Clunking sound coming from front end

After the last trip off road I’ve had a loud clunking sound from the front end. Happens often, over small bumps and even on flat roads while turning. The sound is similar to a bad/failing lower ball joint but I replaced mine recently. I’m wondering if bad tie rod end links would make a similar sound? I know mine have tears in their grease pouches…


The clunking happens a lot and doesn’t take much for it to happen. Having replaced the lower ball joints less than 5k miles ago, I’m thinking it’s something else… any ideas of what it could?

 

Tie rods and upper ball joints can certainly make those noises,as well as worn lower strut mount bushings (the bushing the lower strut bolt goes through)

Don’t forget bad cv joints too they make noises

 

Thanks! Most on that list are fairly new. Between CV and tie rods. Hopefully just the tie rods.

 

Don’t feel too bad. I replaced everything on my wife’s car front end over the past two years. Except the upper ball joints,i put on some OEM upper control arms gently used ones with low miles. Now 40k later the upper ball joints are knocking lol.

 

Ill be happy if it’s the tie rods lol.

 

I had a clunking in the front end and turned out to be a sway bar link. Good luck hopefully nothing too bad

 

I’ll check their torque. Never know

 

I had a clunk that occurred only when I was moving left to right. (Turning) Turns out one of the two bolts holding the lower control arm on was loose on the drivers side.

The frame is slotted to allow the cam sleeves to move the arm into a differing positions to set your alignment. My issue is the cam plate gad come completely out of the channels which allowed free play. Oooooof.

Link to what I be talking bout https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...t-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-964#post-2240266

 

Stabilizer links?

 

It could be any part in the steering or suspension. Best thing to do is have someone bounce the truck up and down and/or have them wiggle the steering wheel back and forth, while you look underneath at each part for excessive movement

 

It’s not just torque, the end links go bad.

 

My 2006 Tundra drove me crazy for a couple years with the front end clunking when turning. Came across a post from someone, amd wanted to pass on the great tip. Check the four bolts of the cross member that attatch to the transmission. All four of mine were loose and causing the clunk. Hope this helps someone else. Wish I could find the person who made the post and and give credit to the person that helped me.

 

This is only true for 2WD trucks. It's one of many topics covered in the megathread in the sticky section at the top of this 1st gen forum, which if you haven't read yet, you should...

 

I am in the process of getting into the final stages of "WTF is that clunk?" in my front end. New parts that I have installed over the last few months:

--UCAs
-- LCAs
-- Dobs coilovers
-- Steering rack
-- TREs
-- Sway Bar end links
-- Sway bar bushings

-- OEM LBJs have 40K miles on them

After I installed the sway bar bushings most of the heavy low speed clunk is gone, but there's still a little bit hanging on. My Suspension Maxx sway bar end link bottom bushings are pretty over compressed, so I'll probably start by removing and re-installing those, but is there anything else I should be looking into?

 

I had a "clunk" on the right side after I went through a pot hole during the test drive last summer. I bought the truck anyway but replaced all of this before getting it licensed:

LBJ's (wife and I did that one, thanks to everyone here)
Outer tie rods
CV axle
Steering rack

"Clunk" is gone.

201,000 miles when bought, 204,500 miles on it now.

 

My initial clunk was actually just that the UBJs on my SPC uppers weren't fully greased. As stupid as that is. I'd just swapped out a new tube of grease into my guns with something that met SPC's 3% moly requirements, and I got about 2-3 squirts in one side before the gun airlocked.

Which UCA did you install? If SPC, or some other brand with poly bushings, you didn't do something silly, like torque to spec while the truck was still in the air, did you? If yes, have you checked the bushings?