clunking out of front end when brakes applied lightly

[Dono]

This is odd. I hear a slight clunking when I apply my brakes. clunk, clunk, clunk.....

Front end feels ok when driving. Drives straight, and feels tight.

Im thinking wheel bearing? Its a 4x4. The clunking seems slightly less when I am in 4wd. CV joint? Thoughts anyone? Im not even sure how to diagnose this, other than taking it to a front end shop and seeing what they say.

 

[HBDY865]

Might be ball joints.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Heck- make sure you don't have a bad/loose brake pad.

 

[Dono]

I'll have to get the wheels off and see if I can find anything. Its pretty odd. A rythmic clunk, clunk, clunk..... only when on the blakes lightly. Vehicle slows smoothly, so its not a warped rotor or anything.

It is slowly getting worse, so it will get easier to find.

Id just like to find the issue myself, as I'm a cheap bas#@$.

If It's ball joints, Id like to replace the whole controll arms myself. I don't get any clunking when I hit bumps, so I had kinda ruled ball joints out in my mind. I better re-visit that. Truck suspension is stock, other than the odd ball joint and shocks being replaced.

 

[yavapaires]

Don't forget to look at the upper control arm bushings.

 

[Dono]

thx. Just replaced plugs and wires on my wifes 2001 Pontiac Montana. No fun at all. Remove front motor mounts, pull alternator, jack up back of motor to rotate engine forward, scrape the crap out of my fore arms.

These second gen exploders are pretty easy to work on.

I'll hopefully be able to look at my mystery clunk this weekend.

 

[Dono]

does our generation Ex's have radius arm's? This noise comes and goes, but it was really loud with my window down today. Hopefully Tomorrow I'll be able to get the front on jackstands and look around.

Even though the oise can be really loud, it comes and goes, and I don't feel any ill effects from it.

 

[jweb1369]

I'm having this same problem. Seems like it happens when I hit brakes, or sometimes press the gas and even when I hit bumps a certain way.

 

[Scout3]

Make sure you check your brake caliper bracket bolts. There is a sticky on this problem.

Ed

 

[OffTrac]

Make sure you check your brake caliper bracket bolts. There is a sticky on this problem.

Had this problem myself. Sounds about right for what I experienced.

 

[drdoom]

Get it up on some jack-stands, and spin the wheels, and check the ball joints, sway bar end links, and check the brakes all of it: caliper bracket bolts, check the guide pins & pads they should be serviced with caliper grease, make sure the rotor is good and true. I had a noise I thought it was the dam bearing it was the rotor a little warped.

 

[Dono]

I checked my front brakes, they are tight.

Im betting you guys are exactly right. I just jacked up my passenger side (Floor jack on lower control arm, tire still on).

I then put a crow-bar in between the floor and the bottom of the tire and pulled the tire up.

I bet I have close to 1/4 inch play (Up/down) before the lower control arm moves. I did the same test to the drivers side and there was no real play in the lower on that side.

I just ordered both sides from rockauto. Raybestos professional grade. $30.00 each + 30.00 shipping (Just shy of $100.00cdn total with 2 day shipping). Best price I could get here was $55.00/ball joint. I dont even think the quality is as good as the professional ones.

Anyway, it looks like guys are knocking the old lower ball joints out with a hammer and not using a press. I'll report back how my lower ball joint replacement goes, and if it fixes the clunking issue I have.

 

[Dono]

Ok guys, Lower ball joint fixed the issue.
I found that it was an easy job. Sledge hammer definately required to get the old ball joint out.

I was able to use a small hammer to tap the new joint in. I put the old castle nut on the end of the ball joint to protect the threads and jacked up the ball joint in to the ball joint hole. Light tapping seated the ball joint so I could install the clip.

I needed the sledge again to reseat the upper ball joint in to the assembly. A whack on the upper control arm seated the upper ball joint easily. Id say it was about a 2 1/2 hour job.

Thanks for the direction on this guys. Now I'm not afraid of doing front end work.

 

[Dono]

I was wrong, the clunks back.
It sure sounds like a drive shaft, or cv joint.

When I apply the brakes lightly at slow speeds, its a rythmic ca clunk, ca clunk, ca clunk......

I think I might pull the front drive shaft tonight. I have a feeling it could easily be a cv joint. I'll have to spend more time in an empty parking lot. Last time I tried, being light on the brakes and turning right seemd to make the issue worse.

 

[Dono]

ok, Fixed. I just wanted to update. I took it in to well known shop.

The mechanic felt that once the brake rotor warmed up the passenger inner brake pad was shifting, clattering and banging. Fix? Resurface rotors, new anti-squeal metal, and disk brake quiet.

He said even though there was no pulsing felt when applying the brakes, the rotors were definately warped. I wonder if the noise was excessively bad because I have ceramic pads? Anyway, good information.

 

[Deena]

This is odd. I hear a slight clunking when I apply my brakes. clunk, clunk, clunk.....

Front end feels ok when driving. Drives straight, and feels tight.

Im thinking wheel bearing? Its a 4x4. The clunking seems slightly less when I am in 4wd. CV joint? Thoughts anyone? Im not even sure how to diagnose this, other than taking it to a front end shop and seeing what they say.

Check your racks on top of vehicle bolts to racks could have came loose and it’s sliding back and forth like it was on my Ford Explorer ford could not even find the problem but charged me out the ass to say we can hear clunking but we don’t know

 

[Deena]

I was wrong, the clunks back.
It sure sounds like a drive shaft, or cv joint.

When I apply the brakes lightly at slow speeds, its a rythmic ca clunk, ca clunk, ca clunk......

I think I might pull the front drive shaft tonight. I have a feeling it could easily be a cv joint. I'll have to spend more time in an empty parking lot. Last time I tried, being light on the brakes and turning right seemd to make the issue worse.

Rack on top of vehicle the bolts are loose and bars are sliding back and forth ford could not even find this they could hear it but had no clue what the noise was took my money for nothing at all