Ok, I have about wore the search button out on the DTR site. I am tryin' to figure out this fricken rattle/clunk under my truck. When I shake the wheel back and forth while movin', you feel what almost feels kind of like a shift back and forth, not just a sway. I may just have no idea what I'm lookin' for as far as how tight something needs to be or how much slack/play something should have in it. I have checked trackbar, steering box, lower ball joints, steering knuckle in the cab at the firewall, the bolts at the trac bar on the frame, sway bar end links, steering stabalizer knuckle, etc etc. Like I said, I have no idea what I'm lookin' for I guess. I did notice that there is some play in the front drive shaft into the front differential. I had the u joint replaced last week because the front u joint had play in it. When I twist the drive shaft back and forth I hear your typical "slack/rattle" I guess you'd call it. The rear driveshaft has zero slack in it. I shook where the steering box bolt connects to the steering linkage and again, there is a little bit of a rattle there. There is a little side to side play in the sway bar....(that doesn't seem right). The shocks are probably in need of replacement, I did notice the other day that the driverside front shock had a little play in it at the bottom. I tightened the (sensor) out of it and now there is no more play there.

 

You might need a second person to turn the wheel while you listen and feel the different parts in the front end in order to find the clunk.

On edit: I typed "front end clunk" in the search box and got 151 different threads.

 

That's where I got the initial info on what to look for. I'm just not the most mechanically inclined. I know just enough to get myself in trouble basically.

 

Second gen trucks would sometimes have a condition where the slip joint in the steering shaft (under the hood, between the column and the steering box) would get a tiny bit of extra play, and you would feel it in the steering wheel, sometimes when steering or braking. Not too sure if this is common on third gen trucks. Someone else may be able to comment on this.

 

I felt something similar in addition to having an adventure each time there was a big bump at highway speeds. Turned out to be both ball joints on driver's side.

 

I haven't done the lowers, I may replace those and go from there.

 

Any chance that it might be a loose spare tire?

 

control arms

 

If the truck makes noise and seems to move side to side over axle I would check the track bar. That is what keeps the axle centered. Just my non mechanic opinion.

 

Negative

Not sure that I've checked those.

I'll see what I can come up with.

Thank you guys for all the help!

 

When checking most of these components, you need to unload the weight from the front end. I would jack the truck up, get jackstands under the frame as close to the front of the truck as possible, then let the jack down. The weight of the axle and related components hanging down will also tighten things up, so once the truck is on jackstands, use the jack to move the axle up to a weight -neutral position. Once there is no weight imposed on the suspension parts, you can check for loseness.

 

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...s-t212269.html


This might help, if it the problem

 

I will definitely try this, I didn't even think of that.

I noticed in your post later on you said that it didn't fix the problem but for a short time. What else did you do, or do you still have the rattle?