Clunking and Thumping sound when hitting bumps

this is how i remember my tacoma acting for years now and many miles upon miles
i have tried 3 different brands of front shock absorbers, new eibach coil springs, new ball joints U&L, new oem control arms U&L, new oem carrier bearing, new oem sway bar links, new new new...
so far porked out 1000s more than some would say this old vintage tacoma is actually worth. a big nasty $$$ pit
and yet i still have the obnoxious clunk at slow speeds on washboard gravel and roached city streets where they patch asphalt and concrete together
it drive me batcrapcrazy

 

I agree. I had a front wheel bearing on its way out in my 1987 SR5. When I drove it around 40-50 mph I could hear a light hum when going around a right-hand corner, but no hum when I went around a left-hand corner. No squeals or raspy sounds, just the hum typical of a bearing noise. I drove another 1000 miles and then had the bearing replaced.

No more hum. YMMV

 

Well then it looks like I'm fucked then aren't I?

 

what does that clunk sound like!?
and when would it happen

 

The slide yoke made a dull thump after braking or just after accelerating. Ford grease fixed that.The other thump would happen when hitting speed bumps or small pot holes. After changing and ultimately removing the sway bar links I replaced the radiator support bushings and no more speed bump thump for me.

 

To add to what @Parkvisitor said, here's a prime example of when the slip yolk will clunk:

If I'm backing out of a parking spot, then catch 1st gear while I've still got any rearward momentum, I'll get that same dull thud.

My truck just started doing this again, so I'll be disassembling the slip yolk and greasing it again today.

 

My slip yoke.. all it does is throw tacky grease all around the muffler and fuel tank side
Is that at all normal?
I shall have to xperiment with that R to 1st action to see if anything

 

Yea it'll sling some grease for sure. That being said, the Ford/Motorcraft PTFE grease that Timmy recommends in his video is thicker and won't fling off as much (also fixes the issue for much longer than typical greases you'll buy at your normal parts stores).

 

that stuff is probably better than what i have been using
red tacky in a tube for the squeeze gun

 

I was using Red & Tacky at first but the ford stuff is superior for this application imo.

 

is it also purposeful to use for the regular ujoint greasing?
i am near the end of my tubes!!

 

I would stick to standard grease tubes for the Joints. The Motorcraft grease is pricey and only comes in a can, so it'd be a pain to try and load a grease gun with it

 

I recently dedicated a small grease gun loaded with the ford stuff just for the slide yoke.

 

I may have another update that could narrow the search. The sound only seems to come when it's wet or rainy/muddy. I've taken it on the dirt a couple times on the same stuff when the truck and the dirt was dry with no sound no matter how fast I went. I went soundless for a while until it rained today and I took it to work that the dreaded clunk showed up again.

 

Could it be my leaf springs? Shifting around?

 

Here is the new updated sound. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ty5vv0kI4so?si=cIrknFs3pNxypQXZ

It almost sounds like a glass marble in a glass, then the clunk when hitting a small bump