Unidentifiable Clunk.

Ok heres the history. I procured a spare Dana 30 axle to use while I built up mine, so I swaped my Dana 30 out and installed the spare. After I did that this clunk started happening, very loud and I can feel it through the floor on the drivers side. I figured it had to do with the worn out steering and I later swapped back in my Dana 30 with new everything and a currie heavy duty steering system. Well the clunk is still there. I have checked everything, the steering, the steering box bolts, track bar and mounts everything that could cause this clunk and cant figure it out. The only thing I could think of is:

its the track bar because as soon as I installed the spare axle and had to adjust the track bar this begain.

its the coil springs because the retaining clips are missing

the steering box is dying cause It is leaking out of the output shaft..

ANy ideas at all????

Well mine does that too, I have a rough country 4.5 spring pack kit. The control arms are wayy to short and the spring actually hits the bump stop.

Or maybe you have a tooth off of a spider gear?

Brad

gears are fine. I would suspect the bumpstop since I put in a coil spacer but the clunk was there before the coil spacer and it never made this noise for the 2 years it was lifted. Like I say it only happened after I swapped axles

This sounds like control arm noise to me. :dunno:

so how do I tell if the control arm joints are worn out. I have the superflex joints.

Ball Joints? Does it clunk when turning, or when backing up, or when tracking straight?

My 87 has an RE 3.5 kit with adj control arms and has the same noise. I have checked everything else and looks like the noise is in the CA joint. Don't know how to find out which one.

does it happen when your driving or when shifting to drive or what?

why did you swap your D30 for a different D30 just to build "your" D30??? why didn't you just build the new D30 that you brought home, and then swap it AFTER you build it??? chances are your ball-joint or other movable part from the axle you picked up is bad.

I built mine because the one I picked up has the shift motor and all that stuff I dont want, and I knew mine was straight and true, no bends etc, and none of that crappy different early brake stuff. And if you go up an read you will know that I have installed my built axle and it makes the same noise as the spare, and it have brand new ball joints. All movable parts are new, new balls, new steering. Thing is it did it even before the new steering, and I didnt touch anything. Only thing that changed before this started was the trackbar when I adjusted it. I keep thinking mabe it's the track bar and its not designed to run with the 3/4" coil spacer but then again, it was there Before the coil spacer, but after adjusting the trackbar

It did only happen when I was going around a sharp corner fairly hard, and only a right corner, another reason I wonder if its the track bar since the body is rolling away from the track bar pulling on each end. but the bang keeps comming from what feels under my pedals....

I went through the same thing, searching for the mysterious knock. Everyting in the front end was new, as yours is. It turned out to be the motor mounts. Check them out! Also, if you get your rig up on jack stands w/the front suspension hanging, place your floor jack under different points, like the lower control arms, steering knuckle, etc. Jack it up slowly & see if the steering components rise accordingly or if there is play in any of the joints before the suspension begins to travel.
Good luck,
Mark

well 2 years ago I had the motor mounts replaces, as did I have the transmission/tc mount... so would it be worn out already?

Well, there is one way to tell. Take a look. You could also jack up the motor & see if there is any play in them. You should be able to tell by feeling the rubber w/your fingers for any degradation. They are known for wearing out quickly. If they are worn out already you might want to go w/the bomb proof models.
Mark

Hey guys, I have this same damn clunk. I have a modest 3" lift and I too feel it in the floorboard on the drivers side. If I didn't know any better I would say it is the UC mounts, but I have all new JKS control arms and bushings, and there are no cracks in the mounts. I can't say what it is yet, but I can tell you what it is not in order to hopefully save you guys some money and some time. Mine started about a year ago, and since then I have replaced all of my control arms and bushings including the factory ones on the axle for the LCA's.

I have installed all new currie HD steering, BPE's, new track bar, bushings, balljoints (upper and lower), u-joints, inspected the gears and diff's (running a detroit trutrac up front) welded some cracks in my frame around the steering box, installed the steering box brace from currie, also installed the plate pkg for the frame from JKS, reshimmed my brakepads, replaced both steering knuckles, inspected the axles, wheel alignment, and verified that my trackbar was tight as hell!

Still, the clunk is there. It started off doing it under tight turns while parkinig, now it is doing it over a wider range. I have however noticed a very similar clunk while in newtral and applying the brakes lightly at low speeds...almost sounds like the axle is moving front to back, but that is impossible as that would mean there is play in the control arms. Only does it while braking...so i am going to start inspecting those. I am currently running the powerslot rotors with hawk pads and stock calipers...does anyone else with this problem have that set up??????

Yo Bandit. You didn't mention your motor mounts. Your symptoms sound identical to mine until I replaced the motor mounts. It sounds like the UCA mounts because they are so close to each other. I'll bet you anything it's the motor mounts in your case.
How about you Ed? Waht did you discover?
Mark

Anyone figure this out yet? I have the same problem. Mostly when I turn right.

Yup I think I figured it out, it would cluink when I turned right, what I found was that the track bar end at the axle, the bushing was shot and when the bar was adjuasted it was adjusted so that the bolt was not centered in the end of the track bar but againsted the center of the end. And when turning right and when turning the body would go the opposite direction and slam the bolt onto the other side of the track bar end which would deliover all the shock to the track bar mount on the frame where I would feel it.

Same noise ,I suspect my motor mounts everything else is new or tight,I think my t/c drop buggered them up.

I am gonna have to look into the motor mounts, I have had the same clunk for about 3 or 4 months now. mostly only in tight turning, It does it in turning both directions (only sometimes though, at times it will do it for a couple wks straight, then at other times it wont do it for wks at a time) and it does it turning both directions, almost like something is shifting out of place in turning one way, and then shifting back in turning the other direction. Might be the POS track bar relocation bracket, which is the first thing to go once i can afford an adjustable, but i have to make with it for now. Not sure which, but motor mounts will now be checked, and if I get around to do any time in the next wk or 2 I will post up what I find, incase its something completely different.