Clunking noise question

Hey all. I've been hearing a clunking noise from around my front end. Sometimes when I'm reversing and turning and I brake and come to a complete stop, I hear a clunk. It happens mostly under this situation but I'm sure there's other times where it may clunk.

Is this with my brakes or is there play in my front suspension?

 

Check the alignment bolts at the lower control arms. They need to be torqued to 100 lb/ft

 

If it only happens when you apply the brakes, I would check the brake caliper bolts. I had that issue after I replaced my calipers.

 

Be sure to check you tie rods, both inner and outer. I chased a front end clunk for a long time that ended up being an inner tie rod. Could only feel it at low speeds, when turned, with slight front end articulation.

 

in addition to the above, check where the shock goes through the upper spring retainer. I the mounts were not replaced the shock shaft can wear slot in the upper mount and be banging around.

 

Is it a single clunk or multiple clunks? Mine clunks sometimes when I brake. Sometimes it clunks/shudders multiple times really rapidly. It’s a really strong clunk, kind of feels like I got hit from behind. Been unsolved for a year now. Lmk if you solve yours.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/replace-steering-rack-or-rack-guide.574119/

Check out this thread, and Timmy had a great video in there too. I had an epiphany yesterday; the reason I had so many steering rack issues, and consequently inner tie rod issues, was a roller style steering rack guide. Rack had play, caused premature wear elsewhere.

 

Lots of good suggestions here. Here's another:

I too had a light clunk. It occurred when I made a left turn from a dead stop. Not all of the time though.

So I took it to a Toyota shop (not a dealer) and after paying $1,300 for a replacement steering rack, lower ball joints, and an outer tie rod, the clunk was still there and I immediately took it back. The mechanic sprayed some lube on the sway bar mounting bushings and the clunk went away, never to return.

You might want to check your sway bar mount bushings. Put some grease on them and see if the clunk disappears.

 

I had the steering rack replaced when the truck had 58,000 miles on it. It now has 101,000 miles on the clock.

It all depends upon where you drive the truck. Over the last 28 years I've driven just about every remote dirt road in southeast Utah, central west Utah, and central east Nevada and I'm hear to tell ya that some of the roads pretty damned rough. On most of roads I couldn't drive any faster than around 10 mph.

The ruts and potholes have certainly taken their toll. The replacement rack now has 43,000 miles on it and it needs to be replaced again. Looks like I was taken to the cleaners when I had the rack replaced the first time. I just don't trust mechanics with my truck anymore, and I'm getting too old to do a lot of the work myself.

 

^This is important. I drive mainly on washboard roads, often around 20 mph, which will beat the heck out of any vehicle.

What makes you think you need to replace the steering rack @skeezix? That just sounds premature, but if you drive it off road a good deal...

 

ditto on the getting too old. Now, I will work on the project until I can feel my back/neck muscles tightening and then stop for an hour, then go back to it later on. I tell my "customers", usually family and friends that don't trust mechanics for good reasons, that these are the rules, I will get to it when I can and I will either repair it or replace it and if you are in either a hurry or feel that it is going to be too expensive, take it somewhere else.

When I was spinning wrenches at the Porsche/Ferrari dealer it was like this... leave an estimate for $1k and I will call you when it is either done or I need more $. I would leave the car on the rack and the service writer would bring the customer back and i would explain what I did, why I did it and answer every question until they were satisfied. When you have a line of cars waiting for you and only you to work on their cars most mornings, well, the proof is in the service drive. Other techs flagged more hours but my tickets generated the most $ and satisfied customers.

 

I suspect something in the rack is worn out. When I rock the steering wheel back a forth just a little bit, the shaft that is connected to the lower end of the steering column moves but the tie rods do not. If I rock the steering wheel a little farther, then the tie rods move, and then I hear a clunk that's coming from the rack.

 

That's what steering rack 2 and 3 had for me, I'm convinced the roller style guide on the aftermarket racks had some play, and eventually caused my inner tie rods to get play in them.

 

Could be, but the rack that's currently installed in my truck does not have the roller inside, just the bushing "puck".