rjm022

i have had a clunking noise for the past several days. i isolated it to the firewall around the brake and go pedals.(my entire front end is new-everything has been replaced) i checked out the steering shaft last night- no play in it. climbed under the truck and had the wife turn the wheel left- clunk! only once- only happens when the wheel is turned left and only when the truck has sat for an hour or more!! waited an hour did the same test. wife turned the wheel left-clunk!- turned it all the way right, all the way left several more times , no clunk! the second time when we did this test-i had my hand on the steering shaft-kind of felt the clunk through the shaft- but i can not be sure. it only does the clunk once- i saw no movement in the shaft,etc when the wife was turning the wheel. i have no steering issues,etc. i hate to buy a new shaft and find out it was not the problem! help!

Fast Eddie1

Sounds like my 06. i prob. heard it 6-8 times since i owned it. but i never investagated it. Sounds just like your explaining it though.

rjm022

update- went to my buddies tonight- had two guys under the truck when i turned the wheel left-then two turns to the right, then back to the left (only time the noise/clunk will appear) for 15 minutes they could not isolate the clunk-but they noticed the wheels(both sides) would jump.vibrate when the noise was made! the noise stopped after ten minutes, when the engine got to operating temps- let the truck cool back down for an hour- the noise/clunk will appear!! will try again tomorrow night after work- remember- my whole entire front end,except sway bar end links is only 90 days old- everything has been replaced!

fordracing19

Mine does the same thing. I can feel it in the steering wheel. Does it every morning only once backing out of the garage.

rjm022

can't feel it in the steering wheel. never did it before. truck has almost 70,000 miles on her.

labreck

My puckup made a noize when i would hit bumps in the road. It was the lower track arm bolts-the ones with the adjustment washers. Cranke then sucks TIGHT,I used a 18" tourc wrench. Just a thought If not that, it could be the steering box. When the motor gets hot the fuid and steering box does as well. I cant see how the shaft would be bad. But I dont kwon. good luck

labreck

By the way in years past when trying to replace a steering box I came into 3 in arow of bad units. I dont know if yours is new but if it is I would find the recipt. good luck

rjm022

hopefully tomorrow night, we find the problem. i still have the factory steering box on the truck. i would assume if the steering box was going bad i would feel it in the steering wheel, but the truck drives great! no issues when driving her!!

rjm022

i think we figured it out tonight!! got a bad anxle u-joint- it appears one of the caps did not seat properly- due to a needle bearing falling out.(from improper installation)- this is from a visual inspection after tracking down the clunking noise and finding the cap on the u-joint not seated properly-will order anothr u-joint and install next week.

tauberson

Got Pics? I have been to the dealer twice and "We cannot find hte problem".

rjm022

don't think i could get a picture that would turn out. gotta get your head up around the upper ball joint and check out all the bearing caps on the axle u-joint- if a cap is not seated properly-you'll be able to see it!

rjm022

problem not fixed!!!! found the bad axle u-joint. the bearing cap was not seated properly-assumed the needle bearings got bent during install. pulled the axle u-joint and the needle bearings were fine-the clip was just missing. installed new axle u-joint. now, when i turn the steering wheel at low speeds from a dead stop-sometimes, mostly when the wheel is turning left i can feel a "kink"-but no clunk no more. i am at my wits end!

THURENfab.

My truck has a bad axle ujoint, but also a bad steering shaft, and it's a WAY different "clunk-rattle-knock" on mine..

I found out my steering shaft was the culprit by temporarily putting a bungee cord from the steering shaft, to the battery tray to put a side load on the shaft. Drove around the block, and felt like driving a new truck. No more rattling in the pedals/steering wheel..

rjm022

thanks don- i originally thought it was the shaft- but i checked it out. i have no excessive play in the shaft-dumb question- the steering shaft turns-how do you not wrap up or rip up the bungee cord???