Anoying clunk

[379redneck]

Ever since I bought my truck it has always made a clunking noise from the front end every time I hit a bump. At first I thought it was the blown out rear shocks, but after I replaced them it still did it. I just finished replacing the front axle seals, wheel bearings, wheel seals, and cleaning everything out of the axle shaft and deff, and it still does it. All of the shocks on the truck are new, and there doesnt seem to be anyrhing loose in the suspension. What could be making this noise?

[HTX86chevy]

I recently began to have this same prob. im just assuming that it may be the Coil springs or ball joints, but im no mechanic. this is just my opinion. Also, mine is leaning on the driver side.(where the rattle/clank is coming from) Is yours also leaning?

[379redneck]

Yes, but my front shocks arnt set up the way they should be. It came with the factory quad shocks and only the passenger side has the two shocks. The drivers side, the low side, only has a single skyjacker shock that is meant for an aftermarket dual shock kit. The noise seems to be coming from the drivers side.

Is there any possibility it couldbe the stabilizer? It does a rattle sometimes if I turn right slowly, I can also feel something in the floor when it cliks/ratlles/clunks.

[blazer2007]

I had a jeep that did that and it turned out to be the sway bushing,go figure

[379redneck]

How do you know if the bushins are bad?

[48richard]

Had the same problem on my 71. After chasing all the things you guys did, I found that the studs that the top of the front shocks mount to were loose in the frame. Torqued them to 140 ft-lbs per the manual and problem solved. Worth a look.

Richard

[379redneck]

I will check those to, I know that the one bolt on the side with one shock is very long. I havnt checked them again since I put them on so thats a possibility.

Thanks

[Altec]

Couple quick things to check would be to unbolt the sway bar, and tie it out of the way. See if that removes the noise. If that doesn't work I'd unbolt the drive shaft and see if that is the cause. easy way to narrow it down.

[379redneck]

That sounds easy enough. I will definitly try that.

[TheWhiteElephant]

If it only happens every time you hit a bump, it sounds like it may be a bushing somewhere. Only way to know if the bushings are bad is to look at them. Look at the leaf spring bushings and look for any cracks or dryness around them. Might be a good time to replace them.

With the truck off, stand outside and push/shake it as hard as you can from side to side, up and down and listen for the sound. This may help track it down.

[379redneck]

Originally Posted by TheWhiteElephant

If it only happens every time you hit a bump, it sounds like it may be a bushing somewhere. Only way to know if the bushings are bad is to look at them. Look at the leaf spring bushings and look for any cracks or dryness around them. Might be a good time to replace them.

With the truck off, stand outside and push/shake it as hard as you can from side to side, up and down and listen for the sound. This may help track it down.

It only does it when I hit a bump that will give the truck a quik jerk, kind of like those little annying pott holes that havnt grown up yet more than big bumps. I have tried bouncing it and it doesnt do anything.

[HumbleChevyBuddy]

I had a similar issue and it bugged the hell out of me. This may not be related, but my issue came from the exhaust hitting up against the bottom of the heat shield pan underneath the driver seat (on the underside of the cab). If I shook the truck, it never happened. However, if the truck was on and I hit a bump...it would happen. Sometimes it would happen if I slammed the driver's side door while it was on or just by idling. I got up under there and noticed it was bent down a bit, so I tried bending it back up with no success. I finally had to take a small grinder to it and give the exhaust area a little bit of clearance. That solved my issue.

Like I said, I don't know if it's related, but it has some of the same symptoms I was having. Hope this helps!

[379redneck]

Originally Posted by HumbleChevyBuddy

I had a similar issue and it bugged the hell out of me. This may not be related, but my issue came from the exhaust hitting up against the bottom of the heat shield pan underneath the driver seat (on the underside of the cab). If I shook the truck, it never happened. However, if the truck was on and I hit a bump...it would happen. Sometimes it would happen if I slammed the driver's side door while it was on or just by idling. I got up under there and noticed it was bent down a bit, so I tried bending it back up with no success. I finally had to take a small grinder to it and give the exhaust area a little bit of clearance. That solved my issue.

Like I said, I don't know if it's related, but it has some of the same symptoms I was having. Hope this helps!

I do get a rattle like that sometimes when it is idling, but this noise is different. Its not a metal pipe sounding rattle, its hard to explain. Usually when it does it its just a clik or two from a bump and thats it. Theres only one spot that I have ever gotten it to rattle while turning, usualy its only from bumps. It was very similar to the noise my rear shocks were making since they were blown and rotted. Im assuming they did it because it was alot worse before I changed them.

I forgot to mention this- Sometimes there is a pop in the sterring. Its not loud but you can feel it in the floor when it does it. I didnt notice it since I did the work on the front end so I dont know if it has been fixed, and I cant drive the truck yet because I still have water in the tranny Just thought I would throw it out there incase its related
Thanks