and got everything done right with out issue.


that said, A-arms can cause clunking as well, mine just starting to fail earlier this week so i'll be replacing those sometime in the next few months.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

i've been through 3 sets of "tophats" "upper strut mounts" or whatever you want to call them this day of the week, and all of the toyota ones i've came across have the rubber bushing already pushed through the center of the mount.

if the coil isn't properly assembled the shaft of the shock will start to literally saw through the upper mount and bushing eventually blowing the bushing out and start cutting a key hole pattern into the top mount, my problems arised from 2 separate problems which caused me to burn through 3 sets of these before i got them figured out.

the first issue was in proper bushing placement, once that was sorted i thought everything was good, but to no avail...

the second issue which destroyed everything after i got the bushing placement right was the fact that i was trying to assemble the coils with a home coil compressor and could never get the coils compressed enough to have the complete assy in optimal range..... i broke 4 pairs of spring compressors of various makes and models using hand and air tools to compress the springs and short of trying to kill someone with exploding coil compressors i just wasn't getting everything buttoned down enough.

i finally gave up and got a buddy to chuck them on a wall mounted 2 ton compressor and got everything done right with out issue.


that said, A-arms can cause clunking as well, mine just starting to fail earlier this week so i'll be replacing those sometime in the next few months.

Im pretty sure you just proved to me what I was thinking was wrong with mine. Your top hat looks almost exactly like mine do. So im getting new ones today, and putting them on this afternoon after work. Like i said, I have nothing in the center of my top hat. Its just a oval shaped hole now from where the old struts shafts were wearing it out. Since I now know, from looking at all the pics and posts in the links you attached, that it is supposed to have something there in the center, I guarantee this will fix my problem!! I appreciate that input man!

 

[Drcoffee]

CV joints? they turn with the wheels.

Is it with suspension travel or does it happen on flat ground as well?

 

[STRRAYNGE]

CV joints? they turn with the wheels.

Is it with suspension travel or does it happen on flat ground as well?

Shafts are new. Replaced them the weekend I replaced the struts. Id be checking into those too, but it was doing it before they were replaced as well. It does it with just daily driving, no flex, just on flat ground. Thanks for the suggestions though!

 

[00_4runner]

Shafts are new. Replaced them the weekend I replaced the struts. Id be checking into those too, but it was doing it before they were replaced as well. It does it with just daily driving, no flex, just on flat ground. Thanks for the suggestions though!

My vote is for lower control arm bushings, tough to narrow it down though, but your case sounds similar to many I've heard. I couldn't figure it out until my mechanic threw it up on a lift and took a look at them.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

My vote is for lower control arm bushings, tough to narrow it down though, but your case sounds similar to many I've heard. I couldn't figure it out until my mechanic threw it up on a lift and took a look at them.

I appreciate it. Ill definitely take a better look at them today when I change out my top mounts. If it does turn out to be the LCA bushings, are they hard to change? That is one thing I havent had to do yet. Im pretty sure ill need a press, correct?

Pretty soon im gonna have a brand new vehicle at this rate, lol! I dont mind, I love to work on them, but my body doesnt like it any more. Getting too old for this!!

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Update, sort of. Changed upper strut mount, fully inspected control arm bushings, etc. All is good. Check lower ball joint, even though it is new, and still good, there was no slop. Went ahead and put it back together, backed out of the driveway, and clunk. Totally pissed at this point. Well, pulled back in, and checked everything over. Decided to put a pry bar and check the upper ball joint. I have about an 1/8" up and down movement in the upper. It pisses me off cause it is brand new. I replaced uppers, lowers, and wheel bearings about 2 months ago. Could that upper be whats causing my noise?

 

[cj80cruiser]

So how do you know that the shocks are fastened down tight enough since you're squishing the rubber bushings together. Anyone have a pic of how much thread should be exposed after the shocks and spring assembly is put together?

 

[STRRAYNGE]

So how do you know that the shocks are fastened down tight enough since you're squishing the rubber bushings together. Anyone have a pic of how much thread should be exposed after the shocks and spring assembly is put together?

Ive always ran them down to where the rubber starts to squish out, then stop. If you run them down too far, you damage your rubbers, but not far enough, and you have play. It would be hard to really go by a pic unless someone posts a pic of the exact same shock you are running. From the experiences ive had with shocks/struts, some have more threads than others.