[bob393]

I just developed a hard clunking noise in my DS Fr suspension. It dosen't seem to be coming from the TB mount behind me, seems to be in the front corner. I havn't looked yet, it snowed last night, just thought I would get some ideas first.

 

[BaggnS10]

ball joint?

 

[bob393]

I hope not!

 

[fmfredrider501]

a balljoint on an IFS 4x4 isnt that big of a deal to replace...try replacing the pressed in ones on solid front axles with just basic tools.... besides it could be many things. could be a screwed up shock, ball joint like said before, wheel bearing, CV shaft/joint, its hard to tell.

 

[91s-10]

I've seen on a 87 or 88 monte carlo that came into the shop at school that had a clunk in front at acceleration we got it up in the air to look at. We found that one of the bushings for the upper control arm was totally gone on the left front.

i dont know how loud of a noise you hear or if it is faint?

 

[adam728]

Jack it up and start yanking of stuff and find out. Could be a wheel bearing, tie rod, ball joint, idler arm, bushings, CV joint (doubtful, that be a constant click before becoming a clunk), and probably more things I can't think of right now. Only way to know is to look. If it's severe I'd check it out NOW before you drive it and have an accident because something gives.

 

[fmfredrider501]

The first front wheel bearing I went through started as a faint vibration in left hand turns, then it got worse to where it was doing it all the time, then it started clunking really bad and i was a good ways from home, i was beginning to wonder if i was going to make it back from jamus' house or not...but i did and it had tons of play in it. put another one in and now in about a month this one is screwed up, but just the opposite, it is getting tighter rather than getting excessive play, and it gets worse fast. im still driving on it knowing any minute it could lock up but i dont drive too far. It very well could be one of your A-arm bushings though, I never even thought of that.

 

[bob393]

adam728
I'm not driving the truck right now because I don't want to get stranded or worse cause an accident. This is my toy, I only play with it, except perhaps garbage to the dump or Home Depot.

I still haven't gotten to look under it, after the snow the temp has dropped into the teens, just not my kind of weather to pull wheels off outside. Now I see a storm for this weekend, hope not, that's when I have the time to do it.

I'll check out the bushings, ball joints, and the wheel bearing. I don't think it's the CV joint I know that ticking sound all to well.
This is really an intermittant heavy clunk you can feel through the frame.

 

[BaggnS10]

bob, where are you in the hudson valley? im in hyde park

 

[adam728]

A coworker of mine had a big clunk this summer in his 91(?) S-10 4x4. He babies his truck (he's 69 years old), but rust has really taken it's toll. Pulled it in the shop and I looked underneath it, the frame had gotten so thin from rust that the bolts for the idler arm had actually pulled through. The clunk was the tie rod slamming into the frame.

I hadn't noticed your truck was older, or that you are from snow country. This is another thing that could be wrong (although I'm sure you'd spot it when checking the idler arm).

 

[bob393]

BaggnS10
Just a little further up, in Goshen

adam728
Now that is a scary thought, mine is an 88. I can tell you that the a-arms are quite rusty!

 

[bob393]

Well we got the snow, and the truck is sitting, dumb hu!

 

[BaggnS10]

yeah, we certainly got the snow. i had my blazer out in the trails last night and i realized that i still had a pretty bad knock in the front when i hit bumps. its kind of like 3 small knocks tho. sounds like something is loose, or i got a bad bushing somewhere.

 

[bob393]

A quick story.
I had the truck out last week up in Ulster County on some really kick-in trails, about 15 mi total. That’s when I first noticed the clunk. So I drive home and shut the truck off. Then I decide to run down town I start the truck and it throws the serpentine belt. I pop the hood to put it back on, it had been squealing for a while, and what do I find? I cracked the power steering mount. The POS is cast aluminum. I still can’t believe it. Anyway my clunk in not constant kind of comes and goes. I doubt it was the PS mount but I closed the hood and still have not had a chance to look. You got any leads on a pump bracket?
That needs to be fixed first.

 

[BaggnS10]

im gonna change my torsion bar crossmember mounts first. if that doesnt fix it im gonna replace the idler and pitman arms with some beefier units from a fullsize.

 

[bob393]

I thought about the TB crossmember mount also but mine is definately from the front and not under my butt. Unfortunately
I'm thinking ball joint. I'm so itchey to get out in this snow it's KILLING me.

 

[BaggnS10]

i thought mine was balljoints too, but it obviously wasnt as i changed them all with moog units.

 

[bob393]

You gota let me know if it works. Cuz I think you may get yours fixed before I do.

 

[4wheelspinner]

Now that is a scary thought, mine is an 88. I can tell you that the a-arms are quite rusty!

yah i had an a-arm snap once, iwas pulling into a fleetfarm parking lot and when i turned it snapped. it scared the heck outta me cause the top of my wheel fell out, it was only being held on by the lower control arm. dont let them get too rusty!

 

[bob393]

This baby will defiantly get a close look-see when some of this foot of snow melts and I can get at it. The rust is kind of surface scaly stuff but who knows, when I pull them apart I'll get to paint-um. Maybe even urethane bushings if there isn’t to much other stuff that needs replacing.
.