"Clunk"

[Hedgehog]

On occasion, and that occasion is becomming more frquent lately, I get a hard "Clunk" that can actually be felt through the frame. Looking around under the CJ hasn't shown a problem. I'm beginning to believe my problem is likely related to ball joints or some other joint related issue. Unfortunately I have no idea where to begin tracking the problem down, Any advice would be a great help.

I've got nurves of steel when it comes to most mechanical chores, but there are a few that still scare me to death with the hard core workings of the front end being one of them. When I was a kid the death of many vehicles started with, "Your car needs new ball joints."

 

[rufus1138]

could be front axle u-joints.

 

[Tinman22]

More info would help,like when or what are you doing when it happens? As sometimes I get a loud bang driving by the driving range!!!

 

[Hedgehog]

Rufus - When I rebuilt the front hubs I pulled the axles and worked the U-joints, no slop, no binding, no obvious "growing" of the seals. At this point I'm not inclined to be looking a the front axle universal joints. While not ruling them out either.

Tinman22 - Unfortunately there seems to be no real rhyme or reason for when the thing "clunks". Sometimes when sitting still and your adjusting the steering like in a "K" turn. Other times I get a clunk going over undulating ground like going through small desert washes. Sometimes it's on the right other times it's on the left.

I'm also wondering about my relatively new shocks. It would not surprise me to find out that they are bottoming or topping out. Would shocks make a clunking sound?

 

[rufus1138]

not sure the shocks would make a clunk unless they let go, any slop in the mounts for those or the springs? didnt you just go thru a torque steering problem too? has that reared its head again at all?

 

[Hedgehog]

Once I settled the rear end down the torque steering is almost non-existant. Down the road I an VERY satisfied with the way the Jeep handles. This is a slow speed "Clunk" that seems to be geting worse. The problem is the seems to be no problems when I look att he front end. I guess a place to start is where I am right now.

 

[Hedgehog]

Swapping ball joints looks fairly straight forward. Is it? What am I missing? We are fairly rust free here, few things stick lik they do up north.

 

[moparharn]

Do you have a locker or posi of some kind? A k turn is a good place to experience a bind in the diff. New gear lube recently? Did you use hypoid additive? Just one possible thought. Bill

 

[Hedgehog]

Nothing fancy in the front end, just a straight ol' differential. It also "clunks" locked in and out.

Lets try this approach, how do I test for bad or good for that matter ball joints?

 

[rufus1138]

get that end off the ground and check for play, pretty straight forward part to work with, if you can get any play in the plane of the bar then the joint is bad.

 

[Hedgehog]

"play in the plane of the bar then the joint is bad."

Sounds like a country song or something they'd say on NOVA.

 

[hdgapeach]

Hey Hedge,

My clunking which seemed to be coming from more than one location ended up being:
1) Steering box mounting bracket assembly moving around on the bolts that needed re-torqueing........again!
2) I replaced all the front leaf spring hangers on the front. Bolted the new ones to the frame with grade 8 hardware. The rear brackets were moving against the frame. Bolts needed re-torqueing.........again!

I'm still working on getting one of the heavy duty steering box mounting brackets. If it ever warms up, I'm going to run weld beads to anchor the hangers to the frame.

 

[Hedgehog]

Will check and retorque, I did look at the steering box. It didn't apear to be moving, but what the heck a bit of tweaking wouldn't hurt.

 

[Torxhead]

Hedgehog, maybe that "Clunk" could be related to a frame crack. As what most CJs tend to acquire over the years.

 

[Hedgehog]

It has patches and I did take a quick look to see if the frame is good around the engine mounts. There is a crack I need to weld up, but it's not exactly in the frame itself, it's in the corner of the front plate that is riveted to the frame. It's in the plate that the winch plate covers.

 

[hdgapeach]

Didn't think about it on the last post but, the belly pan bolts managed to worked loose after a clutch R&R last summer. Not sure they contributed to the knocking floating around on my CJ but ain't too much trouble to give a twist of the wrench just to eliminate the possibility.

 

[Hedgehog]

I've been thinking about grabbing my wrenches and hitting everything again. This has been my plan all along, drive the CJ some then tightening everything up.

 

[rufus1138]

let us know if that does it. good luck

 

[DHugg]

On occasion, and that occasion is becomming more frquent lately, I get a hard "Clunk" that can actually be felt through the frame. Looking around under the CJ hasn't shown a problem. I'm beginning to believe my problem is likely related to ball joints or some other joint related issue. Unfortunately I have no idea where to begin tracking the problem down, Any advice would be a great help.

I've got nurves of steel when it comes to most mechanical chores, but there are a few that still scare me to death with the hard core workings of the front end being one of them. When I was a kid the death of many vehicles started with, "Your car needs new ball joints."

Hedgehog, my '80 CJ7 makes a cacophony of clunks and groans when maneuvering at low speed, like backing out of a curved drive, or reversing a slow-speed corner. It is ball joints, where every round opening is worn to an oval from a past of wheeling in rocks with 35's. Not me; I'd have to drive to Tennessee or Alabama to find even a small rock. but she's got scars all over the underside.

The magic words to make ball joints un-mystical are "pickle fork", "PB-Blaster", and "heating torch". Squirt copious quantities of the middle one, use the last one after 24 hour soaking, and then prise them out with the first magic word. I looked over a neighbor's shoulder while he did this job, and I know I can do it. Putting the new ones in is a piece of cake.

If you hang fire until Mid-summer, I will have the job done on my Jeep and pictures to prove it. I'm setting myself a reminder (in Google Calendar) to contact you when I'm starting the repair.