Hey guys,
Ever since I bought my truck, it would clunk one time when turning up a ramp from a road in to a parking lot or driveway. If you make a really hard right turn, and turn it back left, you will also hear the clunk. Both lower ball joints have been replaced. Now the sound is worse and coming from the front passanger side. The CV shaft has been recently replaced over there. The clunk became more apparent after taking the truck mudding, but the suspension was put under a lot of stress so Im sure it caused some wear on the bad component.
While underneath the truck, when someone bounces the truck you can hear a snap/clunk/pop every time the truck bounces IF its bounced enough. I tried pinpointing where the noise comes from, but I cant get my head in there and the sound travels through all the components in the front suspension so I cant go by just putting my hands on the different components to feel the snap.
At speeds greater than 20mph, I notice nothing. While going though a parking lot, it sounds like something is rattling like made. It reminds me of something with a broken mount, and ever time the truck goes over a bump it bounces and hits something else. The noise always occurs when the front suspension hits the bump.

I have read a tie rod would only pop or snap if it was about to break. Is this true? If so, would it probably be my sway bar links and bushings?

If its tie rod ends, can I replace them myself with a couple bolts or does it require aligning the front end and or other more involved processes? If it requires more than a ratchet and socket, its probably over my head. I have looked at the sway bar and I can replace all those bushings and the links with no worries with all parts and hardware costing about $125. What do you guys think it is?

 

Lets start by trying to pinpoint the problem. If it is a sway bar end-link, you will notice some banging while driving across bumps. Sometimes you can get a single bang. Honestly, when I replaced mine, I didn't have any verification that they were failing. You can try to move the sway bar up and down all you want, but as long as they are both connected, you may not be able to tell if the joints are junk.

What I would do is: disconnect the TOP of one sway bar end-link (at the point which the end-link meets the sway bar), then push up and pull down on that end of the sway bar and listen for clunking, and feel for play. Then, reverse the proceedure and repeat on the other side of the truck.

Sway bar end-links are not too bad to replace on our trucks, assuming that one has a Chilton's, a good set of tools, and about an hour of time. The biggest thing you need to remember is: PAY ATTENTION TO TORQUE SPECS!!! The tops of the end-links will break if you over tighten them....and then your f%^&ed.

Start here. If you find absolutely nothing wrong with you existing end-links (doubtfull) then we will check the tie rod ends. Hopefully, this has been informative.

 

you can tell if your sway bar links are bad. just get under the truck, grab a sway bar link and rock it back and forth. you can also grab the sway bar and the tie rod on the top and squeeze them together, if the link is bad it will move. that is how i pinpointed the sound on my front end!!

 

Thanks Donkeypunch! That helps alot.
Now that you mention it, the rattling that I hear while driving in a parking lot could be the banging you are talking about. Its way to hot to be working outside today, but hopefully it will cool down this weekend and start trying to pinpoint if its the sway bar. Ill also start looking for a repair guide for the sway bar.

Thanks again for your help!

 

Thanks Dakota Raven,
I will try this when I get home. Im really hoping its the links! The sound of replacing tie rod ends sounds expensive to get it done professionally.

 

if the links are bad, i got mine off rockauto.com. they were like $74.00 shipped for the pair and you can do it yourself + they are not sealed like the factory ones, this ones you can grease!! Glad i could help you in some way !!

 

sorry, double post! damn "smart phone" !

 

I purchased mine from the dealer. WAY better than the ones that came on the truck.

 

Hello, I am new to the Dodge Forum. I have a 2005 Dakota 4x2 V6 with 102,000 miles plus. Recently I had a new Rack-n-pinion installed. Now I have a Sway Bar arm that snapped while I was on a trip. How common is it for a sway arm to snap?

 

sway bar arm not so much. the end links that attach to the swaybar to lower control arm, very common.