Front end clunk. Need help.

[vtx1800sba]

Ok guys so my 1996 2 door makes a clunking noise in the front end (approximately the drivers side) when when going over bumps in the road. Let me give you some background first. My 2dr has 55k original miles. Yep you read that right. Sat for many years before I came across it this year. Was in a concrete floored barn and is in super shape. I've changed out all the universal joints, shock absorbers (Bilstein HDs), sway bar links, and tires (Goodyear Silent Armor (LT265/75R16s). I've got the tires aired down to about 65lbs or so. Still pretty bouncy but no more flat tires on job sites.

I've checked that the shock bolts are tight front and back. I tightened the sway bar links and squashed the urethane bushings in doing so. But not too squashed. I put the hood up and leaned on the truck pretty hard. I can hear the sway bar bushings squeaking that surround the sway bar itself and fasten to the cross member. The bug deflector seems tight to. What the hell is it?

 

[alc5m]

well my 96 makes a slapping, clunking metal on metal noise coming from the rear of the torsion bar where there is that mount on the cross member, the torsion bar moving up and down knocks the cross member into my frame, and the broken torsion bar mount hits where it cracked off as well

thats where the noise on mine is, and its pretty easy to diagnose, just climb under the truck and look

 

[vtx1800sba]

I'll take a look but that seems very serious. This thing has been babied all its life. I am wondering would worn ball joints, control arm bushings or tie rod ends do this? But then again the rig only has 55k miles on it. Am perplexed.

 

[taylorjm]

Have you jacked up the front wheels and tried moving them around to check for wheel bearing or ball joint play? Did they have the intermediate steering shaft issues with your model? (not sure when that all started)

 

[vtx1800sba]

Jeff I just got done putting it up on jack stands and having my business partner's shop manager look for loose parts. No apparent looseness or slack in the ball joints, tie rod ends, or steering linkage. Nothing came up in the control arms either. I am perplexed as is he. I am beginning to think I've got a body mount loose. But we could not reproduce the clunk the shop. He could clearly hear it when we took it down the bumpy county road my office is on. WTF!

 

[alc5m]

Well if it was thr torsion bar mount you would def hear it, lol, its pretty damn loud

and with no looseness in all that, the only thing i would assume is body mount too, but then again, ya never know

hope you figure it out man, that truck sounds too nice to have something like this going on

 

[SunlitComet]

How about dirty and ungreased drive shaft yoke splines?

 

[BluHoe96]

I had this problem on my 4 door and still have it. Over the years i guess my axle seals by the input flanges have worn out and the flange has some play. Grab your inner cv joint and jiggle it around to see if the flange moves around. If so then that is your problem.

I started out with play on just the passenger side and now its both sides.

 

[vtx1800sba]

Jon I am pretty meticulous on maintenance. The driveshafts and all joints with zerk fittings get greased at every oil change. But for the life of me I can't figure out the noise. I am going to be pulling the valance off in the wheel well to see if I have a broken shock. Will be putting it up on a lift tomorrow. One way or another, gonna find that ******* noise.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:12 PM ----------

Thanks for the input JR. Will do tomorrow.

 

[vtx1800sba]

Ok guys we figured it out. Put it up on the hoist this morning. CV joints tight, suspension components tight. Torsion bar end bushings appeared good to go. But when my guys took hold of the driver side front tire and moved it left to right, we heard a clunk. Grabbed the passenger side tire, heard a clunk emanating from the drivers side. Idler arm and pitman arm have significant play in them. Ball joints good, tie rods and ends appear good. Will replace both pitman and idler arms. Need to go anyway.