Front end clunk?

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January 09, 2009, 11:25:44 PM

For a while now the dart has had a clunk noise coming from the front end of the car. It only happens when I'm on the brakes and I put it in reverse or drive, depending on what direction it has already been "clunked." If that makes any sense.

Basically, foot on the brakes I put the car in reverse and the front of the car makes one solid clunk. Then I can back up, stop the car and put it in neutral, then back in reverse and no clunk. Then, to drive (foot still braking) the car will make one solid clunk (i'm assuming back the other way). Something seems to be pulled and then pushed back and is making this noise.

The front end was rebuilt a few years back, and you can see all of the bushings, ball joints and shocks are still pretty and new looking, and I can't feel any play when I put the front in the air and attempt to check for play by trying to rock the top and bottome of the wheel back and forth. Being that I have no idea how most of the front end stuff works together, I'm not sure what else or where else to look for this. But it has to be something connected to one of hte front wheels, because have the brakes on causes this. It will never do this when the car is rolling. I can't even tell you which side it's coming from. It feels like (yes, it's not just a noise, you can feel the clunk in the floor of hte car) it's coming from the passenger side, but I'm not 100% on that.

Any hints or ideas as to what I should be looking for? Thanks!

- Don

I chased a clunking noise for years one time and it turned out to be a strut rod bushing.

sounds like a strut rod bushing

try this. get a crow bar or something like one and with the motor off and in park pry up the motor on the drivers side to check the rubber motor mount.

I had the same, it would only happen when i was on the brakes, turned out to be a front wheel bearing, i guess i installed that one wrong. $\/][$

Caliper shifting? Do you have disc brakes?

Drums all the way around. I'll have to do some exploring and see what I can find. I"ll take a look at bearings and strut rod bushings, but it won't be for a little while yet. Work has me traveling the next few weeks. I'll let you know what I find, when I find it. THanks!

- Don

Check the trans mount and motor mounts for play also.

Quote from: 67dartgt on October 10, 2007, 01:36:43 PM

If the shoes aren't adjusted very well, the shoes might shift enough when you apply the brakes to make noise. Dunno

This probably is not the problem, but its easy enough to check:
I had a similar problem on an old Dodge, and it turned out that one of the two cam bolts that secure the upper control arm to the car was loose. Tightened it up and the noise went away.
Good luck.