Been fighting a clunk/pop/thud in the steering wheel and brake pedal . Mostly when the front suspension dives or lifts up from braking and accelerating. Was changing calipers today and looked at the swaybar and noticed the bushings had gaps around the bar. Heres some pics of the drivers side, the passenger is just as bad. lLt me know what you think...

 

Hmmm, Not sure if it is causing the clunk, but it wouldn't necessarily be throwin away parts to find out. Looks like they need replacing anyway.

Worth a shot I think.

 

Check your track Bar bolts and the sleeves that connect the front tie rods. Also check your shock tower nuts.

 

And check the control arm bolts. I finally figured it out when I had someone get in my truck and literally drive it fwd/rev when I noticed the control arm bushings were shot. Replaced 8 and all was good.

 

Cool, i think i will do the same, hope the GF doesnt run me over by mistake.......

 

they are wore, but wont cause the clunk.
check lower shock mount bolts, bolts might be tight but shock is not. reach in with a screwdriver and try lifting up on the lower body of the shock, if it moves, it will be a source of noise

here is a good list of links for steering issues/trouble shooting

http://dodgeram.org/tech/troubleshoot/steering.htm

 

Hey Nick, its pretty tight in there to get a screw driver in there....Would it help if i lifted that side of the truck up? TO get a little less weight off? What i dont get is , when the weather is cold, it doesnt clunk, when it warms up, and the hotter it gets, the worse it gets.

 

jack up truck have some one turn the wheel lock to lock. watching all joints. trac bar. also check play on ball joints. tighten the lower bolt on the shocks as much as you can or put a impact on it. watch and listen on your control arms the bushings on these can go bad.

 

Cool, Dieselwrks, It sure feels "shock-type" though, ( i put 2 different impacts on them with a big Speedaire compressor) The slightest brake clunks it, then the slightest throttle clunks it.....

 

Check your starter. Mine started coming loose and caused all kinds of knocking under there. Took FOREVER to figure it out.

How did I figure it out?

You don't want to know.

 

the shocks I had to rebuild the bushings on the bottom of my bilsteins few months back. the sleeve in the bushing was hitting because the bushing was bad?
do you feel the clunk through the floor board or steering wheel at all. or is it just hearing. also wouldn't be a bad thing to check your mounts. engine, tranny. how is your u-joints.

 

I hear the clunk/pop in the steering wheel most.....A little on the brake pedal, but more steering wheel....I can be going down a hill, and tap the brakes ( and lightly ride the brake) and get the clunk, then i might not get the clunk til i let the brake off and give it a little gas. What it reminds me of is a marble in a tube or somethng, hit the brakes, it rolls down and clunks, hit the gas, it rolls the other way and clunks....Another example, if im comming to a long stop, i can hit the brake lightly and hold, (get the clunk, hit them harder, get another clunk(still riding brake) and sometimes hit even harder and get the last clunk...Whatever is setting itself from brakeing (causing the clunk) once its fully set, i wont get it til i give it a little throttle to re-lift the front end and re-clunk it.

 

this is also another common issue that our trucks have with the column bushing.
http://www.rocksolidramtrucksteering.com/

but also check your steering shaft. when I replaced mine to the borgenson. I did have alot of slop on the shaft end that connects to the steering box. looked fine untill you grab it and able to twist it.

 

On the way home, i was slowing for a stop light, i heard it clunk, while i hit the brakes, The truck stopped, as soon as i hit the gas, and the front started to lift, i got the clunk the opposite way. Or , i feel it when i hit a whole bunch of little bumps in a row, like a set of train tracks, then i feel it constant for a second. Or once in a while i can get it if i make a quick turn on the wheel and get the suspension to move one way or another, and its still "pop" in teh steering wheel....

 

I see that some people are saying to check the lower shock mount bolt. Have you checked the upper mount bolt?

You say it "clunks" on acceleration and deceleration. Both cases where it pushes and pulls on the shock. The upper mount bushing is a known cause of a clunk or thump because of the push/pull it receives while the suspension is cycling.

I'm just mentioning this because it happened to me. A slight clunk while accelerating/slowing down. When I changed out my front shocks the last time they were replaced, I didn't get one of the rubber bushings seated properly and the nut loosened off over a short period of time. It took a bit of searching but that is what it was

Thought I would my .02 cents into the ring.

Jeff