Suspension Noise (Clunk)

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

I have a '05 Jeep Liberty CRD.

I just replaced all bushings, ball joints, outer tie rod, springs and shocks with Moog and Monroe parts on the front suspension.

Inner tie rods replaced 5K miles ago.

I am getting a clunk when I go in reverse from a hard left and also when I turn the steering wheel hard left with the car stationary.
The clunk seems to happen "forward" once and to the "rear" once as a cycle forward and reverse. It does not happen repeatedly as the wheel turns.
I do not feel it in the steering wheel.
Sounds like it is coming from the front left of the vehicle.

I pulled the front wheels and rechecked my torques and everything is at torque with no movement of nuts. I used castle nuts and cotter pins on the lower ball joints and outer tie rods.
The front axles CV boots appear in good shape. The front bearings spun freely when I had them off the car.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2019 11:36 am

bronco9588 wrote:

I have a '05 Jeep Liberty CRD.
I just replaced all bushings, ball joints, outer tie rod, springs and shocks with Moog and Monroe parts on the front suspension.
Inner tie rods replaced 5K miles ago.
I am getting a clunk when I go in reverse from a hard left and also when I turn the steering wheel hard left with the car stationary.
The clunk seems to happen "forward" once and to the "rear" once as a cycle forward and reverse. It does not happen repeatedly as the wheel turns.
I do not feel it in the steering wheel.
Sounds like it is coming from the front left of the vehicle.
I pulled the front wheels and rechecked my torques and everything is at torque with no movement of nuts. I used castle nuts and cotter pins on the lower ball joints and outer tie rods.
The front axles CV boots appear in good shape. The front bearings spun freely when I had them off the car.

Have you checked the mounting bushings for the Rack & Pinion assembly? They do wear out and let the rack become loose with some unwanted movement.

See this:> viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47634

Napa Part number is: 274-9236
Moog K7388

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

I have not looked at those bushings. How hard is the job?

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:56 pm

bronco9588 wrote:

I have not looked at those bushings. How hard is the job?

See the link I put in my post.

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

Has anyone had a CV joint clunk once around NOT clunk every rotation of the wheel?

That steering bushing seems like a remarkable job... she wasn't an issue before the suspension work. It has to be something I touched.

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

So I get a single clunk going forward hard left and get the clunk going back with no change in steering wheel position.

I can make it clunk back and forth pretty easily. I have been watching the suspension components to no avail.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:16 pm

bronco9588 wrote:

So I get a single clunk going forward hard left and get the clunk going back with no change in steering wheel position.
I can make it clunk back and forth pretty easily. I have been watching the suspension components to no avail.

Are you SURE it is coming from the front?

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

Well... she never made the noise before the work and I didnt touch the rear yet.

U joints and a front drive shaft cv joint was replaced a year ago.

APC9199 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 29, 2019 12:21 pm

Does the noise happen repeatedly if you transition from forward to reverse repeatedly with the brake on? If so, that sounds like an engine mount to me. Not sure why it would pop when steering, but it would be worth looking into. I've also had (and currently have) front CV axles that pop when turning the wheel. The bearings inside seem to bind and release as they pivot past some arbitrary point in their motion. This became more of a problem for me after getting my lift, but even replacing bushings and changing the stance of the vehicle slightly could, potentially, have a similar effect.

You could have someone sit in the vehicle and steer back and forth on smooth pavement while you lay underneath and feel for where the pop is originating. Just be sure to have the vehicle in park with the e-brake on!

Diesel Dan · **Posted:** Thu Aug 29, 2019 1:21 pm

Had a similar noise but from the RH front.
Turned out it was from the upper control arm(UCA), rear mounting bolt was loose allowing the UCA to shift slightly. Tightened it up and noise is gone.

bronco9588 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 pm **Posts:** 69

Diesel Dan wrote:

Had a similar noise but from the RH front.
Turned out it was from the upper control arm(UCA), rear mounting bolt was loose allowing the UCA to shift slightly. Tightened it up and noise is gone.

Which side was loose on the UCA?

jeeptorino68 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:25 am

Check for proper torque on your control arm bolts. Had the same issue in my 08 grand cherokee

Suspension Noise (Clunk)

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