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Another Clunk in the front end thread

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  DJM 
#1 ·
Background:

I installed a 4" Pro Comp lift kit within the last 2000 miles. Right after install all was well.

Brought it to a shop shortly after and had the ball joints done.

Got it back, it needed an alignment, so I had the alignment done.

The shop that did the alignment told me I had a bad wheel bearing, so I replaced the wheel bearing on the driver's side.

I then had it realigned because it was pulling to the right a little bit.

Since then, the front end has a clunk. I only hear/feel it under the floor only when going over small bumps, I don't really feel it on large ones.

The sway bar links are new, the spring packs are new, thus so are the bushings, and I replaced the sway bar bracket to frame bushings yesterday. The clunk is still there.

Now, I might also add that I felt play in the track bar when I was yanking on things underneath, and the nut holding on the pitman arm was loose.

I haven't gotten a wrench for that yet, but I used a monkey wrench and got it as tight as I could for the moment. The movement in the track bar is no longer there when yanking, but then again, I'm not a 6000lb truck making metal parts move.

I'm out of ideas. I think I'll have to rip apart the front end and tighten everything, but I'm curious if there's something I should be looking for but have been missing....

Ugh, it's making me crazy!!!!! :dunno:
 
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#2 ·
Get an impact and give every thing a little tighten. And a monkey wrench should get your pitman arm tight enough. Its all I ever use.

Look into your other wheel bearing, or even the one they replaced. Ball joints. The rear shackle bushings on the front.
 
#6 ·
would someone do me a favor, and go to the front of their truck, and push and pull (with a bit of force) on their track bar?

I need to find out if it's supposed to have a slight bit of play, or if that's what's creating my clunk!!

I bought the 1-5/16 wrench for the pitman arm nut, now I need to figure out how to put 250lbs of tq on the sucker...but it hasn't stopped raining in since Sunday so I haven't had a chance to mess with anything yet.

I need to know if that play in the track bar is normal, or if I can narrow it down to that.
 
#7 ·
Use a breaker bar and a pipe to get more leverage you would be amazed how much tighter you can get stuff with more leverage. Some of the nuts on the machinery we have at work has to be torqued to 475lbs and you can get somewhat close with a breaker bar and pipe.
 
#8 ·
I need a pipe that's big enough to go over the wrench I just bought.

I couldn't use a breaker bar and a socket because my track bar bracket is in the way, and when I installed the lift one of the bolts for the track bar bracket was broken, so I had to weld the SOB to the frame for the added strength.

I know the whole leverage trick...I just need a pipe big enough to suit the purpose.
 
#9 ·
I can't feel any play in mine I would think if you can move it your truck is deff gona be movin it
 
#10 ·
Use another wrench to get the leverage if the one end is an open end
 
#11 ·
yeah, that's what I was thinkin'...

I could originally feel it in the steering wheel, and then I tightened the pitman arm nut and it stopped in the wheel, and now I feel it in the floor.

So I've gotta tighten things some more, and if need be buy some new bushings, but I think that's the culprit.
 
#12 ·
I had the same clunk it is annoying. We have a tq wrench at work that goes too like 600ftlb so I used that
 
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