front end clunk after front end work.....

well...

New UBJ/LBJs on both sides..new outer tie ends....new rack bushings....
I took it off the stands and around the block.....

I heard some pretty good clunking as i turn left and right even at slow speeds. Hard to tell here it is coming from. I think its the middle which suggests the rack bushings but its hard to tell.

im going to retorque the lowers on both sides to make sure they didnt come loose. Not sure how they could. I used blue thread lock and torqued them to spec. Taking the truck off the stands woudlnt cause them to go loose.

Swaybar end links seem fine.

Outer tierods were torqued to spec.

No clunk turning back and forth while not moving.
Nothing really while going over small bumps although there are not many around here.. I tried to hit every manhole cover in the street.

It only seems to clunk when turning back and forth while moving...even slowly...just enough to create a tiny bit of body roll....which could be anything in the suspension i guess.

Im stumped and now it is pitch black.

Had 0 issues with this prior to pulling it all part and putting on this new shit in.
Ball joints were way overdue and one of my tie rod end boots was ripped. FIgured i better do that while im in there.

Previously i had replaced the full spring/shock assemblies as those were overdue. No issues before or after with that.

it has to be related to the upper/lower ball joint, rack bushings or tierod ends.

Thoughts? I havent gotten an alignment yet but then i again i probably went less than a mile and not really over 30mph so far. Just trying to diagnois this pain in the ass and get it handled.

0 issues or horrible wear prior to this. I only replaced what i did because they were over due. Pretty sure my drivers side ubj boot was leaking.....

I guess what i mean is didnt have my whole front end shaking apart due to bad upppers/lowers or rack bushings etc.

 

I’ve got the same issue. I replaced UPC bushings, torqued everything to spec, replaced the drivers side outer tie rod and had it aligned. The clunk I hear sounds exactly like what your explaining. I still have the stock steering rack bushings. Truck has 60,000 miles.

 

Check lower control arm bushing i just replace my rack & pinion all new lbj’s and alignment shop tech told me is the bushing are gone ..

 

it would be weird if they were toast. They were fine prior to all this. No front end noise at all. I sure wish it didnt get dark so earlier or id dig into it tonight. IM not going to sleep until this is sorted out.

 

well...i got the flash light out and rolled my fat ass under it. Everything looks fine.

Turns out i can reproduce the sound if i create violent body roll by lifting on the wheel wells.
Loud snap which i think is coming out of the driver side...but i cant create and be under it at the same time. I need a second person.

I am thinking based on feeling around that it might be those god damn sway bar end links binding or clunking? I have those stupid ones with the allen key that are vertical with the little rubber boots. Garbage. Anyway....

When i was doing my front end i thought that either i would need remove these to put in the UPJ/LBJ or the rack bushings but turns out i didnt.

That said in the process i did put my impact onto the drivers side sway bar end linkg to see if it would spin free without holding the allen inner part and turning with an open end wrench. I gave it a a couple quick zing zangs and nothing ...it just spun inside the boot. I ignored the entire swaybar and end links for the remainder of the project.

That said i wonder if it had a flat spot on the ball or whatever stupid mechanisum is inside those thing and now that is binding. Fuck sake why cant the just be the normal ones that are easy to remove like every other car on earth?

Anyway....thats my hunch. Then...when you introduce the body roll the sway bar twists just a bit and this joint clunks like hell. Seems really odd...but thats where i am at.

I wanted to replace the bushings on sway bar too or just remove the dam thing like everyone else does but....

1. cold weather state and i dont know if removing that would cause icy roads to be more trechrous or not. Seems like yes.
2. cold weather state and the god damn things are mouted through a frame mount from the top down using a tiny rusted to hell set of 14mm(i think) bolts on both sides which will surely snap off and then i got to drill them out and fuck with that for another 2 weeks......and probably ruin the threads in the process. I could probably run bolts and nuts there i guess.

I have seen mention of having to clean out those allen hole really really well to get a good purchase on it and if you strip it.........its shit creek. Of course...same could for the nut. An open end wrench will likely do the same there and a box end is 12 point so ...strip out city........and i dont have any line wreches that big.

I guess it could be something else as well. I am going to turn it 90 degrees and try the test again......and keep doing that until i rule it out or find thats it. Then is probably torch time if thats the case to get the old ones out....and then source some new ones to pop in.

I sure hope this is it and not upper or lower control arm bushings. What a pain the ass that would be. EVERYTHING would have to come out again. Id probably just burn my house down and move into the woods.....and give up.

Here is a picture of this dumb garbage in case it isnt clear.
https://www.rockauto.com/info/31/BA1015545-1__ra_p.jpg




OH.....when i went out to check things out just a bit ago......i lit the flash light and GIANT fucking wet spot under the steering rack on the passenger side. Pancake sized. I though......damn it...the clunk was the casting on the rack cracking or something and now thats compleltely dead.

I immediately stuck my hand in the puddle and then directly into my mouth.

WATER I had some exaust dripage out of the flange on the y pipe on the passenger side. Thank god for that.

 

well....i think it is the sway bar end link on the driver side. I was able to reach under quick about 6am nad rotate it. It seemed a bit looser than it should be meaning my impact probably turned it a bit but then got stuck on the corrosion part way off. Then i drove it about 16 miles and it seems to be the cause. Its loose and moving around.

I have to be to work in 10 minutes or id just tighten it now. After work ill give that a shot.

The 16 mile drive was kind of sad. It rides like shit and if it isnt the same....its worse than before. Lots of front end chatter, clunks and shuttering.

New shocks and spring front and rear, UBJs, LBJs, tierod ends, rack bushings......and still garbage. Odd.

Gonna retorque everything tonight and hopefully get an alignment scheduled....as well as a tire balance. ground out all the corrosion and shit out of my wheels and painted them. Probably not enough to throw off the balance but might as well get it done. I htink the place i got my tires from has a lifetime balance/rotation on them. Its just a pain to spend half a day dicking around at the place while they do it. I need to be at work.

 

dont get discouraged @yarb71 , you know these things always end up getting figured out.

for the sway bar, dont underestimate how much that thing can cause clunking. i went and changed my end links and bushings (and bushing brackets) just because they were toast and it stopped a random clunking i heard under my truck. if you're up for it, the poly sway bar bushings from rockauto are cheap, and i got a set of the OEM brackets from toyota for like 10 bucks each. the bolts that hold the brackets in can be cut no problem, but theres a chance they wont have to be. they might be rusted but theyre so far up there that they might not be completely seized. its just a pain in the dick to get a socket on the top nut while you turn the bolt. make sure you have a stubby ratchet for that. Oh, and my end links had to be completely cut off they were so shot with rust. again, not a big deal.

 

Thanks. THe oddball end links i have ....the boots are fine. They look find but who knows what is going on under those. They are cheap enough to replace with the same type from rockauto. $20 per side or so....which is great.

I still need to dig in and tear it back apart to try and tighten this back up to see if it helps.

I got a hold of one alignment shop today. They are a week and a half out but was quoted only $70 total...which is fair. Just another 1.5 weeks without car which is nothing. Its already been 3 months
That gives me time to get my o2 sensor, abs bolt and other BS done to it.

I might revisit new swaybar bushings too. I ordered a set but they were wrong and went back. The ones i have look fine and it looked to be more of a pain than it was worth at the time.......but now i have some time. I Might try to get a stubby in there and see if i can turn the mounts. I mean...if im having to replace the end links anyway.......might as well do it.

 

I had a clunk for years until I took out the sway bar

 

yeah thinking about it....but my luck it will handle worse in the extremely icy conditions here in MN ....then i roll it, total it or kill someone and then get sued and then not get any insurance either because i removed it.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single post on this site about being sued for not having a sway bar but ok
My point was the sway bar is a possibility, links and bushings might be done
99% of people with Tacoma’s shouldn’t. Remove the sway bar

 

I've had a clunk on my driver side when I go over speed bumps/driveways for a couple years now...all started after I put the struts back in with new coils.
To see if its the sway bar/end links, can I disconnect the end links alone, or does it still provide function on its own with the other mounting points?

 

Replacing one of my sway bar bushings with a Moog one from Advance a couple months ago. A few weeks after installing it, I noticed a clunking noise. It was loose where it attaches to the LCA. Bad design where you have to get a wrench between the LCA mounting bracket and the end link to tighten it up. I tightened it up and it stopped the noise.

 

Update.....its the end links. What shit design these things are. The allen key is worthless.....and an impact just spins and spins.

Drivers side loose as hell...both bolts.

I made short work if it with a heck of a clamp on from a large vice grip and the impact

Problem solved.

 

new end links installed. Problem fixed.

Time for an alignment.....and a wheel rebalance...and a tire rotation...

no end in sight.....

 

What end links did you go with?

 

After much back and forth...i ended up with the Meveotech (SP?) ones from Rock Auto. They seem well built and id say better than OEM as far as quality goes. Time will tell. Ill probably never have to deal with them again. Ill have other problems before they give out......im sure of that.

 

I've been looking at Moog end links with zerk fittings. anyone using these and will give an opinion of them

 

I have been told moog used to be good but is basically garbage now. The LBJs have grease fittings on them which is nice but you really cant get to them easy....and if they wear even a little bit.....its pointless to grease them. I had a passenger side one put in about 10 - 15k ago and it went to hell. I just replaced it back with OEM and swore i would never use another moog product again.....

Endlinks are so trivial and simple though.....you could probably have really good luck with them. I just refused to give them any more of my money.

 

My truck is back at the dealership again because of the front end “clunk”. Last time they returned it saying they drove it and same model truck and said its a slight tick from the bushings. I hear that noise, this is not that noise. I even provided them a near by apartment complex with speed bumps. They called again today, and sound couldn’t hear it but contributed it on my rear bed bike rack. So I’m on my way to drive it with them in it. I will first bungee cord down the bike rack. From what I’m reading, it could be either the sway bar or the #1 frame bushing is loose? We’ll see. It is only 2.5 yrs old and 23k miles. Trying to get it taken care of under warranty isn’t too much to ask is it?