Hey guys,

How's it going? It's been awhile but I still have the Dakota and she's pushing 160,000 miles and running good while rusting away lol. Anyway, it's been pretty rock solid as I've driven it half way across the country two times in the past year, but a few problems have come up that I'm trying to address before I take another long trip in it.

1. At low speeds only (5-10 mph), the left front has a sort of clunking noise is made while cranking steering wheel to the left. It only clunks at one place while turning wheels to the left and then clunks at the same place when turning wheels back to straight. I've gotten up under the truck and had someone turn the wheels while I watched, but I couldn't see anything that looked out of place. The problem is that it doesn't clunk unless you're going at that low speed, which obviously makes it so I can't observe what the problem is. Any ideas here?

2. The serpentine belt tensioner is making a chattering noise when I put the truck in gear or turn on my fan. I had someone sit in the truck and put it in gear with their foot on the brake while I watched and it looks like the tensioner is letting off just a tiny bit of tension and then goes back into place, and the clicking noise is the little notch on the tensioner hitting the stop. The tensioner pulley is new, and the serpentine belt is newer and still looks good. I took the belt off and moved the tensioner back and forth and it feels good and smooth with no play or anything. I also felt all the other pulleys to see if maybe the bearings in one of them was going out and hanging up, but all of the other pulleys felt normal. Does anyone know what would cause this? It's more of an annoyance than anything else, but I'd like to fix it as I know it isn't normal.

Thanks!

 

2 or 4 wheel drive? I'd be looking hard at the ball joints in either case.

Check your harmonic balancer. The rubber can dry out and it may be slipping.

 

2 wheel. I was thinking ball joints, but wouldn't I be able to see a problem with them while it's sitting on the ground and having the wheel turned? I know we did 2 of the ball joints when we put in the lift coils but can't remember if they were the uppers or lowers. I just remember that we didn't get a chance to replace one of the two.

And thanks, I will check that next.

 

Place a jack on the control arm and jack up the front. Grab the wheel with both hands at 12:00 and 6:00, then rock up and down to check ball joints. 3:00 and 9:00 to check tie rods, etc. You can have the wheel turned any way you like while doing this.

 

Yeah, I actually just thought to do that this afternoon and did it. The left side is good and tight, the right side has a tiny bit of play up and down. I mean just maybe a millimeter or two when I rocked it up and down. What do you guys think? Ball joint(s) on that side? The left side was definitely tight and good, the right had just a tiny bit of up and down, so I'm not really sure.

 

I have the same shattering nosie on my tensioner as well.. from the start i thought it was the AC compressor as that's when i'd hear it under load from it and i turn the AC off and it woudl go away i thought it was the AC comp.. but then i finally relized it was that damn dayco brand i put on the truck..

I'm replacing with factory on mine.

 

What part was Dayco brand? The AC compressor? I have never replaced mine, the only thing I replaced that touches the belt is the tensioner pulley. I get the noise pretty much any time when there is a load on the engine, even if the ac isn't on. I.e. When I put the truck in drive or reverse, turn on my electric fan, etc. It does do it with the ac on though as well, but does it even if its not on.

 

Well it all started by i did not like the way the tensioner pully looked; so i went ahead and replaced it.. squealed its but off and swapped 3 times twice with dayco from advanced and once from an off brand that looked more like what it had from orielys.

It still was doing it and driving me nuts so i ordered tensioner dayco off rockauto.. and replaced belt with gator back which ultimately fixed it..

but then it started this chattering crap and i even wen tot auto zone and swaped out the parts so to speak for a new one and still happening.. it progressed to turning the wheel or just randomly when rpm is a bit higher and demand is on the engine it clatters

SInce im doing engine work i just ordered a like OE- one instead of this redesigned one from Dayco.. Dayco's is completely different design than OE.

 

Yeah, my original was kinda messed up, so that's why I replaced it. What is different about the design? I don't know if mine is a Dayco or not (don't remember), but it's definitely not OEM and wouldn't be surprised if it's just like a Dayco. All I know is every time I put it in gear or turn on my fan and the tensioner starts clicking, it drives me nuts.

 

FOr the 318 version one the Dayco and dorman both use the same sorta design:they are two seperate bodies put togeather with a flat spring..

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...nid=447&jpid=2

OE and those based off the OE model are as follows: are a once peice which has the spring and mounting section inside it or from the back.. inserted so to speak.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=347177&cc=1087714&jnid=447&jpid=6