i drive a 1996 f-150 xlt, and i have a question. whenever im driving and i hit a bump(even the littlest bump) the front end on the left side clunks pretty loudly. some people tell me its the radius arm bushing because the bushing is dry rotted and in bad shape. i'm almost positive that its not my shock making the clunking noise.can someone help me out here and give some advice on what this clunking noise is coming from. i'd really like to know because it annoys the hell out of me thx for any help anyone can give.
jack

 

i think that it is the radius arm bushing because my truck makes the same noise and after installin my lift i know that i didnt put all the bushings in and also my friends ranger makes the same noise and he also thinks that its the radius arm bushings, when i find the time im goin to run down to the dealer and get a new set for my truck, hopefully that is what it is and not anything serious in the front end, but im 90% sure that thats what it is (only cause every thing that can go wrong normally does with my truck).

 

Check the lower shock absorber bushings , Ive seen a few of them fail so all you have is metal to metal contact & it will make a lot of noise .

 

For what it's worth: I am having the same problem in my left front. I put new shocks, which were needed anyway, and it still clunks. All the bushings look great. Nothing seems loose and it tracks true with no wander or pull. So I suspect the brake pad is rattling. There is an anti-rattle clip that goes in there which may have fallen out or broke. This is further supported by the fact that when I hit bumps with the brakes on I don't get the rattle.

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Also, what I find on Ford trucks is there is clearance between the rear leaf spring front eye and mounting bracket. This allows the front of the spring to move side to side in the mount as the truck goes over the bump. Every time the spring moves sideways, it hits the side of the bracket sharply and you hear the pop sound. You can check the bolt for tightness, but it will be tight as usual, I've found. You can remove the bolt and place a thin washer, such as a stainless steel one, on one or both sides of the spring bushing until the slack is tooken up in the mount.I know most think that a noise from the rear spring would not seem like it would sound as if it comes from the front suspension, but so did I, until it happened to me, as well as a few other trucks I work with .
Phil