As per usual, I fix one problem only to find another. I got the new muffler installed on my 92' runner, test drive it and all is quiet until I go to brake and hear a "CLUNK" or "POP" type sound when applying the brakes. I hadn't heard this before. It also sounds like it might happen less pronounced on turning, but its harder to tell. It sounds like it is coming from the front drivers side brake area, and I can feel it in the pedal as well. I don't think its the brakes moving, they are fairly new and so are the calipers, and never gave any signs after being replaced 5k ago.
Any ideas? My thought is possibly the ball joints? But I'm certainly no suspension expert and the more I search the issue the less I seem to know. Another strange thing arrived with it, though they seem totally unrelated, when you first step on the brake, even just a little I will hear a click and it sounds like its coming from the passenger side tail light, also can feel it under the shift selector, car doesn't have to be running, just accessory turned on, oddest thing, ground wire maybe? This thing is about one more problem away from Craigslist at this point

 

Get under there and start checking things. Had a guy stop by the other night and his idler arm TRE had popped and it was clanking.

:wabbit2:

 

The click your hearing under the shifter selector is a tiny actuator. It's what allows your shifter to move out of park when the brake is pressed. Is it possible the other click you hear is a relay?

 

Check for loose calipers. Just be on the safe side. I've seen techs leave leave em loose before. 5 second inspection vs safety..l

 

Good advice blakefogt, wonder if you could get it off of all fours, pull the wheels, lock it in and have somebody in the cock pit while you pin point the exact cause? But as mentioned above Safety first. Sound like it could be a caliper knocken.

 

It certainly could be a caliper, but I'm leaning towards something in the suspension. It will not make the noise if the truck is parked, running and you push the brake, the truck has to be rolling. Even then, if its moving and you brake really slowly to a stop, which is impossible to do in regular traffic, it will not clunk, but under normal braking conditions it will every time, one single pop or clunk type noise as you come to the end of the brake, or as the most force is moving forward I guess you would say, right in the drivers side brake/suspension area.

I mean after all, the truck is 20 years old and I bought it from the original owner a few months ago and he kept it immaculate, but this is all original suspension. I'm thinking ball joints, but I may just do the ball joints, tie rods and cv joints all at once if I'm in there anyways, its a second car so I don't have to rush.

The clicking under the shifter is likely the shift lock solenoid I guess, happens every time you touch the brake, its strange that it coincides with a clicking noise right at the passenger side tail light, I pulled the bulbs, it still clicks, truck just has to be on accessory, not running to hear it. All these problems are brand new, I didn't drive it for a week because I was waiting for a few parts to finish the new muffler installation, and as soon as I got it in, these three things all showed up at once, maybe they were always there and now that the truck is so much quieter I can hear them all.

Any advice on ball joint replacement? I haven't done this before, but I do have the tools and time to figure it out, any pointers is much appreciated.

 

Soak everything in PB Blast daily for a week before you tear into it. If that stuff is original, it will not want to come out easy. Get a good puller beforehand, chain stores rent them and you'll probably need it. If you're doing tie rod ends too, save yourself some trouble and replace the adjusting sleeves too, don't even bother trying to pull the TREs from the old sleeve.

Good luck!

 

If the truck wont produce the noise while on stands, no weight on SUS, Wheels rotating in gear, then you are right, chances are its in the Steering or SUS area. Your on the right trail. Gotta love PB Blast! See Ya!

 

Hey shimmy did you ever figure out what this problem was I'm having the same issue I have replaced everything suspension and brake wise with the exception of the bj's And the control arm bushings

 

Had the same issue on front drivers side ended up being the ball joint, thing was so wasted it would shift when brakes were applied

 

After 200k I knew my suspension needed some love just wasn't expecting to replace everything po was horrible with maintenance
. my 90 has twice as many miles and I've done way less work to it bought it from a fireman and the guy kept it immaculate. maintenance means everything to the longevity of your Rig. Guess its bj's next

 

a bad shock can also cause this.

 

I`ve got distinctive single clunk at front of my Toyota 4runner 04 just before stop, I found worn brake pad pin hole, it was like an ellipse, not round.

 

Replaced brake pads and single clunk sound disappeared.