Clunk / knock noise when turning left

After my last wheeling trip I have discovered a clunk when I turn left. It doesn't do it turning right, and I think I may have heard it once, going straight from a stop over a couple pot holes. Mainly turning left though.

I have been trying to diagnose it and when I first turn it left at a stand still, it will make the clunk. I can then turn the wheel all the way to the right and back to the left and it doesn't do it. I have actually back up about 10-20 feet and turn out of my driveway a bit, then pull back in, and it again will make the clunk.

Of course when we had 3 sets of eyes I couldn't get it to do it. I believe it was because I hadn't drove it since the last clunk. Although I did drive it in a circle out in the street and back into the driveway, but it still didn't do it. Today is the day I discovered I could back out and turn a little, then pull in to make it do it again. But of course I'm by myself. LOL I changed the tie rod end that goes into the drag link closest to the passenger tire (although I think the sound is coming closer to the driver side). When my 3 sets of eyes was looking at it, when it wasn't clunking, the could wiggle the drag link a bit and thought it may be that tire rod end. (It was jacked up when the were wiggling it, if I remember right?)

Anyway. since I was by myself. I decided to take a couple videos but I can't see where the clunk is coming from. Now that I think I know a way to make it do it, I will wait till hubby comes home and it cools off outside, and see if he and see what he can see.

Anyone else have this issue and if so, what was the cause? Both videos had to be trimmed down quite a bit to get them to load so it happens pretty fast.





This the tie rod I changed.

Oh, and I am not at full turn when it clunks. I just stop there to try to go look to see what just clunked. LOL

bobthetj03 said:

You recently installed springs, so I'd check to make sure your shocks are tight at their mount locations. Also, check to make sure your springs didn't shift. I had a nasty clunk sound and found my right front spring had shifted and was hitting the spring bucket.
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Went and checked the springs and they look good. Still in their little keepers at the bottom. Also, no visible purple paint transfer. (paint on bumpstop happened while installing springs.)

Ericict said:

We know who did the hit and run on

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Nope, wrong guy. I hit this guy.

TJmarine said:

I’ve got the same problem. How the the boot on your tie rod end look? Connecting to the pitman arm. Mines all shot out , but I’m fixing other issues right now.

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I will look at it closer but the if I remember right, it was still intact as for as the boot. I did see it moving to when my hubby's son was wiggling things. Maybe that one is the issue?

I am so livid at that Jeep right now. Hubby and I just got done looking at it again. It did it one time, then I backed up like I had done earlier today, by myself, and it wouldn't do it. I even drove the dang thing around the block, making sure not to turn left no matter what till I got home. Nope, didn't make the noise. Backed up again, got out of the Jeep and stood beside it like I did earlier in the day, nope, not going to do it. UHHGGGG.

We are going to wait and take it to breakfast on Sat., so it will have been driven as much as I did today. Maybe it needs to get hot for it to make the noise every time??

Oh, and I had it aligned after the lift and the shop never said anything about bad ends or anything. Can the ends be bad and not visible? So hard to diagnose this with out being able to see anything. I guess my next step will be to hook my GoPro up under it and see what that shows me.

I told hubby that I'm about ready to just let it clunk till it breaks, then we will know what it was. LOL Although it will suck if it breaks when I'm up in the mountains. LOL

Today we pulled the Jeep in the garage and did some searching. Hubby seems to think it is coming from the actual steering box. He can't say for sure though. I just find it strange that, and doubt it because of the fact that it only does it once, until I drive a little, or sometimes jack it up and let it back down. So I just don't see how it can be coming for the box itself.

We did check all nuts and bolts, even on the control arms. I have yet to drive it to see if all the checking and tightening has helped, will post back tomorrow after my trip to the mountains. Going to hit a couple light trails up past Foresthill.

Goatman said:

Ball joint? Surest way to make it quiet is take it to a shop. That's even better than when having extra eyes around.

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The bad thing about that is, they will have the same issue with trying to make the noise happen. Then they will say it's this, I pay to have "this" fixed. Nope didn't work, so I take it back, and they say, oh no sorry it is actually " this". So I pay to have "this" fixed, and so on and etc.

I will eventually figure it out and will be able to do the work myself with my hubby's help. We do all of our repairs except the alignment part of things. LOL

Went and explored some dirt roads today and now I can say that not only does it do it on left turns, but when I hit a rock or hole with the left tire, not every time, but just depends on how I hit it I guess. So when I can I plan on taking the wheel off and inspecting everything in that area. Will update once I do that, not sure when yet. LOL