Loud clunk/bang in front end

dbeard

dbeard

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2011
65
0
Lebanon, PA
Hi there gang, hoping for some help. I have been having an issue with a loud clunk/bang sound when changing terrain at an angle. For example, if am turning into a parking lot, or alley that has a change in elevation, and I'm entering that lot or alley at a 45º angle at a decent amount of speed, I hear a loud bang, that seems to be some sort of weight shift. It doesn't matter if I'm making a left or right turn. If I take it slow, I am not able to create the noise.

A little side information. I am riding on OME shocks and spring, and have HD drag link and tie rods installed. I have disconnected ace, and the sway bars in the front.

Any ideas as to what may be causing this? I'm afraid to take it on any wheeling trip at the moment.

Thanks
 
seventyfive

seventyfive

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2010
4,280
100
over there
Stop driving fast.


With key on engine off (so your steering wheel isn't locked) hold the pan hard close to the axle mount, have somebody slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth. Does that bushing have play? If there is no play there, drive the truck into a light post at about 45 mph.
 
p m

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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I had a loud clank/bang from the left front side for years. I think I eventually ruled out everything except for springs slightly shifting in their seats.
It rarely happens on pavement, though. More like driving left side tire into a rock.
 
dbeard

dbeard

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2011
65
0
Lebanon, PA
Ok, so I spent some time under the truck this weekend. I think one of the culprits I'm hearing is a chassis radius arm bushing. Got in there with a pry bar, and there is definitely some play. I also did a once over of the bolts from the steering box, to the chassis. None of them seemed very loose. I was working along, so I was having trouble diagnosing if there was anything going on with the pan hard rod. I did notice that the lower ball joint on the control arm is leaking.

Should I just plan on replacing all 4 bushings for the radius arms while I'm doing the work? I don't have a press, so I plan on removing the radius arms, and taking them somewhere with a press. That being said, what happens when I have the truck jacked up on stands on the axle, and I remove both radius arms? Does that sound like a recipe for death?

I've been trying to do as much work as possibly myself, but sometimes I end up doing more damage then repair.
 
Buddy

Buddy

Well-known member
Nov 6, 2006
2,839
1
Central NC
dbeard said:
That being said, what happens when I have the truck jacked up on stands on the axle, and I remove both radius arms? Does that sound like a recipe for death?

I've been trying to do as much work as possibly myself, but sometimes I end up doing more damage then repair.
Click to expand...

You will need to support the truck under the frame if you're removing the radius arms. I have a set of large jack stands I use for this. Jack up the truck and place the jack stands under the frame on both sides. Then once the truck is on the jack stands you can remove the radius arms. I would keep the wheels and tires on since you'll need to be able to move the axle forward and backward to make everything go together again. Ratchet straps will help also.
 
dbeard

dbeard

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2011
65
0
Lebanon, PA
Should I put the front and rear of the frame on jack stands, or just the front? Should the truck be lifted to a point that the wheels are just barely off the ground?
 
p m

p m

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Apr 19, 2004
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La Jolla, CA
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dbeard said:
Should I just plan on replacing all 4 bushings for the radius arms while I'm doing the work? I don't have a press, so I plan on removing the radius arms, and taking them somewhere with a press.
Click to expand...
Do NOT remove both radius arms unless you absolutely have to. It's not a recipe for death, but one for a long clusterfuck to put them back. Also, don't let the axle droop - leave the truck and axle on jackstands such that there's almost no tension in the radius arms bushings. You don't have to lift the rear, front is sufficient.
You'll also have to remove the tie rod, and [maybe] the sway bar.

It is certainly nice to have a press to do these bushings, but you don't have to. Drill out the rubber in a bushing so that the center portion falls out, and crush the outer sleeve with a chisel/big flathead screwdriver and a hammer. Clean out the bore, maybe with some very scotchpad, and chamfer the bore a little with a file or dremel tool. Grease the bore before putting a new bushing in; then, a long half-inch grade 10 bolt with a couple of properly-sized sockets will drive a new bushing home.
 
dbeard

dbeard

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2011
65
0
Lebanon, PA
I'm wishing I would have filmed the forward and backward play, instead of side to side. Feel like that would have been a more fair assessment. Would you guys use oem or poly bushing?
 
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