Driver Side Clunking Noise

nghtshd88

Well-Known LVC Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
469
Reaction score
36
Location
New Jersey
In the past few hundred miles I got a hollow clunking out my front drive side. Almost sounds like a bad endlink. Changed it anyway and still the same. Was going to wait till spring for shocks and mounts. Is this typical of the front control arms? I also get a low pop when turning left to right at standstill. Tierods tight though. Is it easier to change the upper arms when the shocks are out? If so I might.
 
In the past few hundred miles I got a hollow clunking out my front drive side. Almost sounds like a bad endlink. Changed it anyway and still the same. Was going to wait till spring for shocks and mounts. Is this typical of the front control arms? I also get a low pop when turning left to right at standstill. Tierods tight though. Is it easier to change the upper arms when the shocks are out? If so I might.
Could be your lower control arm joints try spraying some white lithium grease on them and see if the clunking goes away or is minimized
 
In the past few hundred miles I got a hollow clunking out my front drive side. Almost sounds like a bad endlink. Changed it anyway and still the same. Was going to wait till spring for shocks and mounts. Is this typical of the front control arms? I also get a low pop when turning left to right at standstill. Tierods tight though. Is it easier to change the upper arms when the shocks are out? If so I might.
The first thing I would think is making a noise like that is a outer tie rod but if you checked them then It has to be your ball joints either upper or lower
 
I found recently that my caliper slider pins were somewhat under-lubricated and the calipers were rattly. You don't even have to take a wheel off to check this simple problem. Grab the caliper in your hand and try to rattle it. Mine made all kinds of noise easily by shaking it with my hand. The solution was to pack the pin receiver with more grease and reassemble. I thought it was sway bar bushings on my permabushing sway bar, but it was still tight after 228K miles.
 
check the anti-roll bar bushings.
They look great at 60k miles, a little crunch when cold over large dips as its freezing out.

I found recently that my caliper slider pins were somewhat under-lubricated and the calipers were rattly. You don't even have to take a wheel off to check this simple problem. Grab the caliper in your hand and try to rattle it. Mine made all kinds of noise easily by shaking it with my hand. The solution was to pack the pin receiver with more grease and reassemble. I thought it was sway bar bushings on my permabushing sway bar, but it was still tight after 228K miles.

I just did my brakes and had it prior.

Guess Ill check my ball joints for any play. Yea yanking on the wheel I have no play in the tierods.
 
They look great at 60k miles, a little crunch when cold over large dips as its freezing out.



I just did my brakes and had it prior.

Guess Ill check my ball joints for any play. Yea yanking on the wheel I have no play in the tierods.
What do you mean by yanking on the wheel?
A good visual inspection of the tie rod ball joints for wear and splitting is more dependable than yanking on the wheel and if you have a lot of play in the steering wheel it’s a good indicator that tie rods are needing to be replaced but clunking is pointing in the direction of tie rod or ball joints ...do you have the original coils and shock absorbers in your LS and if so taking one out and checking for elasticity in the piston would be the best way to find out if your shocks are shot! Keep us posted
 
Clunk in front end? Sway bar bushings, steering end links, or upper control arm ball joint.
 
I found recently that my caliper slider pins were somewhat under-lubricated and the calipers were rattly. You don't even have to take a wheel off to check this simple problem. Grab the caliper in your hand and try to rattle it. Mine made all kinds of noise easily by shaking it with my hand. The solution was to pack the pin receiver with more grease and reassemble. I thought it was sway bar bushings on my permabushing sway bar, but it was still tight after 228K miles.
This is a good tip!! I have a front end creak. Not a clunk but a creak. It happens when the car is nice and warmed up AND/OR when the ambient air temperature is hot. It is a forward back motion that causes it rather than a turning or up and down. I have changed both sway bar bushings and installed greaseable Moog end links.

I will try your tip. I presume you had to take the wheels off for this, right?
 

Members online

Back
Top