Right Front Clunk on Slow Turns/Take Off

[dukbludvl]

Hi Everyone -- I'm experiencing a new problem that I couldn't find any previous posts on and I'm hoping someone who has experienced this (or not) can help. I turned off my music today and drove around a bit in the parking lot and could hear a clunk coming from the right front on slow turns in the parking lot and also on takeoff -- just as I take off going straight ahead.

Has anyone else experienced this or could you suggest some possible causes?

 

I just replaced my front shocks this weekend, where I noticed some vertical metal-on-metal wear on the outside of the front right shock about half-way down the shock. The wear spot is only about 2.5 inches from top to bottom, with about only 1 inch high where the paint wore off and it is silver; also, it is the width of a penny, and it is about 1.5 inches below the black plastic cover. Could this have something to do with the clunk?

 

Or, perhaps I didn't tighten the shock bolts enough (or too tight)?

 

Please advise. Your help is appreciated.

[RyanbabZ71]

I dont have an answer for you but someone mentioned that he had a clunking in the front end ( i had something like this on the drivers side which hasnt happened in a long time) but his solution was a front end alignment.  Something about a bolt being loose

 

Also welcome to the site.  Is this the same Dukbludvl from the delphi forum?  If you are whats up with it i havent been able to access it lately

 

[dukbludvl]

Hey Ryan -- same guy from delphiforums.com. I just found this site last night.  I've got the clunk problem and a squeak which I just posted about.  Both seem to have been around since 35K and I'm at 45K now.  I just put 4 new Bilsteins on and really like them. I noticed some wear (metal-on-metal) on the right front factory shock when I replaced it. Any idea how that could be happening?

[dukbludvl]

by the way - i haven't had any problems accessing it.  www.delphiforums.com and log in as usual. it seems like there aren't as many people around there anymore, though.

[RyanbabZ71]

no idea.  It could ossibly be from road debris.  My rear shock (driver side) had a few gouges (scratches down to the metal) in it when i took it off.

[dukbludvl]

this is more of a wear than road debris.  there is wear about 1 inch high and the width of a penny that looks like it's from repeated scraping up-and-down. wish i could figure it out, cause I don't want it to continue on the new bilsteins.

[sgiangregorio]

Shocks or CV joints?

[Shaners]

Could it possibly be rubbing a brake hose/line?  I remember the "General" having a recall for certain vehicles.

[99silveradoz71]

I had some sort of noise in the front end when turning at low speeds and it ended up being the steering gearbox.  Driveline clunk may be part of it if it's happening when you're putting the pedal down after slowing.

[Guest Friz]

Balljoint(s).

[dougmac]

My truck had the exact symptoms. The intermediate steering shaft needed to be removed and lubed. Here is the number of the TSB for the problem.

 

 

00-02-35-003A  DEC 01       Steering - Underhood Clunk Noise

 

CONDITION:

Some customers may comment on clunk type noise coming from under the hood that also can be felt in the steering wheel. These conditions may be more noticeable when turning at low speeds on rough road surfaces.

 

Doug

[2001 HD]

I've had the steering shaft replaced, then lubed and after time it comes back. There is a new thrust bearing out for the steering gear, but no official TSB that I,ve seen.

 

At 27000 miles, I decided it was time to re-torque all chassis hardware and found many had loosened up. Leaf springs and  hangers, U-Bolts, shock mounting bolts, upper and lower control arm-to-frame bolts, frame crossmember, torsion bar mounting bolts, etc. Amazingly, my truck feels "tighter" now, with very few squeaks and moans.