Clunk Noise
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Clunk Noise
Hello, I have a 1998 F150 with a 4.6 engine and is a 4x4 now the other day when I was backing out of the garage I heard a clunk noise and it seems like it is coming from the right front, so I tried it going forward it made the same noise but not as bad. There is no road noise and all the u joints are good and tight, the noise was when I gave it a little gas. My question is the front cv u joint would this make the noise? And what about the hub? What is the proper why to check the CV joint and the hub? The noise was when I was in 2 wheel drive. Thanks a million for any help.
Fleet Mechanic
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From: NE Iowa JD Country
Hello, I have a 1998 F150 with a 4.6 engine and is a 4x4 now the other day when I was backing out of the garage I heard a clunk noise and it seems like it is coming from the right front, so I tried it going forward it made the same noise but not as bad. There is no road noise and all the u joints are good and tight, the noise was when I gave it a little gas. My question is the front cv u joint would this make the noise? And what about the hub? What is the proper why to check the CV joint and the hub? The noise was when I was in 2 wheel drive. Thanks a million for any help.
In addition to suspecting that...I would check the sway bar end links and lower ball joints. and tie rod ends...shucks check the tranny mount and engine mounts. Might not be a bad idea to check the brakes out too.
as to the best way to check, get the front end off the ground and get a pry bar in there and giving things a wiggle...see if it can be reproduced
In short there are several thing that can go "clunk" You tube can be a great source for repair info
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Cross-Country
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clunk noise
Thanks enriched for the reply, whats funny is the c v joint boots are all good, and you can turn the wheels all the way in both directions and it makes no noise. I did take a pry bar and pry around under there and what I found was on the driver's side where the c v bolts to the diff there is play there but i don't know how mutch is to mutch.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Minnesota
As mentioned...check your sway bar links. Both ends of each one should be bolted in tight. They can look OK but look on the top and be sure it is not snapped off. They can clunk around pretty good.
Laughing Gas
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From: Minnesota
Yep...you got it. The bar that goes across is the sway bar. On each end is that long bolt-spacer with the rubber deals....those are called the sway bar links. If one breaks they can really bang around on bumps...stuff like that.
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X2 on the sway bar end links. I had a hard time tracking down a clunk that would occur when starting off, stopping, sometimes turning at slow speed, and sometimes going over a bump and lightening the front end. The noise was on the right front, which is where I spent my time looking. It was the left sway bar end link.
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Cross-Country
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Hi rjcorazza, and Spotty I checked the sway bar links and they seem tight but what I did do though while I had the truck jacked up on the right I rocked the wheel back and forth and I heard a hollow sounding noise so I took a pair of plyers and held the in side of the cv joint as tight as I could and rocked the wheel again I could see some play in the cv joint. I'v heard that the hub isn't service able do you know of any body taking the shield off the bearing and forcing grease into it? And the cv joint are the boots made to be taken off so the joint can be serviced? And if so how often does the joint need to be serviced? Thanks for your help, does it sound like i'm on the right track?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Minnesota
IDK on the CV joint. Usually they click and stuff when bad...not clunk. Whenever I have had a bad one on something I just buy the whole shaft and everything. A bad bearing hub will make a growling noise ...like driving on a rough surface asphalt road. A bang or a clunk in certain situations is normally a ball joint, tie rod end, sway bar link, u-joint..stuff like that.
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From: NY Finger Lakes Region
On my '01 I had a couple of clunks over the last week or so while backing up and the wheel was turned to the left. Guess what.... Monday night turning around in my driveway backing up with the wheel turned to the left, the right lower ball joint broke. Had to have it towed to the garage, new ball joint, 2.5 hours labor she is all back together. Now I thought that the clunk may have been drivetrain binding because I do have a hub that can be sticky at times, but this was not the case. Good luck on finding the issue and getting it repaired.
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Cross-Country
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Well I did some more checking on my noise, I pushed up on my rear u joint right behind the transfer case and then I found play in the tranny mount so I got a little closer and I found a bolt missing the one that goes into the tranny, I found a bolt that would work and I test drove to see what it would do and guess what no noise. I want to put the right bolt back in and the local parts house don't have a listing on the bolts do you guys know what size bolts they are? Thanks to all that replied to my problem. I just got the bolt snug I didn't want to take a chance on pulling the threads in the tranny.
Last edited by jayron; Dec 27, 2014 at 08:40 PM. Reason: spelling error
Laughing Gas
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From: Minnesota
Don't they have two bolts side by side and you lost one? The other one would be the same. It's more than likely metric with a 1.25 pitch, but I can't say for sure. A dealership might show that on a fiche....give them a call. How many threads did you get with the bolt you have in there? The wrong thread pitch will start but not go far. If you did put the wrong pitch in, the correct one may not go in now without using a thread chaser to clean up the threads. If you got a few turns on it and it is holding and stopped the problem...maybe just make sure it is tight and call it good.
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Cross-Country
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Hey Spotty yeah there is two bolts side by side and I tried to get the other one out to match it up but I can't get it out. I got the bolt that I found better than half way in with my fingers, I called the dealer they would have to order them they couldn't tell me the size and length.
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