Mysterious Clunking Returns?!

[DeWitt Harrison]

On Mon, 30 Oct 2000 12:12:04 -0500, Alexander van Gerbig wrote:

  >   Well I had a front end clunk for two months back during the summer.
 > [ ... ]
 > [ ... ] I gave the right
 > side axle nut a good torquing, it moved a very small amount, almost
 > undetectable.  Though after that the clunking disappeared.  Also when I did
 > this the steering wheel straightened out.  Front bearings replaced which had
 > no effect on anything except it made the car feel tighter.  No clunking for
 > a month or so.
 >     Two nights ago I was ripping around Burlington.  The roads are pretty
 > nasty bumpy and I was being less than gentle as usual.  The clunking has
 > come back and the steering wheel is cocked to the left again.  What the hell
 > is going on?

I think it's time to reexamine the assumption that everything in the front
suspension is tight and fits correctly. For example, check the nuts that
retain the front a/r bar into the lower control arms and verify that any
washers/spacers associated with that connection are present and
accounted for and that the lower control arms are, in fact, correct for
your vehicle. Look over an identical vehicle's suspension in great detail
if need be.

This much we know: front end clunks result from small, abrupt movements
between big components where no movement should exist. A 10 mil
movement could generate a heck of a bang with enough push behind
it and a sudden release. You have also found that by applying big forces
to said big suspension components, you can shift things around enough
somehow to temporarily displace things so the clunk generating movement
stops (no release). I believe the possibilities are limited to (1) something
did not get properly torqued, (2) something did not get reassembled
correctly at some point, (3) an incorrect component was installed.  You
may be able to narrow down the search if you carefully review the exact
point in time that the problem appeared and exactly what work was done
and what parts where touched immediately prior.

And this will sound silly, but there is always a very small possibility there's
a big wrench or a left over part or some other such thing knocking around
underneath or behind a fender, etc.

HTH. Hang in there.

DeWitt Harrison
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq