Loud "CLUNK" from front end
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 109
From: B'ham Alabama
Loud "CLUNK" from front end
I am getting a loud "clunk" from the front end every time I shift it into revearse and then back into drive. It sounds like some loose motion. Any ideas where I should look?
the car seems to drive fine, just has this pop / clunking sound right when you put it into gear.
the car seems to drive fine, just has this pop / clunking sound right when you put it into gear.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 361
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento (Citrus Heights) California
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 361
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento (Citrus Heights) California
Also check your front end bushings.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,270
Likes: 20
From: Central Michigan
I had a lower control arm shaft come loose once, where its bolted to the frame. I could hear it knock during a stop/take off(not during shifting though), as well as front end shake while driving. Found it when I crawled under the front and just checked if everything was tight, as the front end had a complete rebuild and recent alignment. That would be another thing to check
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Something similar happened to mine this summer. What I found happened was the shims fell out at the upper control arms and was allowing the upper a-arm to move in and out.
Another thing that you might want to look at is the differential snubber. This usually shows up as a bump when the car goes from reverse to drive.
Another thing that you might want to look at is the differential snubber. This usually shows up as a bump when the car goes from reverse to drive.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 5
From: Minnesota
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
And its easy to check, especially since our hoods hinge in the front. Lift the hood, start her up, foot on the brake, and put it in reverse and then drive a few times. If you get a lot of movement you've got some motor mount issues. Also a good place to check is your fan shroud. If the fan is chewing up the fan shroud this would also be indicative of bad motor mount(s).When I diagnosed mine, I powerbraked it a little in reverse and got all kinds of movement... engine lifted up from the right to left. Replaced the broken right motor mount and all was well.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
You can buy shims at Autozone and put them back in but you will still need an alignment to get it all correct.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,376
Likes: 6,375
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
If you have your foot on the brake and the front end clunks when you go from "drive" to "reverse," you have worn out a-arm bushings. What's happening is that with the brakes locked and the tranny pulling the car forwards and backwards, the a-arm shafts are flopping from one side to the other inside the worn out (or missing) bushings. You have metal-to-metal contact between the a-arm shaft and the a-arm holes. It's most likely that it's the upper arms that are shot, but you should rebuild both uppers and lowers. Drop me an e-mail for my front end rebuild paper if you need rebuild instructions:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,795
Likes: 1
If you have your foot on the brake and the front end clunks when you go from "drive" to "reverse," you have worn out a-arm bushings. What's happening is that with the brakes locked and the tranny pulling the car forwards and backwards, the a-arm shafts are flopping from one side to the other inside the worn out (or missing) bushings. You have metal-to-metal contact between the a-arm shaft and the a-arm holes. It's most likely that it's the upper arms that are shot, but you should rebuild both uppers and lowers. Drop me an e-mail for my front end rebuild paper if you need rebuild instructions:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
i have had 2 pontiacs withupper control arm bushing failure, major clunk each car when going from park to revers to drive and vice versa
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Here is a link to an article I wrote for the at home alignment procedure - if you have the shims.
http://www.duntovmotors.com/AlignmentSchool.htm
http://www.duntovmotors.com/AlignmentSchool.htm
