"klunking" when I turn....

[HoupPhotography]

Originally Posted by elektrik

Erm...dunno? Did I mention I'm *not* a mechanic enough yet? =]

Yeah, don't sweat that dude! EVERYONE started somewhere and the benefit for you is techknowledgy. You have more help than you cam imagine right here at your finger tips....

[elektrik]

Originally Posted by HoupPhotography

You guys are going to beat me for this......

Check your ask tray, seriously! I had the same problem just the other day, when I would turn I heard a clunk noise, which really irritated me.

Nice Try Houp-I said I wasn't a mechanic, I didn't say I was gullible

[elektrik]

Ya, I think I'm gonna try the add oil route, however I get the feeling that I'll have to replace that seal though, cause it definitely looks like alot (if not all) of the oil has leaked out over the years (the bottom part of the differential is oil-soaked).

I'll let ya know and thanks for the support!

[special-K]

Is there a bottle between the passenger seat and door.That one had me worried until I had someone ride with me and the bottle fell out.My son left it there.
A rear end fluid change is always a good thing.If you can jack a wheel up you can check if it`s a posi.If the raised wheel won`t turn,it`s a posi.If it is a posi and a fluid change w/additive doesn`t cure it I`d look at the bushings in the panhard bar and trailing arms.

[Sonny]

I had a front end "clunk" that eluded me for the longest time. I never could find it so I rebuilt the entire front end. I put it back on the road and the clunk was still there. Come to find out is the tabs on the front disc brake pads were bent out enough to let them move around. It was just enough movement to make a "clunk" when you would stop or go. A little malletization to the tabs where the pads fit tight and no more clunk. Too bad it cost me a couple hundered dollars to figure that one out. On the bright side the tuck has a fresh front end on it...

[Boog]

Yeah, I remember my first time. Not that first time but my first time experiencing the rear end klunk. Posi rear in my old truck. Turning at slow speed it bumped and bumped. It felt like the driveline was sort of binding up somewhere. Naturally I thought something MAJOR was wrong and an older mechanic told me to change the rear end oil and add a small bottle of GM posi additive. I did and the klunk was gone, for good.

[larry may]

Originally Posted by HoupPhotography

You guys are going to beat me for this......

Check your ask tray, seriously! I had the same problem just the other day, when I would turn I heard a clunk noise, which really irritated me. So, I looked everything over the front end, crawled underneath didn't find anything. So my son and I (he's 4) start heading for home and i hear the "klunk" again, so I turn back and forth hear ir again and look right at my ash try, that can't be where that klumk is coming from there's nothing in there. So for kicks, I open it and sure enough there is a 58 socket in there rolling around making this klunk noise. My son looks at me and say, " daddy I put tools in there in case we needed them......

THe dumb part is, it really sounds like a front end "klunk"

Not too bad at 4 years old. He knows how to keep you on your toes.

[LONGHAIR]

If you can jack a wheel up you can check if it`s a posi.If the raised wheel won`t turn,it`s a posi.

Ah, that only works if you are in neutral too. If you only raise one wheel while in gear/park, it won't turn anyway. The spinning of one wheel has to have somewhere to go. If one turns, the other has to turn, either with it or opposite...or the driveshaft has to turn.
Also, if you brakes are too tight, this can all be deceiving.

What rear end is in the truck? If it is a locker, no amount of "posi additive" will fix it.
My initial thought from the OP was brakes. Drums in front?

[ChevLoRay]

[QUOTE=LBJ;2663439]Grease and add lube oil to everything in sight!

I had the driveshaft making noise in my 91 GMC. I removed it to try to replace the u-joints. They were held in there with some kind of injected plastic. I decided NOT to try to replace them. I just greased them with some newly installed zerks and replaced the shaft. Everything was fine after that.QUOTE]

I was lookin' to see if anyone would mention greasing "stuff".

I had a '76 Blazer with a pronounced clunk when stopping/starting. The previous owner was from France, working here to train bellhops at a new hotel, and didn't know we had paved roads in Arkansas, hence the 4WD. The Chevy dealership knew they had a rube in the hand and proceeded to help them spend a couple thousand bucks to "fix" it. Part-time kit in the front end; replaced the inner axle bearings, new torque convertor bolts (left one of them in the nose of the starter....another issue) and replaced the door jamb switches. Clunk still there. It had a set of 10-inch white spokes and 12.00x15's on all four corners and sang like crazy on the highway.

Pulled off the wheels/tires. Installed 8-inch wide wheels and 31x11.50's. It's now quieter. Still clunks, but not so bad. Took it for an oil/lube. Greased the slip yokes on the front end, plus all the other lube points. Noise gone.

It may not be a lubrication issue, but it's certainly something to be done on a regular basis. Not driving them very often, and those that have been parked for a while, are susceptible to "grease worms" that eat up the grease on your vehicles. Once the "worms" eat all the grease, parts start to wear....or worse.

Feed the Grease Worms!!!

[HoupPhotography]

Originally Posted by elektrik

Nice Try Houp-I said I wasn't a mechanic, I didn't say I was gullible

No dude, I'm serious..... that actually happened!

[tim21391]

i had a clunk in the rear end whenever i put it in reverse and when i go from gas to brake to gas again or let off of gas and then go back to it...and when i took off it sounded like metal or something was being stretched so i take it to a guy i know from autozone and he crawled around and figured my rear end u bolts were bad and about to bust off so i took it and had new u bolts put on the rear end and that solved that problem...theres my 2 cents

[elektrik]

The "klunk" is more of a "side" klunk-definitely different from the pulsing I feel when I apply the drum brakes (ya ya, gotta look at that some other time-one problem at a time )

Gonna head to the parts store on Friday (day off)..

[tim21391]

heres what the guy showed me from auto zone..if u go to your rear wheel..and move it with your hands he showed me my trailing arms ( i think thats what they are called) and showed me moving on my mounting pads and showed me how my rusty u bolts were shiney in that spot and said to hurry up and change them so i did and it solved my klunk...i had a real nasty klunk when i put it in reverse and when u play with the gas pedal goin down the road like give it gas brake gas etc..

[Zonaman]

Originally Posted by special-K

Could be a trailing arm bushing or panhard bar.How does it go down the road?When hitting the gas hard,does it pull to one side?If not,it still could be what I mentioned.A bushing would have to be real bad to effect tracking,but can clunk with just enough wear.

I vote for trailing arm bushing, I've rebuilt my suspension, most of what's been suggested, except for these- and I get the same thing.

[WorkinLonghorn]

I FEEL a sort of "klunk" when I let the brake off

That was the original post. Later he said it was probably coming from the back.
I would check the brakes in the back maybe for soaked shoes that are sticking and suddenly releasing.
That would need to be fixed right away.Take a look at those brakes.

[elektrik]

Update:
1. I found out it has factory positraction.
2. I went to the Auto parts store to get some gear oil and the seal.
3. As a temporary test, I added the gear oil to see if the problem went away (before actually "fixing" the seal). The problem *seems* to have gone away somewhat, so I'm going to replace the seal when I have more time, since it looks like it all leaked out (based solely on how it looks from the outside). Indeed, it took half a bottle up to the screw hole, so it was at least low.
4. I say the problem seems to go away somewhat because it's still doing it a little.


More info if I figure it out...

[Big Chief]

I'm having the same issue. I was ready to replace my whole rear axle, but I think I'll try the "oil change" route first too. Any update on yours?

[Big Chief]

El-jay you were correct, at least in my case. I drained the rear end and put in some new posi-lube and gear oil and my gmc is running smooth as silk. Thanks for the help. I even repainted my diff cover and sealed it up nicely so it's all good. Thanks again.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by elektrik

Update:
1. I found out it has factory positraction.
2. I went to the Auto parts store to get some gear oil and the seal.
3. As a temporary test, I added the gear oil to see if the problem went away (before actually "fixing" the seal). The problem *seems* to have gone away somewhat, so I'm going to replace the seal when I have more time, since it looks like it all leaked out (based solely on how it looks from the outside). Indeed, it took half a bottle up to the screw hole, so it was at least low.
4. I say the problem seems to go away somewhat because it's still doing it a little.


More info if I figure it out...

Don't forget the Posi lube. It's different than gear oil and you need it for the positraction.

LockDoc

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by Big Chief

El-jay you were correct, at least in my case. I drained the rear end and put in some new posi-lube and gear oil and my gmc is running smooth as silk. Thanks for the help. I even repainted my diff cover and sealed it up nicely so it's all good. Thanks again.

I'm glad that worked for you.