"Clunking Noise" when vehicle is stressed laterally

[ronhop]

I'm new to the borad and have an issue I'm trying to resolve. I have a 1999 TJ, auto trans, 4.0L... Stock suspension except for Belstein shocks. No lift.

When the suspension gets stressed laterally there is a heavy metal-on-metal clunking sort of noise. It almost sounds like something is banging or shifting at it's mounting point. If you bounce up and down in the driver's seat hard enough you can get it to make the noise. It's pretty loud and very repeatable.

I checked the suspension arm bolts, tie rods, track bar bolts, sway bar link bolts, etc... I found nothing out of the ordinary. the funny thing is that it just started doing this out of the blue and there was no 'event' where I ran over anything or hit a pothole or something similar. Has anybody run across this issue ?

Thanks in advance for the info...

Ron

[blkTJ]

is the sound coming from the front or rear???

[ronhop]

Thanks for the reply...

It's very hard to tell where it's coming from. Sometimes it sounds like it's in the front but the clunk is so loud it really sounds/feels like it's everywhere. Sounds kind of strange but that's how it is.

Funny though, last night I ran out to get a few things from the store and the noise was not there. This past weekend out here we had some very wet/damp weather. Yesterday was cooler and gloomy but no rain fell. I went out this morning and drove t around the block and no noise.

So, it seems that something may me shifting when it gets wet or moist with water ?

Beats me... The problem seems to have gone as fast as it showed up.

Any ideas ?

[mparker]

I had a similiar noise a while back. The rear trackbar connection point to the frame was loose. What would happen is that the trackbar would settle into place and be quiet for a while, then it would get readjusted by a bump or something and would knock against the gas tank skid.

Clunks are interesting especially if they reverberate through the frame.

Since you can recreate this by bouncing in the seat, have a buddy bounce in the seat while you float around under the jeep in a creeper.

[ronhop]

I had a similiar noise a while back. The rear trackbar connection point to the frame was loose. What would happen is that the trackbar would settle into place and be quiet for a while, then it would get readjusted by a bump or something and would knock against the gas tank skid.

Clunks are interesting especially if they reverberate through the frame.

Since you can recreate this by bouncing in the seat, have a buddy bounce in the seat while you float around under the jeep in a creeper.

Yes, that's the next step however I can't get the noise to happen right now. I think it has something to do with a lot of moisture on something. I went for a drive earlier to go to the post office and it was absolutely fine. It's about 35 degrees and dry so that lends more theory to the wet vs. dry issue. I'll just keep an eye on it and see what happens the next time it rains. Maybe the buddy should be on the wet ground while I bounce on the seat... LOL

Thanks for the thoughts,

Ron

[ronhop]

Found it...

Last week I heard a very loud bang come from the front of the vehicle... The clunking noise then completely stopped. I was digging around under the front of the thing and found that the sway bar end link ball joint was yanked from it's socket, effectively elinimating the clunking nose and also eliminating the effectiveness of the sway bar. I purchased 2 new end links with disconnects and a PU bushing set for the sway bar. Noise gone. I've never seen an end link designed like that before... The new ones don't have ball joints, they just have loops with PU bushings in them. nicely made but expensive...

[sarah]

awesome! Glad you found it

[seapahn]

Good job! Those clunks are a bitch to track down sometimes.

[ronhop]

Thanks, yes I'm glad I found it. now I have to clean the cr*p off the driver's seat from whan that big bang went off... (-:
I still cannot believe the crummy design of the stock end links... I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did.

Thanks for those who piped in and offered advice.

Ron

[hurley37]

sorry to chime i so late but i had the same problem with my stock passenger sway bar link before i lifted my jeep. it sure is a wierd design for something thats gonna get flexed to sh*t! Glad you got the problem solved.

[mrblaine]

sorry to chime i so late but i had the same problem with my stock passenger sway bar link before i lifted my jeep. it sure is a wierd design for something thats gonna get flexed to sh*t! Glad you got the problem solved.

As stiff as the stock bar is, there is very little flex needed. It operates well within the design parameters for the amount of flex needed.

[ronhop]

Yes, I'm sure the bar itself flexes within parameters however since the bar is so thick you would think that the end links would be stronger. The ball joint type design is just not strong enough unless all you do is drive over smooth terrain all the time. Maybe DC should just charge $25 extra and put in disconnects.

Anyway, yes, I did fix it and it's fine now. It's a PITA to figue out the chassis and suspension noises. This one was one of the toughest to find but once that end link let go...

Thanks for all the notes...

Ron