Steering clunk

I plan on upgrading to the synergy hd tie rod, and drag link. My wife's JLUR has a jks 2.5 lift with 37x12.5r17 tires. When I drove it for breakfast this morning I heard, and felt a clunk in the steering when it turns right. When I got home she moved the steering wheel back, and forth while I felt the tie rod, and drag link ends. I felt some slight play in the pitman arm end, and the passenger tire rod end but nothing big. The popping sounds like it's farther up in the steering. Any ideas what it could be. I'm hoping it's just the drag link end at the pitman arm.
 

WiscoHR

Member
I plan on upgrading to the synergy hd tie rod, and drag link. My wife's JLUR has a jks 2.5 lift with 37x12.5r17 tires. When I drove it for breakfast this morning I heard, and felt a clunk in the steering when it turns right. When I got home she moved the steering wheel back, and forth while I felt the tie rod, and drag link ends. I felt some slight play in the pitman arm end, and the passenger tire rod end but nothing big. The popping sounds like it's farther up in the steering. Any ideas what it could be. I'm hoping it's just the drag link end at the pitman arm.

Not sure if this will help. At one point I had a clunk in the front end, thought it was steering as it only happened when turning into my driveway which has a slight bump. Turned out it was the drivers side lower shock bolt. It was just loose enough to left the shock shift up and down causing the clunk. Hope that is all you’re experiencing as well.


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wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
If I could guess, it could be something as simple as your sway bar links. I've seen this a lot. However, being that it's associated with steering, I would have to say you should check the torque on your track bar bolts. That's also common.
 

Not sure if this will help. At one point I had a clunk in the front end, thought it was steering as it only happened when turning into my driveway which has a slight bump. Turned out it was the drivers side lower shock bolt. It was just loose enough to left the shock shift up and down causing the clunk. Hope that is all you’re experiencing as well.


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If I could guess, it could be something as simple as your sway bar links. I've seen this a lot. However, being that it's associated with steering, I would have to say you should check the torque on your track bar bolts. That's also common.


Thank you! When I get home from work I'll check the track bar bolts, and the shock bolts along with the other steering parts.
 

Thanks everyone for the help. The track bar bolts were a little loose, but I did have a lower right shock bolt that was 2 turns loose. I'll keep an eye on it going forward. No clunks now!
 

Update: The clunking/popping sound came back a few days after I torqued the track bar, and shock mount bolts. Well I pulled the cotter pins on the castle nuts on the ball joint bolts, and the upper right castle nut was loose. Like barely hand tight loose. So I took a wrench to the four nuts which were all a little loose. Now the sound is gone, and not came back.
 

Update: The clunking/popping sound came back a few days after I torqued the track bar, and shock mount bolts. Well I pulled the cotter pins on the castle nuts on the ball joint bolts, and the upper right castle nut was loose. Like barely hand tight loose. So I took a wrench to the four nuts which were all a little loose. Now the sound is gone, and not came back.

How many miles on it? If cotter pins were in place on ball joints,t he nuts didn't loosen. Seems if they were loose from factory all this time, you would of had clunking from the time you first drove home. odd. They are only torqued to 55ft lbs which means you don't crank on them. Did you torgue or just tighten until you couldn't move nut?
 

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JeepJL

New member
How many miles on it? If cotter pins were in place on ball joints,t he nuts didn't loosen. Seems if they were loose from factory all this time, you would of had clunking from the time you first drove home. odd. They are only torqued to 55ft lbs which means you don't crank on them. Did you torgue or just tighten until you couldn't move nut?

I’ve experienced the same thing. I think it’s the steel ball joints settling into the aluminum. I’ve now had to tighten them twice, and the cotter pins were there. It’s almost like the ball joints are pushing into the aluminum knuckles.


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