I have the bump clunk...I have installed Energy Suspension bushings, but still have the clunk. I suspect the lower ball joint, buy today tried to isolate the noise to be certain.

I get the clunk while the passenger front wheel hits small bumps or uneven road surfaces.

I built a fixture to bolt on 3 wheel studs with the wheel removed. I lifted the car at a jack point clear of the suspension, then loaded the suspension with a separate bottle jack. My fixture was built to attach a cheater bar to wiggle the wheel rotor in all directions and inspect for any motion.

BUT...I could not reproduce the clunk.

I can reproduce the clunk by driving forward and ease on and off the brake lightly. the noise is only passenger front wheel. I even used a creeper to try to inspect for motion while my wife idled the car forward and touched the brake.

I can hear the noise using this technique, but cannot isolate the joint making noise.

Have any of you been able to inspect and isolate this front end clunk?

Thx

Rick

 

are you on stock suspension? in the past, at least for me, this has been from not cranking the top lock nut on the top of the shock/strut enough. If you lower your car with springs, on a bump, the top of the shock will actually lift up and make a clunk sound.

 

stock suspension. 120K miles on it. I'll try cranking down on the strut top nut, but I'm thinking lower ball joint. I'm going to order a pair of the ebay units, and put them on this weekend. I'll post back with the results.

 

rbunch, any luck with solving your problem?

 

I ordered lower ball joints (ebay China ones) and installed the passenger side yesterday. The clunking is less, but still there. I can grab the spring coils with the wheel off and shake like mad, but cannot get it to clunk. touching the brake pedal when in a slow roll makes a clunk, and there is a very slight fore aft shift of the knuckle ( I watched while my wife pulled up & down the driveway). Next task is going to be replacing the compression strut to make sure the knuckle end of the compression strut is fresh. bummer.

 

I have exactly the same issue. Clunk over bumps at low speeds at front end, passenger side more than drivers side. Clunks more when pressing on the breaks lightly.

What did you do to fix this? (i changed shocks/struts, strut plates, endlinks, swaybar bushings fyi)
My mechanic is puzzled, told me to go to the dealer.

 

I solved my clunk this weekend. After having resisted for a long time replacing the compression strut, I finally gave in and ordered up a new one and installed it. My inspection of the one I removed confirmed the ball joint on the wheel end of the compression strut was toast. I cut off the boot and inspected it. I have nearly 3/32" of play at right angles to the body of the strut (in the direction of up/down wheel motion).

I intend to do some surgery with a cutting wheel on the strut that I removed to learn about the model number of the ball joint and learn about possibilities for replacing only that component. It just bugs the crap out of me that the only way to get this ball joint is to purchase the entire strut.

Anyway, clunk is GONE! Woo-hoo!