Front end "clunk"

I take it you are talking about the vehicle in your rig photo?
It appears to be a IFS 4 runner correct?
Probably the bushes where the front end mounts to the chassis, by lifting the back you've shifted the weight forwards ever so slightly accentuating the problem.

I'd jack the front end up via the chassis so the whole subframe is hanging, put stands under the chassis (best not to get under a vehicle relying on a jack) and then see if you can shift anything with a pinch bar.
If nothing is obvious try spraying the bushes with a soapy water mix to lube them and see if it changes or even disappears.

G'day Jeff,

I had exactly that annoying problem in a Nissan Pulsar would you believe. Every time I reversed out with the wheels turned and put the brakes on, a little knock almost like something clicking back across or something like that.

I never did find out what it was, so I'm afraid I'm not a lot of help this time but wanted to mention it all the same so as you didn't think it was unique. I even put my car up on stands and tried shaking the wheels. It never got any worse and this was from near new.

The knocking I heard didn't sound like bushes, more like metal joint with a bit of play and it moved from point a to point b and impacted on the other side. (If that made any sense).

Because it happened when I put the brakes on, I was convinced that the brake calipers were moving slightly, but I could never prove it. Give the brake and wheel assemplies a good look and see if there is any play in that area.

Hope you find it anyway. Drove me nuts.

Cheers,

Smocky

My old Suby had a broken caliper mounting bolt on one of the front brake calipers, made a very disconcerting and palpable thump when the brakes were applied. Easily fixed when I finally found out what it was after 8 months of driving with one of the front brakes swinging in the wind!!

Jeff,
A good mystery. I would go back to the start and lower the air bags and see if the clunk is still there. If There is only a slight clunk like there was before the air bags went in then that is where you have to start. Raising the back via the air bags means that the trailing arms have changed angle, the uni's have changed angle, the shocks are at a different lenght of expansion and the springs are not seating in the spring seats like they were before. Even if you take it out the rear tail shaft and drive the vehicle with front wheel drive only and see if the clunk goes. If the clunk is still there than the uni's and tail shaft can be crossed of the list. Inflat the air bags again and see if the rear springs are loose by placing the rear axel on axel stands, remove the rear wheels and try to move the rear springs. At the same time have a look at the shocks are the bushes still good and do the shocks move at all. The same might have to be done to the front if nothing can be found in the back.
Good luck and I hope that you can find it soon so that you can get back and enjoy the Surf.

Wayne

Try making sure the exhaust is not touching when under brakes,My jack does it now and then when braking

darryl

I just cured a similar problem in my T2. It turned out to be the jounts on the front anti sway torsion bar thingie. The joints that conected the sway bar to the lower A arms were flogged out and would make a clunk in corners and when droping down the driveway.

hope it helps.

I do not know what front suspension your car has. Mine has torsion bar and it tends to clunk as it unwinds from stationry. Had it checked out and it was all OK. Its just one of those things. (Hey that would be a good line for a song.)

I dont know the makeup of Surfs but it looks like you dont mind driving it hard.....
So having said that, could it be body mounts?

My front end was knocking like a salvo on red shield day.... Under harshish braking, under brisk acceleration, hitting the right bump on a road, corrugations it was woeful...

Changed the body mounts and so quiet now.... But i am probably barking up the wrong tree because i dont know the first thing of your vehicle..

Gday Jeff

haveing the front end up and trying to move things around by hand sometimes dont work as you do require a bit more force to find worn bushes etc,

just a thought, jack up the front of the car by the chassy, then place a jack under the wheel preferrably a wind up and down one, have a freind winding the jack up and down only needing to move the wheel about half an inch, while you check for moving parts . cv joints, ball joints, bushes etc

Clive

Hi Jeff
a friend had the same problem in their camry after a new shockie was fitted to the front. we checked everything but could not find the noise. i insisted they take it back to the mechanic who fitted the shock. surprise, no noise now and the mechanic said that a bolt had come loose. better explanation i suppose than admitting that they did not tighten something up properly. i would be checking every bolt and nut on suspension and brakes that i could see. hope that you find the problem and that it is an easy fix.

regards

Bob

Check the idler arm and connections. Sometimes they can dry out and produce the same noise especially going over bumps.

Regards

Paul

Well I've let the air bags down in the rear and it clunked twice leaving home, once through the first round about when braking then through the second and then it stopped, it's been quiet ever since... Very bizzare.
I also think that it might be comming from around the front of the transfer box/gear box. Must be a uni or somthing, I've re-greased them up and they don't "SEEM" lose but it's gotta be somthing in there. Probally going to take it to a mechanic next week when I'm on holidays and find out WTF.

Jeff
Had this problem after a trip through the Simpson in TD 100. Very annoying. Spent days crawling underneath.
The dealer (Canon Toyota at Camberwell Melbourne) fixed it completely.
They advised that they hoisted the vehicle off the ground on all four wheels then progressively loosened then tightened all the supsension components.
The clunk not only went but the ride felt like new.
Good luck.