"Thunk" is driving me crazy!

And i'm about out of ideas

'93 Cherokee. When i bought it i had a "thunk" in the steering somewhere. It sounds like it's on the driver side. It was a 2wd then, so i assumed it needed ball joints or tie rod ends. Also had a bad death wobble.

Fast forward to today. I did a 4wd conversion (new front axle) a little while ago and that didn't fix anything...so not the ball joints. Today i put in the last two TRE's.

That brings the total parts replaced to:
-All TRE's
-Track bar
-Steering stabilizer
-Aligned/balanced/rotated wheels
-Adjusted steering box
-NOT ball joints (different axle, same noise..)

And i've still got this "thunk"! It happens occasionally when the wheel is turned back and forth in dirt, and also when the wheel is turned and i go over a bump.
It doesn't make the noise if i just hit a bump straight on.
I've pried on the UCA's and LCA's and there doesn't appear to be excessive wear on them. Is there another wear point i'm missing?

The Cherokee is completely stock ride height and wheel size for now!

Any thoughts?

Remove radiator cap, replace cherokee, affix radiator cap to new cherokee.

have a look see at the steering box. its the only original part of the steering left right. sometimes thay have a tendancy to tear themselfs off. mainly on rigs with 33-35+ inch tires though, but its something.

btw igotanxj, put that phrase in your sig line. or am i the only one that found that funny?

igotanxj said:

Remove radiator cap, replace cherokee, affix radiator cap to new cherokee.

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By the time you get done building it, thats what it will amount to.

igotanxj said:

Remove radiator cap, replace cherokee, affix radiator cap to new cherokee.

Click to expand...

I like that one ^^ :firedevil

I had a clunk similiar to that. I tightened the control arm bolts and it dissappeared.

I had a shock bushing pull through that caused a thunk noise and a worn out steering shaft that when I turned the wheel a certain way it popped.

may also wanna look into the sway bar bushings and endlinks.
basically the top 3 things I thought of was steering box breakin away from frame, shocks, sway bar bushings/endlinks. while your under there it probably wouldnt hurt to tighten down on the control arms, but considering you just replaced the front axle and I would thin you had to loosen and retighten them during the swap and the sound never changed I would guess this is not the soruce of your probelm.

Thanks for all the responses, guys!
And lol, i'm getting ready to replace the Cherokee (but i'll keep the radiator cap)
I'll check those areas out. I checked out the steering box area when i bought it and there are no visible cracks, and the pry bar couldn't make it thunk.
As for the sway bar and the CA's, i'll check those out when i get home. I tightened the axle side of the CA's, but not the chassis side.

Thanks!

4LowandGo said:

I had a shock bushing pull through that caused a thunk noise.

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This has happened to mine twice, on the driver's side. Any ideas to prevent it? First time happened by overextending the shock. Second time happened making a sharp left turn, in the driveway, on flat ground.

Terrific said:

This has happened to mine twice, on the driver's side. Any ideas to prevent it? First time happened by overextending the shock. Second time happened making a sharp left turn, in the driveway, on flat ground.

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Might try polyurethane bushings with larger outside diameter.

You do have both cupped washers intalled?

my jeep did that when the end of my swaybar link was broken off. only made the noise when i went over a speed bump or something at an angle

woops didnt notice u already mentioned it

joe_peters said:

Might try polyurethane bushings with larger outside diameter.

You do have both cupped washers intalled?

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I have the factory washers. Both bushings were rubber.

I think I will get some oversized poly bushings, or else get the JKS stud eliminators. I'm using Black Diamond shocks and have been considering a different shock in the front anyway.

Terrific said:

I have the factory washers. Both bushings were rubber.

I think I will get some oversized poly bushings, or else get the JKS stud eliminators. I'm using Black Diamond shocks and have been considering a different shock in the front anyway.

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I'm running the stud eliminators with polyurethane bushings.

Had a old chevy with slop in the couplings between the steering box and streering wheel. Sure made a difference after repaired. Might take a look-see.
Good Luck

check the track bar on the axle end mine does the same sound and the hole hollowed it self out and i have one in the sway bar sliding back and forth and loose control arms will make a sound like that too so check all of that