Clunk in suspension/steering while making a turn...
 

Before you all get really torqued off about another clunking post, let me just tell you guys that this one isn't typical...

:surrender:

There is a clunk :kick: coming from my steering and/or suspension while making a turn at lower speeds; second gear, right hand turn at about fifteen mph. It's very inconsistent because it doesn't do it every time. Sometimes it will *pop* at the beginning of a turn, and sometimes it won't *clunk* until I start to straighten the wheels back out. It also won't clunk unless I'm applying engine torque, about halfway through th clutch stroke when the vehicle starts to accelerate.

:brickwall:

I kneeled down in front of the jeep last night and pushed and pulled on a few of the rods running from wheel to wheel, but couldn't feel any play. My entire suspension is stock and so are all of the steering components. They may also be all original.

I have greased every zerk fitting in the front, including the two right above the front wheel hubs. All of the driveline u-joints are good, but I doubt it's one of those anyway.

If someone could provide me a good checklist of things to look at, it would be greatly appreciated. Btw, I don't know much about the components or their names, so please don't just use the acronym, because I probably won't recognize it. I have a factory service manual to reference, too.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

:gunsmilie:

I have a similar problem. I suspect the main track bar bushing/bolt could be worn. You might check your steering stabilizer mounting bolts/bushings. I have had those make noise if loose. From there I might check all of my control arm bolts/bushings. I suppose you have looked at your tie rod ends. I have never had a problem with those yet.

A loose shock bolt will make noise also. I even had a loose coil spring clamp (located on the bottom of the spring) make noise.

Let me know what you find out, if anything. My dad's got the Jeep right now out fishing, so I can't do anything.

Does anybody else have any ideas on how to diagnose or pinpoint the problem?

I have the same problem in mine.I have already replaced all of the bushings on the sway bar and that did not do it, I am replacing all of the tie rods and ends as well as the steering stabilizer over the weekend or early next week. I will post if it gets rid of it.

so before doing my coolant flush today, I jacked the Jeep up and did some looking.

There wasn't any play anywhere. The only things that moved were the drag link and tie rod, whick were just rotating on their pivot points. I also checked the wheel bearing play. There is zero, none, no play whatsoever in the front wheels.

Took the Jeep for a spin tonight and did some figure eights. It clunks twice from steering wheel center to full lock, either side. Does this help pinpoint anything?

Soon, I will order a bushing master kit from energy suspension and replace all the grommets and bushings underneath.

Please help me! It's my daily driver!

I had a similar problem on mine. I had to have someone turn the wheel while running so I could get under there and look at it. It end up being the trac bar. Without someone turning the whee for me I never would have found it, no matter how many times I pulled, yanked or twisted things.

Could also be your u-joints

All the driveline u-joints are good. Are you talking about the ones in the knuckle?

Can anybody give me more diagnosing help?

I had a similar experience too- my friend turned the wheel while i looked it was a loose trackbar bolt at tbe axle. Retorque it to spec and let us know u did it.

If it is a loud single clunk/pop then I bet money on it being the trac bar where it bolts up by the frame. Torque that down then see if it goes away

It's very hard to see if that's it on your own. Do exactly what im saying here;
1.get a buddy to turn the wheel all the way til it locks in both directions slowly while its running in park
2. While he is doing that you take a bright flashlight and shine it on the ujoints, tie rods, and precisely the trac bar mount by the frame.
3. By doing that you will be able to see exactly what is making the sound

94jeepcherokee---

P.S. Can you go back to my thread and help me figure mine out? Thanks much appreciated

I got the same problem at slow speed i can turn and just get clunk clunk clunk as it sounds like a tire bending the fender but its not its weird

when i did my 4.5" lift it was fine for a while then i got the clunking when i turn every once in a while but progressively got worse..driving down a crappy city street here the bolt broke to the trackbar on the axle...i would check and make sure thats tight not sure if that could be your problem but it would be worth checking into

My dad was turning the wheel for me while I was checking... There were no clunks or pops while we were parked up and running the engine.

it wasnt doing it all the time on mine either..i did the exact same thing had someone turn the wheel back and forth while i looked underneath and couldnt see anything but what i was missing was that the trackbar bolt loosened and was hitting while turning then it finally snapped at 30mph and almost lost control the Death Wobble was extreme

u cant really see it unless u get underneath and look from the backside

like i said i could be way off BUT it doesnt hurt to grab a socket and a wrench and try to tighten it up

if that isnt the problem then i dunno what it could be

Guess I'll check the trackbar lol... Ain't ball joints, don't think it's tie rod ends... Wheels are tight, no play there. Shocks are new and mounted tight. Steering column, gearbox, mounting bracket all tight...

X2!!

Which part exactly is the track bar? I know where the drag link and tie rod are...

If you want to double check the u-joints inthe knuckles then just lift up the front end and move the wheel back and forth and see of there is any play on the joint

One of the first things I checked.

the track bar mounts to the axle on the passenger side looking at the front end of the jeep and it mounts to the body on the driver side behind the wheel

Even if you dont have a spotter, justen torque it to spec on both ends....

I have the same prob. plus the death wobble. I only found the ware mark on the lower track bar mount when a friend moved the steering wheel. I'm planning on getting new bolts and bushings on the track bar as well as on the steering shock.

If you hav death wobble after replacing the trac bar and steering stabilizer then check your lower control arm bushings

Hello. I know this sounds dumb but check your exhaust. When mine clunked going around left corners one of my exhaust hangers had broken off and the exhaust manifold was cracked too. It was bouncing on the transmission crossmember. It sounded like it was coming from the front end though. Hope this helps.

Haha will do new man. I still haven't gotten around to checking out the trackbar. Maybe I'll go do that right now?

I had the same problem, it was the track arm bushing/hole, on the axle, passenger side. The hole in the bracket was beginning to get oval in shape, and the bolt was stripped because the prior owner/mechanic leaned on it too much with and inpact wrench. I replaced the bolt with a new grade 8 and was able to use the old nut with the tab thingy welded on to it.
I tighted this up and then replaced the vertical rods from the front stableizer because the rubber bushings on these were shot and the entire assembly loosened up. The stearing is tight now and the clunk is gone.

Nice. Just gotta go take a look at the trackbar and I've been wanting to get a suspension bushing master kit for a while now.

Update: the clunk is getting a little louder and more frequent. It is also starting to make the steering wheel shake a little at highway speeds, very similar to how an unbalanced tire/wheel feels through the steering wheel.

Btw, this is the exact bushing kit I wanted to get:

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com...?prod=2.18105#

Anybody have suggestions or comments?
Is there any advantage to having the black ones, which are graphite impregnated, over the red ones, which just look plain awesome?

Did you look at the trac bar yet??

Yep, no looseness and I couldn't get it any tighter. The bushings and grommets are all dry rotting, and I think if I order that kit, I can find exactly what is wrong while disassembling and reassembling the suspension

If it's all tight then I would say go for the bushings kit. I've heard the red bushings make you feel everything on the road (I'm not sure how true that is) but they aren't rubber like normal bushings so they prolly don't absorb the shock as well. If you want it to ride smooth like new suspension then I would look into that. If you want to take the chance then I would buy the kit.

i agree with this. once i replaced track bar bushings and after two weeks it started to make a "thump" when i turn steering wheel. when slower i could hear it. then i realized that it was a loose track bar bolt.

Did you *look* to see if the traxkbar is tight or did you actually torque it at the proper torque? Torqueing it is fast and accurate.