Pop/clunck f/ driver side when hitting bump??

OK... I've noticed the past few weeks that when my drivers side wheel hits a bump or hole in the road I get a clunch or pop that feels almost like it's under my foot or right at the drivers side wheel.

I have checked to make sure that everything is tight... steering box bolts are tight and I didn't see any cracks anywhere. I jacked up the front end and put a pry bar under the drivers side tire and could feel a little bit of slop when lifting hard on it. However, there was no detectable play in either the top or bottom ball joint, and I couldn't see any in the tie-rod either.

Shocks are snug and are 'old' Monroe Sensitrak shocks... have had them on the vehicle for about 100K miles... but they're not leaking any oil and the ride isn't mushy like when a shock is toast.

The only thing I noticed was that my sway-bar to body and end link bushings are totally shot. I was able to replace the sway-bar to body bushing w/ some energy suspension bushings today, but haven't driven it to see if that was the problem... however A-zone didn't have the end-link bushings so I'm not sure if those are a dealer only item, or where to get a new set as the ones I have are rotten and I'm sure need replaced.

Any suggestions? Could it be the hub-assembly or something else around the drivers side wheel? I didn't pull the wheel off yet, but don't really know what I'm looking for there. Also, the U-joint on the drivers side seems good. I replaced the passenger side U-joint about a year back and it's good as well.

The control arm bushings look a little warn, but didn't appear to be rotten or missing.

BTW, my '96 just rolled over 220K miles... so it doesn't surprise me something is worn out, I just can't seem to find it....

Thanks for any suggestions to check.

i had a slight clunk/knock nothing major but slightly noticeable by me since i drive the thing everyday for the past 5 years and i noticed the slip-yoke in the front driveshaft had a lot of play cuz the seal had rotted out so i had it fixed and it cured up the whole thing havent heard it since so its worth checking

My guess would be control arm bushings.

I get those clunks too, It's more than likely that your control arm bushings are shot.....Mine are.

Check your trackbar!!
Very common

hswinch said:

We are a professional manufacture for electric winches in China, such as ATV winch, self-recovery winch etc. If you are interested in winches, please visited our website www.hswinch.cn or email me [email protected]. Our winches with high efficiency, low amp draws, waterproof and easy to install are very popular in North America and Europe now. Our main business partners, CPI, Mile Marker and Superwinch would purchase about 80,000 piece of winches from our factory every year. So, Haisen winches would be good tools for your ATVs, Jeeps and trucks.

Click to expand...

He beat me to it....I was just going to say "you need a winch to fix that problem"! :eeks1:



X2 on the track bar.

i had the same issue and i'm 99% sure its your end link...

spend the $16 for a new one...searching for end link bushings sounds like a fantastic waste of time

I should say, ALL of my bushings are shot, front and rear.....

Noise only in the front though, nothing out back unless I flex it.....

Most likely it is the track bar.

also take a look at your shock bushings. the shocks like to travel across the bushing and make contact with the axle bracket.

bar pin eliminators solve that issue

OK... so the consensus is my track bar or end-links.... or control arm bushings.

The mount for my track-bar is good and tight, what else am I supposed to check on the track-bar? Is there a bushing? I've never messed or replaced a track-bar so I'm a newbie at that. How do you test the track bar to know if it's bad or not? (Oh, forgot to mention that I replaced the steering stabilizer about 4 or 5 years back so that I would assume is still good.)

Where can I get new sway-bar end-links? Is that a dealer only item? ... I will check Napa as per a suggestion posted.

How much of a pain is it to replace all the control arm bushings?

Thanks so much for the tips and places to check.

NAPA, AZ, RockAuto.com.....not a big job,get out the PB Blaster a couple of days ahead of time. There is a bushing(replaceable) on one end of the trac-bar.
PS Ditto on the shock bushings, check 'em out

Check your driver side motor mount just behind the steering gear box. I had the same issue with my 99'. I found that the motor mount rubber isolator had worn out.

here's the part number for the end link bushings kit at autozone. Those idiots can never find them because they call it a 'sway bar repair kit' - it's p/n: SL231 and listed for $9.49 (90 day warr) in my area. You'll need 2, one for each side.
or you could get new end links and the bushings with p/n SL247 for 16.99 here (w/LLT warr), again you'll have to get 2.

Redsnake said:

OK... so the consensus is my track bar or end-links.... or control arm bushings.

The mount for my track-bar is good and tight, what else am I supposed to check on the track-bar? Is there a bushing? I've never messed or replaced a track-bar so I'm a newbie at that. How do you test the track bar to know if it's bad or not? (Oh, forgot to mention that I replaced the steering stabilizer about 4 or 5 years back so that I would assume is still good.)

Where can I get new sway-bar end-links? Is that a dealer only item? ... I will check Napa as per a suggestion posted.

How much of a pain is it to replace all the control arm bushings?

Thanks so much for the tips and places to check.

Click to expand...

We are not talking about the "mount" for the track bar. You need to check/tighten the tie rod end on the track bar at the mount and the other end which is bolted on a bracket on the axle. You should have to remove the cottor pin on the tre side to tighten it. Also make sure the hole the tre is in is still round and not a deformed shape.

OK... thanks for the additional info.

BTW, I have MORE Motor Mounts that I installed about 1 month back so I know my MM's are good to go. Seems like this 'new' problem developed shortly after the MM's went it. Could be that my old rubber MM's were so bad that I didn't notice this.

I'll pick up the new Sway-Bar end links and get those installed and also check the places on my track-bar as per the recommendatios and see what happens.

I'm hoping I don't have to replace my wheel hub assembly as that's a bit more expensive.... not hard as I've had to replace the front U-joints before and have had the hubs off... but that was many years back. Could be they're wearing out now. I wish you could replace the bearings or pull them and repack them... but alas, you can't.

Control arm bushings....

Track bar as well....

FOLLOW-UP...

I changed out the Front Sway Bar to Frame and End-link bushings and that seems to have fixed my clunk/pop noise. The bushings were TOTALLY SHOT to say the least. I'm guessing they were the original equipment w/ 220K miles on'em.

Thanks for all the help and tips. I do know what to keep my eyes on now as well.