Front End Clunking
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From: Wisconsin
Front End Clunking
Just a week ago I replaced my radius arm bushings with some urethane ones because my old ones were worn out. Now I'm getting a clunking noise coming from the front. At first I thought the noise was coming because the new bushings have to get seated and then I would have to re-torque them. So, I re-torqured them (one was a little loose) and took it for a drive, but the clunk was still there. The noise only appears when I'm driving more than 15mph, anything less and it is dead silent. Any ideas what is causing this?
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From: Wisconsin
The last time I had the front end off the ground, everything seemed tight, but I will have to check it again. When I was driving it today, the clunking felt like it was right under the floor, where you put your feet on both the passenger and drivers side. What should the nut on the radius arm be torqued to? I just want to make sure I have it right. The clunking feels real strange like somethings really loose. What should I check on the caliper, just see if it's tight? Thanks for the help so far.
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From: Wisconsin
Thanks bronco5.8, I had them torqued to 110 lbs.ft. I torqued them to 120 and it didn't make a difference. I also jacked up the front and the wheels seem tight. Any more ideas to what is causing the noise?
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From: Oromocto NB
Wheels will seem tight when you raise the truck cause now your ball joints are at another angle where there is no wear. Raise truck with tires about 3 inches off of ground and use a long bar to pry between ground and tire and move the wheel up and down and feel for loosness.
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From: Wisconsin
Well today I was checking the front suspension for anything loose and I couldn't find much. Both the front hubs are set to free and I checked the shocks, they are both tight. Bossind, I tried what you said and there didn't seem to be anything loose, but I don't think I was using a long enough pry bar so I am going to try it again tomorrow. I hope its not the ball joints because I just had them replaced about 2 1/2 years ago. Also, when I was jacking up the front tires, I noticed that as the tires left the ground, they moved to be straight up and down. Before they were lifted off the ground, they were kind of slanted outward and the tires have begun to wear on the inside edge. Does this happen because some alingment bushings or something are wore out? Or could this movement be causing the clunking? I am looking into getting an alingment since it hasn't been done in a long time.
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Did it clunk prior to replacing the bushings? If you removed your radius arm mounting brackets from the frame when replacing the bushings, there is a chance that the bolts holding the brackets to the frame are not sufficiently tightened, or one is loose. You could be hearing the noise from play between these brackets and the frame.
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From: Wisconsin
Yes there was a slight clunking before I replaced the bushings, that is the reason why I thought the bushings needed to be replaced (one ended up being bad). After I changed the bushings to some urethane ones, the clunking became more pronounced and I can kind of feel the clunking on the floor boards of the truck. I also did check the bolts on the radius arm bracket and they are all tight. Thanks for all the ideas so far.
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