Loud clunk coming from rear of truck when hitting bumps.

I have a sound that started about a week ago coming from the rear of my 2011 4 door TRD Tacoma.
It literally sounds like a 2x4 is laying loose in the bed bouncing around, and I think I can feel it in the floorboard every so often.

Happens when I hit any bump, especially sharp ones, does NOT happen on gradual whoops or slowly creeping over something like a speed bump.

At first I thought my camper top was loose, but thats not the case.

Any ideas what this could be?

 

Checked your bed bolts recently?

 

Opps, meant to add a list of what I plan to check soon.

Bed bolts was the first thing.
Leaf Springs (I had the TSB done last year)
Plastic inner fenders
E-Brake cable and brackets (read someone had theirs smacking the underside of the bed)

 

Did you check that your spare is tight?

 

I smacked it a bit the other day when I poked my head under there, but I will give it a good shake and make sure its tight.
Thats the kinda sound I am hearing, though I would probably really feel that one in the floorboards.

 

check ubolts. I'm convinced most are under torqued.

 

Any suspension mods?

 

sounds like a broken leaf spring. start, stop and over bumps?

Up here in Ontario the local dealer can only sell a complete leaf package and can't replace the broken spring. they were charging $800 plus tax.

my mechanic found a used spring and installed for $300.

 

I would hope its not a broken or loose leaf, just had the TSB done about a year ago. They swapped out the leafs for stiffer ones, rides about the same, but supposed to handle a bit more load.

 

Do you have something stored in one of the two storage compartments of your bed that you forgot about? I store a piece of 4x4 wood in mine to go under my jack if I need it and it clunks around making noise all the time.

 

Nope, nothing in those compartments.

Oh, something that makes me think, and hope that its just loose bead bolts.
The other day I had a buggy full of groceries in the bed of the truck, and I barely heard the clunk just once while driving home.
So maybe the weight of the groceries was holding the bed down?

 

My experience, on my Tacoma; the rear springs.

On a rough dirt road, even with an empty bed; the truck would come down on the bump stops ( The rubber pads, directly above the rear axle).

To make thinks worse, and some time later; it broke the second spring leaf right at the axle.

Just go back and look at all the numerous posts; on the rear spring recalls.

Oh, by the way, Toyota DID NOT PAY for my repair. I was out of warranty in time but not by miles.

I had springs built at a local spring shop. Actually rides better than it did stock; and I can put more than a six pack of beer in the bed. Honestly I can tow a loaded 7x14 cargo trailer now, or load the bed like a pick-up should be able to, now.

No more banging from the spring area.

oldracer

 

I have a loud clunk ever since I put in my 4 leaf pack coming from the pass. side it's been driving me nuts for a while i've checked every nut and bolt. I can't get it to make a sound when stand in the back and jump up and down or rock the truck from side to side. I did notice that I have play from left to right on the front spring eye on that side. If I put a screw driver between the bracket and the spring i can get the spring to make a very loud pop/clunk. I think that might be my problem not sure what to do about it though since the bolt is torqued to spec.

 

Bushings may be a fix for you.

OP do you happen to have a hitch with your receiver in it. That usually accounts for the mysterious clunk.

 

new springs does not mean you have tight ubolts....

 

^^^THIS

This is exactly what my "mysterious clunk" was. I took it out for a while to make sure and never heard it again until I put it back in. I used 2 rubber gromets out of some spare parts from a plumbing job (random but it worked) and fit them in the holes where my locking bolt slides thru and it solved my problem.

 

I dont keep the hitch in my receiver.

I am leaning toward, and hoping its the bed. Just due to the sound, its exactly like a 2x4 bouncing on the plastic bed.
So I am hoping its loose, and bouncing up off the frame, or something is under there hitting it, like the e brake cable.
Hoping to get it washed tomorrow, then crawl under there and have a real good look.
This HAS to be fixed, its VERY annoying. This isnt some small squeak.

 

Leaf packs are new with less than 10,000 on them.
Where would I get bushings?

I do plan on doing a u bolt flip so I guess I could drop the springs back out and check the bushings. I'm kind of hoping when I do the flip kit maybe it will sort itself out.

I feel ya man mine is driving me crazy

 

Check the Torque on your shackles. I had a loud clunk right after I swapped springs last weekend, and I'm convinced I had over torqued the shackle and it was locking up when my suspension tried to cycle on hard bumps. It's gone now and nothing has changed.

 

I'm not trying to discount your claim, but are you sure it is not happening coming to a quick stop or a pretty aggressive start? Try it and see if this causes anything. If so, I would lean at the drive shaft. Mine is starting to do it just a tad. This has been a problem for Toyota ever since my 2004 4Runner. No idea why they can't seem to correct this.
The problem is when the shaft has to extend itself, in simple terms..
If you will notice on the Tacoma's they have covered the slip yoke so you can't see what's going on. Just my .02 cents for ya!