2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Loud Clunk with Full Left Turn

[surfbeetle]

My 95 2wd now makes a loud clunk when the wheel is turned almost to the full left lock position. Once its almost there, it makes a clunk and the left tire makes a visible jump.



I jacked it up and it does it while up in the air. Upon closer inspection, it seems that the stop on the spindle down below the caliper on the left side is hitting just below where it is supposed to on the lower control arm on the bent out part of the metal and then it slips up to where it should be. Basically its like the whole spindle assembly is hitting about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch too low.



Has anyone experienced this and what did you do to fix it? Thanks

 

[surfbeetle]

Just bumping, I can't believe that a post that is 40 minutes old doesn't appear anywhere on the new posts list...

 

[Cummins724]

Try jacking your truck up & grab the wheel at 12 oclock & 6 oclock positions & shake it to see if you have play... . then repeat this at 3 oclock & 9 oclock positions. Make sure that your steering wheel is in the locked position before attempting this. Let us know which way has play.

 

[surfbeetle]

I will check tomorrow for 9 and 3 play, the 12 to 6 has no play, I know this as I just did new rotors, wheel bearings and pads last night.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

FYI - your thread was showing up on view new posts - just not yours because you had seen the post. View new posts has a 15 minute timeout - for example you made that post at 9:39 pm and right after making the post you viewed it (that's where the system left you). Say you then walked away from your PC and came back to it at 10pm and did a view new posts - your list of new posts would start at the thread that had a post just after yours at 9:39 because that was your last activity. If someone has replied to your post since 9:39 then it would have shown up on your view new posts list.

 

[TMilliard]

Check the lower track bar bolt, make sure its damn tight, I had a awful clunk in the frontend and it turned out to be that

 

[surfbeetle]

Turns out that my lower ball joint is moving in the lower control arm when the wheel is turned full left. I guess that I need to replace the lower control arm. Anyone know what that will cost me?

 

[RDelissen]

Turns out that my lower ball joint is moving in the lower control arm when the wheel is turned full left. I guess that I need to replace the lower control arm. Anyone know what that will cost me?

are you talking about the ball joint or the control arm bushing?

 

[surfbeetle]

Im talking about the ball joint. I attempted to weld the ball joint to the lower A arm. It seemed to be okay until I drove 9 miles to work this morning. The clunk came back. Now I am looking for the A-Arm assembly. A local dealer here wants $437. 00 loaded with ball joints and bushings etc. My uncle owns a auto repair shop and usually gets the Jobber rate, I will call him and see what I can get it for. http://allchryslerparts.com has them for around $290 but I don't know if it comes loaded.