Hello all once again,

I sorta come around like a bad habit lol. My 03 1500 2 wheel drive has developed a clunking noise in the front end when I'm slowing down to a stop, turning when slow especially when going in and out of a parking spot (turning wheel back and forth while going slow). I recently replaced every joint on the front end with the exception of the lower control arm and the sway bar bushings themselves. When I lift my truck up and shake the wheel every which way I can't get any play at all, but the clunking noise is really loud, more like a loud pop like a big rock just hit my frame, tried looking at the lower control arm joints and they seem fine. Steering is very tight and truck tracks perfectly straight down the road. I've thought about climbing underneath while someone turns the wheel back and forth to try and find it but it doesn't make the noise when i just turn the wheel when I'm still, only when it's moving... Any suggestions is much appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: I will say that this noise has been happening for quite a long time but was sorta uncommon, I rebuilt the front end and had an alignment done, and the noise is still there although now I can make it happen pretty reliably, indicating it is slowly getting worse.

 

Did you change ball joints as well?

If it only pops when turning, that does suggest the ball joints, but, if it also requires some up/down movement of the suspension, that would be control arm bushings.

 

Yep, changed the ball joints. Tie rods inner and outer, sway bar end links, upper and lower ball joints, upper control arm (since integrated into ball joint), and wheel bearings. The only things i haven't touched are the shocks/coils, lower control arm bushings, and the sway bar bushings themselves, but those all seem and feel fine. Front wheel doesn't move any which way no matter how hard I shake it in any direction.

 

The bushings usually have a steel sleeve thru the center, keeps the bolt from eating the rubber..... and the bolts like to become one with the sleeves.... changing them is always fun. But, if the bushing is 'slipping' in the control arm, you get a pretty pronounced clunk. Dry ball joints will do it as well. Try bouncing the suspension and see if you can reproduce the noise.

 

Gave it a good rocking on both sides on the front, it's not as tight and gotten a little bit bouncy, but that's to be expected after 250+ thousand miles and 20 years haha . I could not reproduce the popping sound though bouncing it even as hard as I can. turning the wheel lock to lock didn't work either, it's only when I'm moving slowly and turning the wheel or slowly coming to a stop.

 

I could like hang underneath the truck while someone rolls it around like it's mission impossible in order to find the popping sound perhaps... Nah I'm just kidding.

 

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good plan.

Just for grins, check the bushings for the caliper bolts..... (if yours has any, that is....)

 

The brake caliper slide pins and the metal sleeves they go through are pretty much perfect, I checked them when I was working on the front end and greased them. I jacked up the front end once again and really shook the wheels hard and when I shake the passenger wheel from top to bottom really hard (I mean rocking the truck just about) I feel a barely perceptible amount of movement, although I don't think it's the ball joints because they're still brand new and greased. I decided to slide underneath with a pry bar and check everything including the steering rack to see if anything moved and I couldn't get anything to move. The only thing that looked out of place is that on the passenger side one of these bushings looks sorta pinched? Couldn't get it to move though. Maybe I should just replace them anyway...

 

How many miles on it?

 

On the truck, 256,000 ish. On the lower control arm joints? Not sure lol.