Clunk/thumping in front end Drivetrain, never did it for long

[unpredictable1]

I tried putting this in a post that was started earlier, but it doesn't appear he had the same problem. so here goes:

i had a clunking in the front end last night. it seemed to be in the driver side.

I wasn't in 4x4

It started when I made a sharp left turn (although i never had the wheel fully cranked at all), i was going *maybe* 20 kilometers an hour

it was a clunk that went with the wheel spin, after i straightened out after the turn it was still there, till i came to a stop after about 70 feet. got out, looked underneath, at my newly installed radius arm bushings, couldn't see any problem at all.

could not for the life of me re create the sound on the way home and i tried *everything* meaning turning every which way, in slow and fast successions, engaging and disengaging 4x4, turning while going over a snow covered curb, but i couldn't get her to do it again.

it was more of a THUMP than a clunk...but it certainly made me sit back and go, wtf?


thanks,

lbrowne

 

[jimbo74]

well, if it hasnt happened again and you tried, i wonder if you ran over somehing?

 

[unpredictable1]

nope definitely not, smooth but packed with snow road.

the thump almost had the feel as if i hit a hard bump while going fast, but there was no bumps, and i wasn't goin fast.

it really felt like something was pounding something else underneath the front end. but my radius arm bushing looked great, and everything else seemed fine. I almost thought that somehow my radius arm broke away from the crossmember, not that know what that would sound like, but since it was the last thing i did thats what i thought initially.

is it possible that this is the start of something maybe?

 

[jimbo74]

do you have auto or manual hubs, and were they locked? i already know you said they werent engaged in 4x4.... but having the front hubs locked and trying to turn can still cuase binding up.....

when i went wheeling before, i noticed afterward that some of the clunk was from my front driveshaft actually contacting the body.....

 

[unpredictable1]

i have the dreaded auto hubs that everyone curses on, but she wasn't in 4x4 for like a 3-4 days at least, probably a week even. but in my testing to recreate the problem after i had put her in 4x4 - with no problems

i really don't think it was a driveshaft contacting anything, this was very pronounced, and i was on level flat ground.

thats worse about tryin to descrive something online, everyone has their own definitions of sounds

pound the side of your fist into your door panel in succession, except put that sound into the front end somewhere....gah i give up

 

[Ryan1]

lbrowne, So replacing your RA bushings didnt not fix the noise, or is this a different noise?

When the noise happens does your car pull at all, real quick?

Ryan

 

[unpredictable1]

oh no, this was not the noise that i had with the bad radius arm bushings. that was a clunkity clunk clunk noise when going oer bumps.

this was a solid thump thump thump, the vehicle never acted erratically, just that god awful sound. it started just as i was negotiating a left turn at about 20 kph, maybe even slower.

my girlfriend could feel it on her side too but she knew it was definitely coming from the driver side. thump was fairly quick, but it was probably for every complete rotation of the tire. it sped up when i gave her a bit more gas and slowed as i came to a stop.

put her in park, got underneath, everything seemed intact, drove off and rigourously tried to recreate it and couldn't

 

[TPLYNCH]

U-joint? Loose brake pad/caliper? Rock in tire tread??

(also posted this in the other thread....)

 

[unpredictable1]

well, after i read the archives, it would be a u-joint if it was constantly making the sound, or so from what i understood from what i read.

caliper pistons were in correctly when i did the radius arm bushings, i could see them poking out the backside of the caliper..

EDIT: i just saw your part about the rock, no rock made this sound

 

[dthwag]

Might Just have It For You

Well Im looking at the problem today and as far as I can tell it is the upper rear control arm bushings . They are the only thing that I have seen that is worn and are free of road grime which indicates excessive movement. They can be viewed from rear and are housed by a 2 bolt aluminum housing about as high and located in front of the top mount of the rear strut

 

[unpredictable1]

Well Im looking at the problem today and as far as I can tell it is the upper rear control arm bushings . They are the only thing that I have seen that is worn and are free of road grime which indicates excessive movement. They can be viewed from rear and are housed by a 2 bolt aluminum housing about as high and located in front of the top mount of the rear strut

That was 10 years ago dude - but props to adding to a post that might help someone down the road. That Explorer is long gone.

Too funny, not everyday I get a thread notification from this forum from someone updating one of my threads

Cheers!