Loud "Clunk" with slight left hand turn?

[Drcoffee]

1 vote for steering rack.

That's why you hear it on both sides and when you begin a turn. It makes sense that it was there both before and after the suspension install. possibly made more pronounced with the work you've done.

how-replace-steering-rack-guide-pictures

This fix is approximately $75.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

1 vote for steering rack.

That's why you hear it on both sides and when you begin a turn. It makes sense that it was there both before and after the suspension install. possibly made more pronounced with the work you've done.

how-replace-steering-rack-guide-pictures

This fix is approximately $75.

Ill check that while im replacing my upper ball joint today after work. Ill pull the boot and check for slop. The sound is on the passenger side for sure, and when it clunks, it literally sounds like someone took a rubber mallet or a dead blow and hit my coil spring, or something of that nature. Its hard to explain.

 

[Drcoffee]

I had a similar noise on our minivan, turned out to be the right OTRE was ready to fail. But you've changed just about everything else. Honestly, I wouldn't mess with the upper ball joint as it really isn't load bearing and most likely not the source of your clunk. They are a real bear to press out with the control arm on the truck. The tool won't fit up in the fender.

upper-ball-joints-kicking-my-rear

 

[STRRAYNGE]

I had a similar noise on our minivan, turned out to be the right OTRE was ready to fail. But you've changed just about everything else. Honestly, I wouldn't mess with the upper ball joint as it really isn't load bearing and most likely not the source of your clunk. They are a real bear to press out with the control arm on the truck. The tool won't fit up in the fender.

upper-ball-joints-kicking-my-rear

Yeah, I might hold off on it. When I changed it a couple months back, I did it when I changed the wheel bearing assembly, so I already had all of it pulled out and was able to mount it in a vice and use the ball joint press. And yes, it is a PITA to press that thing in and out!! I thought about your earlier post, mentioning the rack, and you know, it very well could be that. I know that ive noticed a leak around that passenger side boot on the rack too. You would think though, if the rack was wore like that, I would have at least a little play in my steering, but I have 0. It is as tight as can be. But, that is what im focusing on as soon as I get home. I might not have the stuff to fix it yet, but maybe I can pinpoint the problem. Stupid question, what is OTRE?(outer tie rod end)

 

[Drcoffee]

correct. OTRE= outer tie rod end

I think we all have oil on the passenger side rack boot. Mine is from a slow rear main seal leak. Check the oil, I'll bet it's brown and not red. The rack guide has a small spring that I'm guessing weakens over 12+ years. The new guide does a better job of supporting the rack piston so its a good fix even if you don't have any play.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

correct. OTRE= outer tie rod end

I think we all have oil on the passenger side rack boot. Mine is from a slow rear main seal leak. Check the oil, I'll bet it's brown and not red. The rack guide has a small spring that I'm guessing weakens over 12+ years. The new guide does a better job of supporting the rack piston so its a good fix even if you don't have any play.

Mine is actually red. It coming from the rack. The PO must have tried to fix it once upon a time, because it has a regular old white zip tie on it holding the boot on, and its not doing a very good job. So is the dealership the only place that will sell the parts for the rack?

 

[Drcoffee]

Www.Toyotapartsales.com
They are toyota of Dallas and have great prices on oem parts.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Www.Toyotapartsales.com
They are toyota of Dallas and have great prices on oem parts.

Great, thanks! The link didnt work, but ill google it shortly. Gotta get busy here at work before I get in trouble. I appreciate all of you input this morning! Hopefully this will take care of it? At least it will be pretty easy to tell once I get home, just slide that boot back and check for movement.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Im ruling out the rack. I just went out and checked it and it is tight as can be. I pry'd on both sides to see if there was any movement and I got zero from the rack or from the tie rod ends. Im stumped. It does it when I back up out of my driveway, turned to the right, then does it after I come to a stop and then turn left. Its just one loud clunk, thats it, not a continuous clunking or anything. I need help! If that upper ball joint wouldnt be the cause, then what else could it be?

 

[Drcoffee]

Did you pull the rack boot back to observe it? My van's rack bangs back and forth but until I removed the boot to replace the ITRE I couldn't see anything wrong. With the engine off standing still, rock the steering wheel back and forth and see if you hear the clunk.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Did you pull the rack boot back to observe it? My van's rack bangs back and forth but until I removed the boot to replace the ITRE I couldn't see anything wrong. With the engine off standing still, rock the steering wheel back and forth and see if you hear the clunk.

Didnt pull the boot back yet, still at work. Just went out on my break and tried everything I could to get it to budge, but its tight as can be. I hate being just a parts replacer. I like to find it then fix it, but in this situation, Im just having to replace one at a time. Since the strut mount didnt fix it, the next thing is slack in the UBJ. But I honestly dont know if that would give me that clunk im hearing. What sucks is its random. I cant just get it to do it on command, its when it wants to. I guess I just need to go ahead and replace the LCA bushings and upper ball joint, and go from there.

**EDIT** I need to edit from one of my original posts. I said both CV shafts have been replaced. Im not sure why I said both, but so far I only replaced the Drivers side, and it last weekend. The passenger side doesnt have any busted boots or anything, but it does have the typical grease spewing out from the lift install. Just by chance, could that one, loud a$$ clunk, be coming from that axle?

 

[Drcoffee]

From my limited experience with CV axles, I'd say no. A CV would clunk repetitively as the axle turns. A single clunk would come from the steering or suspension. You need to have someone turn the wheel while you lay underneath.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

From my limited experience with CV axles, I'd say no. A CV would clunk repetitively as the axle turns. A single clunk would come from the steering or suspension. You need to have someone turn the wheel while you lay underneath.

Ok, lastest update. .

I replaced axle, to see if it would stop the noise, and also because it needed to be replaced. So, that said, no it didnt fix it, the noise still there. So, checked everything over again, didnt find a thing loose. Checked the rack, like in the link you sent me. I did have some slop in it. I could grab the actual steering knuckle coming from the firewall into the rack, turn it by hand back and forth, and noticed the end of the rack going up and down, just like in that video.

******To help some who might have this issue, you dont have to go and buy ANY parts to fix that play in your rack, of course unless its completely worn out. Loosen that backup nut, which is the big thin one in that link, and just turn the cap nut in however far needed until your slop is gone. I turned mine in about 1/2 to 3/4 turn and it did away with every bit of play in my rack!!******

Then I just tightened the backup nut back up and good to go. I have no slop or play whatsoever in my rack!!!!

Also, reconnected my front swaybar. Going to go hit a few trails in a bit and see if its gone!! So far, so good.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

Well, just got back from running Seven Mile!! No clunks whatsoever!! Typical suspension noises of course from flexing, but thats it. It did great and had a blast!! Thanks for everyones input on this!

 

[STRRAYNGE]

I need to update this once more guys. I had thought I had it fixed, but it wasnt it was still there. So, I messed with it more and more til I just crawled under it and put a wrench on EVERYTHING!!!! I got to the rearend, and was able to get 1 full turn on the nuts for the rear upper control arms, and 1 full turn on the rear upper track bar mount. That completely fixed all of my noises. I havent hear a single thing out of it since last Wednesday, and that included some pretty hard driving this past weekend.

So, I want to apologize to all of you that I had trying to help me, I feel as if I led you all on a wild goose chase. Its amazing how the noises, and even the feel of them will travel through the frame on one of these vehicles. Even my wife, before I got under it and fixed it, was with me and finally felt it in the floorboard under her feet when it clunked and she thought it was coming from the front passenger side as well. But all it was was the rearend.

I did change out that rearend a couple months back and installed a hub to hub elocker rearend. Even retorqued everything after a couple hundred miles. Either I missed those or didnt torque enough.

Anyways, clunk mystery is solved!!! Thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions, sorry I had you all diagnosing the wrong location. But, it did force me to fix some things that needed fixing, lol!

 

[IanB]

It can be VERY tricky identifying the source of a suspension noise from inside the vehicle, glad you got it sorted out.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

It can be VERY tricky identifying the source of a suspension noise from inside the vehicle, glad you got it sorted out.

VERY tricky!! Yeah, I was at my wits end with it, but got it finally. Hard to believe thats what it was.

 

[cj80cruiser]

VERY tricky!! Yeah, I was at my wits end with it, but got it finally. Hard to believe thats what it was.

I appreciate you posting back up here with your new information. I have some similiar noises as you and like you it sounds like its coming from the front but I'll take a look at my control arms just to be sure.

 

[STRRAYNGE]

I appreciate you posting back up here with your new information. I have some similiar noises as you and like you it sounds like its coming from the front but I'll take a look at my control arms just to be sure.

Yeah, check your control arms and that track bar. I think the main reason I decided to check the rear was, I was leaving work last week, and sort of dumped the clutch on accident. When I did, I felt just a slight shift in the rearend. So when I got home is when I just decided to put a wrench on everything, and those 3 nuts were the only things that budged at all, and it wasnt by much either, but I guess just enough to make a TON of noise. Good luck man, I hope you figure yours out as well!