Need some help with clunking

Hey guys I need your help again. I was feeling great about putting aftermarket suspension parts (specifically struts, upper control arms and sway bar end links) in my 2nd gen prerunner. I didn't install the dif drop because I don't have a front dif. Just recently after putting the upper control arms on I heard a clunk going from drive to reverse. Any thoughts?

 

Could be a lot of things, to include but not limited to:
1. Axle wrap
2. Worn body mount bushings
3. Wrong torque on your UCA's

I'd start there. Typical reverse to drive clunks come from axle wrap due to how the axle torques the leaf springs. Do you have any armor installed underneath your vehicle? Try removing that and take a test drive, see if you get the clunking.

-J

 

Will do thank you!

 

I must say that if it is axle wrap, there's not much you can do about it. You might try greaseable shackles and/or greaseable leaf spring bolts to lessen the sound of the clunk. Adding additional springs to your leaf pack may stiffen up the pack but there's two different schools of thought on that. You might be able to diagnose axle wrap by putting the truck in reverse and backing up 1 ft, applying and holding the brakes then placing the vehicle in neutral then releasing the brakes. If the vehicle lurches forward slightly followed by the clunk, this is where I'd put my money. You could look into traction bars but that's a bit on the extreme end and I would only do that as a last resort. What's the age of the vehicle? Did you replace the leaf pack when you did your suspension lift?

-J

 

Does it only do it once, and only when going from Drive to Reverse, or Reverse to Drive.
I might be brake pad slap.

What did you torque the control arm bolts to?
And when did you torque them? In the air or on the ground with weight on the truck?

 

Check u-joints on drive shaft

 

Thank you guys for the tips. I'll try greasing everything again and I believe I may have had the wrong torque spec for my uca. I'll retighten those and see it that helps. I'm also gonna check the u joints. Thank you for putting me in the right direction

 

Control arms should be Torqued with the truck on the ground and weight on the suspension.

Let us know how it turns out

 

The list of suspension components that rule does NOT apply to has to be very small. OP, if you tinker with your leaf pack, either AAL or full replacement, get new appropriate length Ubolts, and do not torque those or the hanger bolts until the truck is on the ground also.

I had mild axle wrap and installing a new leaf spring pack immediately got rid of it. Haven’t had it return in years.

 

I said what is said because OP states in his first post.

Hopefully OP figures it out. I got nothing else to offer on this one.

 

I was agreeing with you. I think the only time it’s “okay” to torque an upper control arm with the vehicle in the air is if it has poly bushings - even then I still do it on the ground. I believe the torque on the ground rule is to prevent bonded rubber bushings from getting cattywampus if torqued at the wrong rest height.

 

Update-
Torqued ucas, sway bar end links and u bolts and the clunking has since gone! Thank you!