cr@ves4wheelin

So I've been reading around the forum for steering clunks, my IFS makes a clunk after I make a slightly sharp turn and straighten the wheels. I've had this for a long time, and decided not a big deal. Now it's worse and I'm getting worried I'll break down on the trail in front of a Jeep or a hot chick.

I took it to a shop for a radiator replacement, and one of their notes were that the outer left tie rod is loose. So I'm thinking thats the problem, otherwise maybe the balljoints.

So if I take it to the shop for an alignment, will that fix the tie rod? or should I just try to go for replacing balljoints first?

Any opinions?

peow130

well, maybe you should look under your truck and see if the tie-rod is loose, lol.
if it is, tighten it.
if it isn't check if your wheel is off camber, and the wheel hub has play.

snobdds

It could be your steering stops. Lube it up!.!.! and see if you steering clunk goes away.

Tubbyfatty

Take it to a well known alignment shop, (NOT LES SCHWAB, ive had bas expierences and they charge way too much) and see if they can check your front alignment and see if anny parts are worn out and need replacing.

Rebuilding the front suspension isnt hard at all. If you want pics, search for "imasuperbleeder" and look for the IFS rebuild thread, tons o pics.

Tubbyfatty

I was thinking the same thing but he said after he straightens the wheel. But you should lube them up, just throw a bunch of grease on em and call it good.

cr@ves4wheelin

I don't even know how to tighten a tie rod lol, and I thought it was used to align the wheels.

I know its not the steering stops, I fixed that a while back.

I'll take a look at iamsuperbleeder's pics right now

Jay351

If the adjuster sleeve is loose then tighten that up. If the pivot in the tie rod is loose then you need a new Tie rod end.

If your other ends are still in good shape and you can free the adjuster sleeve, then just install a single new tre.

I gotta replace all my tie rod ends, the boots ripped and they cooked...

Just line up the new TRE with the old one, mark the threads about where it should go, and fine tune it.

peow130

o.o

That, sir, is a tie-rod end.
Note the tapered bolt on the end.
Most likely your bolt is tight. Remove the cotter pin, and tighten up the crown bolt deal on the end.

cr@ves4wheelin

oh sweet thanks lol. I have A LOT to learn. Thanks for all the help guys

peow130

Lol okay.
A cotter pin is this:

see the hole in the threads on that tie-rod end?

The gold bolt on the tie-rod end threads has notches in it for the cotter prevent to prevent it from loosening.
your cotter pin either A) was removed by the PO or B) rusted out and broke

cr@ves4wheelin

haha I figured that out just now using google. I feel like such an idiot right now lol

cr@ves4wheelin

So the thing to the left is a tie rod sleeve? and you tighten it with the bolt that goes through those two rings?

peow130

Yeah that's the tie-rod itself, on an IFS rig it's attached to a relay rod or something like that.

And the bolt that goes through that tightens down on the threads to keep them from loosening.
thats not your problem though, he said the tie-rod was loose on the outer left side..
That means that the tie-rod end is loose on the arm attached to the knuckle/hub/whatever assembly.

cr@ves4wheelin

Oh okay, I'll check that out when it's light outside. Plus I should probably start on my homework lol. I'll post tomorrow if I figure it out. Thanks again y'all

cr@ves4wheelin

Alright, so after work I took a look at the tie rod, and the cotterpin was still in there, so there's no way it could become loose, right?

So maybe the sound isn't the tie rod. Could a busted steering stabilizer make the clunking sound?

I'm just throwing out ideas of what the clunk can be, because if it's not something I have to deal with, I'm not going to mess with it lol.

peow130

jack up the truck if you can, with that side's wheel off the ground, and see if there is any play in your wheel..
push on the bottom and top.

also, do you get bump steer when that side hits a bump? cuz your idler arm's bushings might be going..

cr@ves4wheelin

alright, I checked I didn't find anything. when I take it to the shop, they'll spot the problem for me. If they find somethin, I'll post again.

cr@ves4wheelin

I'd like to apologize for my newbie-ness for the whole thread peow130. I didn't get bumpsteer when I hit bumps. Anyways I took it in for an alignment and now the clunk is gone. I looked down and saw a new cotter pin on the driver side tie rod end, and also a few other new little parts. The idler arm wasn't bent or anything, luckily, so yeah, it was the tie rod.

Thanks

camo31_10.50

lol..i have no clunk...but my front end vibrates...and it's my idler arm LOL..its loose as hell