Hard Thud When Turning Left.

[00nonsense]

I've had my 2002 explorer XSL 4WD since February, a month or two after I bought it I noticed that after I make a left turn I hear and feel a hard thud. I doesn't happen all the time, sometimes it won't happen for weeks but I make one left turn and give it gas to get into the lane the thud starts. I also noticed that the thud only happens when the RPMs hit 2500 and above. When the thud isn't present the explorer runs normal without any issues. I hope it isn't the transmission or the axles, I'm hoping its a cheapish fix. Any clues?

 

[MyExplorer03v8Lim]

Have you inspected the steering and suspension components on the front wheels?

 

[00nonsense]

Have you inspected the steering and suspension components on the front wheels?

Not yet, I wanted to get some ideas first so I know what to look at first.

 

[MyExplorer03v8Lim]

Look for videos on inspecting tie rods, stabilizer bar links, ball joints, struts, control arms, wheel bearings/ hubs, CV shafts.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you based on your noise, but I have found that these types of noises are often related to steering or suspension.

Do a visual inspection of everything, and wiggle everything with gloved hands. If your hands can move it at all, it's probably too loose. Your vehicle weighs 4000lbs so your muscles shouldn't be enough to budge anything.

Also, maybe try to get under the engine with a flashlight and see if you can get an eye on your engine mounts.

 

[Number4]

The issue sounds like 4wd engagement. Though, this usually happens at low speed/rpm turns.

 

[MyExplorer03v8Lim]

The issue sounds like 4wd engagement. Though, this usually happens at low speed/rpm turns.

That makes sense actually. Am I correct in believing that 4wd engagement noises usually sound like they're coming from the drivers side?

Perhaps wishful thinking that it's suspension/ steering related, but always good to check that stuff first to rule it out.

 

[Number4]

The '02's have a separate 4x module (not part of PCM.) Not sure how to test it, but there's multiple versions so the numbers have to match.

 

[WaterBrat]

look up transmission cross member. There are a couple of threads that suggest this can cause a similar symptom.