Left turn clunk! While parked

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Mick77

Member
Posts
11
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hello all

any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. I have a 1999 defender 110 Td5 left hand drive. I changed pretty much every part in the front end on both sides, and the steering box as well (because the bypass didn’t work so the box was over torsioning the steering). Now while the vehicle is not moving, if I turn the wheel to the left I get a clunk sound and again in the same spot back to the right. I can go all the way right with no issues. It doesn’t do it while the left wheel is jacked up so there is no weight on the wheel. The wheel doesn’t even have to be off the ground. I’ve pulled everything apart again to see if there is something binding or grinding and nothing. The only thing I didn’t do was pull the long half shaft out completely and I’m regretting it. Could this be a problem in the front diff?
Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to the forum.
When you say you've changed everything on the front end it's a bit vague.
I doubt it will have anything to do with your half shaft. You might have wear in you hub swivel pins or a steering joint? What have you replaced?
 
Fair enough. Thx for the reply.
Both cv joints
Swivel housing
Swivel bearings
Track rod and both ends
Tie rod and both ends
Steering box and hoses
Steering dampener
Shocks/springs
All bushings on front end
Lower steering shaft
Radius arms
Panard rod
Stub axles and bearing
Wheel bearings

honestly pretty much everything I’m likely missing a few things…I didn’t change the half shafts on the cv joints just the outer end.
 
Now that you say that I changed the swivel bearings and new shims but I didn’t replace the upper or lower pins themselves

do you think this is could be it? If it’s left turn I would assume it’s the left side.
Thx again
 
Mick77 said:
Now that you say that I changed the swivel bearings and new shims but I didn’t replace the upper or lower pins themselves

do you think this is could be it? If it’s left turn I would assume it’s the left side.
Thx again
Click to expand...
It's normally the bearings that go and not the pins to be honest.
Did you do all of this to cure the clunk, or has the clunk appeared since?
 
Can you feel the clunk through the steering wheel?
I wonder if the steering box is slightly loose and clunking up against the chassis rail?
 
That’s what I thought as well. It’s appeared since. Drove it about 2 weeks no noise at all. It progressively got worse. I noticed the issue with steering and ultimately thought that was the only problem as it was making the clunk left and right at low speeds. Replaced it and that corrected he problem. Now sitting in place in neutral, I turn to the right no issues. I turn to he left and it clunks at about 20 degrees to the left not at full extension.
 
Al2O3 said:
Can you feel the clunk through the steering wheel?
I wonder if the steering box is slightly loose and clunking up against the chassis rail?
Click to expand...
You feel it in the wheel but very little. The steering box nothing at all. I will double check to make sure it’s all tight but I can put my hand on it and no movement and don’t feel the clunk. It’s very puzzling.
 
Mick77 said:
You feel it in the wheel but very little. The steering box nothing at all. I will double check to make sure it’s all tight but I can put my hand on it and no movement and don’t feel the clunk. It’s very puzzling.
Click to expand...
So you've had your hand on the steering box while someone else turned the wheel?
I'd lie under the front and get someone to turn the wheel back and forth through the clunk point while you listen. Then, being careful, put your fingers on parts and feel for the clunk.
 
Al2O3 said:
So you've had your hand on the steering box while someone else turned the wheel?
I'd lie under the front and get someone to turn the wheel back and forth through the clunk point while you listen. Then, being careful, put your fingers on parts and feel for the clunk.
Click to expand...
Yes safety first I have done both and I just cant seem to locate the sound. Sometimes t sounds like to chassis near he front of the steering box, but others maybe even near the diff. You can definitely feel that t on the front left wheel. If I lift the wheel from the ground the clunk is gone! Crazy huh?
 
Mick77 said:
Double checked no movement at all.
Click to expand...

Can really recommend having someone in the driver's seat slowly turning the wheel whilst you get underneath and hold onto each suspension/axle component to physically "feel..." the clunk. You will find it...
  1. how many Nm did you tighten up the drop arm + did you tighten, take for a short drive, then re-tighten and complete lock nut?
  2. do check all ball joints, it's easy to not have these tightened up
  3. definitely re-check swivel ball pins and their pre-load
  4. does the clunk disappear if only half load on front axle? if so, something's loose so re-tighten every last nut and bolt
Good luck...
 
v8250 said:
Can really recommend having someone in the driver's seat slowly turning the wheel whilst you get underneath and hold onto each suspension/axle component to physically "feel..." the clunk. You will find it...
  1. how many Nm did you tighten up the drop arm + did you tighten, take for a short drive, then re-tighten and complete lock nut?
  2. do check all ball joints, it's easy to not have these tightened up
  3. definitely re-check swivel ball pins and their pre-load
  4. does the clunk disappear if only half load on front axle? if so, something's loose so re-tighten every last nut and bolt
Good luck...
Click to expand...

thx for this. Everything tightens to specs. However I didn’t tighten drive tighten on drop arm, I will check it. Yes the clunk disappears by jacking the weight off the left side so I agree with your theory looks like I have a lot of bolts to check

thx again I will post an update.
 
These things are very frustrating, but usually reveal themselves. You're doing the right thing by re-checking several times, because it'll likely turn out to be something you've already checked :rolleyes:
A few other thoughts, it's unlikely but might be worth checking the universal joints on the steering column inside the engine bay.
Also, when turning the wheels stationary you're pivoting the whole vehicle a bit. So, it might be something like a radius arm bush?
Do you have a steering drag link guard bolted to the front diff?
 
Did you correctly shim and tighten the pins? When rebuilding the hub with new bearings you need to check the preload and adjust accordingly. I'm wondering if you've overtightened the left hand side or put too few or too many shims in
 
Al2O3 said:
These things are very frustrating, but usually reveal themselves. You're doing the right thing by re-checking several times, because it'll likely turn out to be something you've already checked :rolleyes:
A few other thoughts, it's unlikely but might be worth checking the universal joints on the steering column inside the engine bay.
Also, when turning the wheels stationary you're pivoting the whole vehicle a bit. So, it might be something like a radius arm bush?
Do you have a steering drag link guard bolted to the front diff?
Click to expand...
Yes completely agree. Going to get back at it today.
U joints on steering are new. Bushes are all new but you never know so I will take a good look.

thx again
 
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