Front end clunk after King/Total chaos lift

Hey all, this is my 1st time posting so go easy....about 6 months ago, I installed King shocks all around with the 600lb springs on my '06 paired with total chaos uca's and OME leafs. Since the start, maybe 1500 miles ago, it's got a front end 'clunk' coming distinctly from the drivers side. It makes the clunk the worst when driving over recessed man-hole covers and smaller speed bumps. Sounds like it's mostly coming from the 'down travel' I've gone back in and made sure everything is tight multiple times, including sway bar links, etc. I even took the sway bar out at one point trying to get rid of the clunk. I can't seem to get a hold on where it's coming from. Today I stuck a gopro under there and drove around and, visually, everything looks fine to me, but you can definitely hear the metal on metal clunk, which I can't stand. Here's the video I took
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUTjgAWH7zg&feature=youtu.be

 

My first check would be to pull your sway bar and see if it goes away. If not cycle your front suspension with a jack and see if anything is getting close.

 

Watching the video, I hear two distinct sounds that aren't emited from my truck. The "tink, tink, tink" sound matches the CV axle rotation when watching - particularly where the metal band tightening point on the outer end rotates down to the bottom.

The other periodic clunk sound I heard makes me think it is coming from the brake shroud / debris shield as if something is loose by the caliper hitting it.

 

I have something similar with OME up front and I have narrowed it down to upper ball joints I just replaced stockers with Light Racing and the louder clunk went away and the Sway Bar end link on the drivers side. Still need to do the sway bar relocation and the end links. I'm going to remove the sway bar before I do the repair just to make sure that is the noise. I can feel the vibration in the sway bar when it is parked and I rock the truck. I used to feel it in the UCA too but that is gone since changing it from stock. I know the UCA/ Ball joint is not your issue. I would check the torque of all the front suspension components especially the LCA/Alignment nuts and bolts, they seem to be the most common cause of this front end clunk. Don't expect the alignment guy to torque everything. Good luck this shit drives me crazy...

 

Did you happen to touch your LCA bolts at all? I had a simular noise and had to over tighten them to about 120 lbs to eliminate it.

 

Right at 39 seconds in the vid it looks like it is coming from the sway bar. Can you replicate the sound if you rock the truck while its parked? If yes then get a buddy to do so while you look listen and feel around for the sound all sounds will make a vibration too. I did this and was able to narrow mine down.

 

Second on the LCA bolts. I just went through this and practically ripped my truck apart finding the noise. Turns out our the LCA bolts where really loose. I bought a new torque wrench, tightened them up...noise is 100% gone.

Good luck!

 

The tink tink sound is actually my next order of business to take care of. It's coming from the passenger side...haven't had the time to fully investigate it yet. Seems like it may be cv though...which is disheartening since it just started doing it,like it has something to do with the lift. I recently did the brakes, but you can feel it in the floorboards too. So whatever's hitting is bigger than the brake shroud I think.

 

This is defiantly what I'm going to check next,if I ever get the time. Do they mess with hose bolts when they align the truck? That may be a stupid question haha. You happen to know the correct torque off the top of your head?

 

LCA bolts should be at 100ft/lbs. Two are tricky to get to but you can. Yes they would mess with those during an alignment.

 

I was still getting a knock at 100ftlbs and went up to 120. Unless my torque wrench is fckrd. Is that 100lbs dry or wet?

 

Typically torque values are listed for dry and clean threads, right?

Mines going in for an alignment tomorrow since I just changed the UCA's so I'll be checking them again tomorrow night.

 

So yesterday, I checked the torque on the LCA bolts...alignment shop had already torqued them to about 110-120lb... dropped the sway bar again just to reaffirm that it didn't have anything to do with the sway bar/links. Clunk was still there. I doublechecked the torque call outs on the bolt going through my upper uniball. Come to find out they're supposed to be up at 100 ft lb and I had only got them to 80. I wrenched them up some and it actually made the clunk much less noticeable, albeit still there. How high do you think I could torque that bolt (9/16)?

 

This may help.
http://www.portlandbolt.com/technicalinformation/bolt-torque-chart.html

 

The shock's lower spherical bearing may be worn and you could be hearing the slop in that. Pull the bolt out that connects to the LCA and see if there is any play in the bearing

 

Did this solve your problem? Just installed TC UCAs and new OME 885 springs and experiencing a similar problem. I already tried torquing the LCA bolts to 120; didn't help my problem.

 

Mine ended up coming back at 120ftlbs as well. I solved mine by tightening the 4 transmission cross mount bolts on where it mounts to the outer frame rails. Turns out the frame was twisting enough to cause the brace bolts to knock around. Theyre only 30ftlbs factory. I went up to 60ftlbs.... hope this helps.

 

Do you have swaybar relocation brackets installed? Hard to tell from video.

 

I have a clunk on my passenger side. It drives me insane. Especially with having a plate bumper I get this awful met clunk sound. Icon 2.5's were rebuilt with all new bearings in Aug, tc uca I have no sway bar it's done it ever since I lifted the truck in Aug. At first I thought it was my plastic bumper cause it was held on with zap straps but it's gotten worse when in added plate bumpers last month. I did a 1" BL at the same time and rechecked all the front end components for tightness nothing is loose. I've run the truck sans skid plates as well just to see if they came loose it really sound like something is hitting the fire wall for a time I thought it was the uca hitting the top of the inner fender but alas it's not doing that either. Following cause I've kinda given up

 

I'm going to try some things tonight and will report back. Thanks for suggestions everyone.