My 2001 Ram 1500 has 58k miles on it. It is 2 wheel drive. It started making a popping/clunking noise a few months back and I can't figure anything out on it. It doesn't matter if i am at high or low speeds when i take a curve or go over a bump such and a speed bump I get the noise. I pulled the wheel off last night and had a friend of mine who know's theses trucks pretty well look at it with me. As far as we can tell the balljoints are ok, the bearings seem fine other than a little grease leaking from behind the hub/bearing nut. The track bar seems ok (I checked it how most of the post on here said to check it). The only new thing I have noticed is a HUGE grove worn into the back of my tire where something is allowing the tire to rub where the shock mounts at the bottom. The noise sounds like it is coming from the front end and with the tire now I am sure it is up front. Not sure if it helps but it is on the drivers side. Thanks for any help........I'm stuck

 

check your intermediant shaft mine went bad on me its under the hood and part of the steering shaft...i had the same issues clunking over bumps n ****

 

I have the same problem and preety similar truck. It seems to go away when the truck is warm. Kind of like the rear spring problems. I have to rotate tires often as it eats tires. Are your tires stock or oversize?

The grease seals leaking seem normal. There is no seal or cooter pin , just a nut/seal assembly than crimps onto the shaft.


My front u-joint went bad at 60k miles. It is quite common. To check at idle and stopped, just switch from D to R and you hear clunking noise.

 

Well I get no noise from D to R it's only when the driving. Like I said it's at most any speed around curves and when I go over a speed bump or something similar. Could the alignment have anything to do with it? Maybe I am hearing the tire rubbing and thats the noise I am hering. Not sure about that cause it's even when the wheel is straight. I'm just stuck. I wanted to try replacing the ball joint but on my truck they are riveted into place so I have to buy the complete assembley and Dodge wants $356 just for the lower one.

 

u-joint gone bad

 

everytime i hit a small bump or speed bump.. i hear something rattle in the back.. it sounds like my beds loose or something but i know its not.. but i also know my u-joint is going bad ( when i go from reverse to drive i can hear it click acouple times) could that be whats banging around whenever i hit a bump??

 

Ok i just realized I said I checked the track bar...I meant I checked the sway bar as I have a 2 wheel drive not a 4x4. Sorry for the mixup[:@]

 

To check the ball joints jack the truck up near the inner end of the lower control arm about 3" off the floor. then use a pry bar or some object to check for up and down movement by placing the bar all the way under the tire and pry up and down. there should be no movement in the ball joint. to check for lateral movement place the bar under the tire from the front pry up and then move the bar side to side and again there should be no movement. my brother did the ball joints on his truck and he didnt have to get the control arm. who knows could be a model year difference.