Okay well i have been having this annoying clunking noise when i hit small bumps on the road, like the lip of a drive way or small pot holes. It sounds like the wheel is loose and is banging against the hub. I know there is only a few things it can be, ball joints, tie road ends, rack and pinion? I think I have narrowed it down to the rack and pinion. Is there anyone that is kind enough to go out to their truck and jerk the front wheel left and right with your hands and feel the play in the rack and pinion. mine has play and I don't know if that is normal. The clunk noise that I hear is coming from inside the rack.

 

did you jack her up and check your balljoints and tierods for play? could be a junk bearing too.

 

Well when I jack it up the suspension full droops and I have no play because everything is super tight then with the full weight of the wheel.

 

I agree, could be a toasted bearing. Its kind of tough to see play in the front end of these trucks bacause the wheel dosent lock, so when you rock the tire from the 9 and 3 position, the wheels want to turn. You may end up having a bad inner tie rod end going bad as well. Are you sure the noise you are hearing from the rack isn't radiating from somewhere else? To check bearing, jack truck up and grab tire at 12 and 6 position and try to rock. Shouldn't be any movement or "clink" whatsoever.

 

You can physically feel a a clunk inside the rack when you put your hand on it and you can see some play, also the actual tie rod if you were to grab it an wiggle it has play.

 

Its the sway bar links I bet. Check them at the top and bottom on both sides.

 

yup..this was the source of the clunking in my front end

 

The inner tie rod can wiggle up/down etc but should not have any play going in and out. The best remedy for inner tie rods is to just change the whole rack. The new rack will come with inner tie rods already and for almost the same price as replacing them individually.

 

where can I buy that at? for cheaper? If i do it I would just replace the rack and pinion, the outer tie rods. the ball joints, and probably sway bar link bushings.

 

i would check out www.rockauto.com