Clunking Sound from Left Front

[Hardrocker]

My wife and I are headed to Alaska with our 2004 3500 CTD. We are hearing a clunking sound that appears to be coming from the left front. Most of the time the sound is heard when hitting irregularities on the road, but sometimes it is heard when the road is smooth.



The sound resembles someone tapping on the frame with a hammer. My overloads in the rear are in contact with the frame outriggers, and I have noticed a similar sound coming from that end when I hit a bump, but the new sound is definitely from the cab forward.



I am at a Dodge dealer in Edmonton, Alberta as I write this.



Any ideas as to what it could be?

 

[Crunch]

You need to post your truck specs. 4WD/2WD, mods, etc.

 

[Hardrocker]

The truck is a SWR four wheel drive with automatic transmission. Fully stock.

 

[Crunch]

The truck is a SWR four wheel drive with automatic transmission. Fully stock.

Mine is 2WD, but from what I've read here I'd be looking at the front hubs.

 

[rjones]

I had a clunk in the left front and it was as simple as a sway bar link gone bad... of coarse it could be a ball joint too

 

[BGlidewell]

My wife and I are headed to Alaska with our 2004 3500 CTD. We are hearing a clunking sound that appears to be coming from the left front. Most of the time the sound is heard when hitting irregularities on the road, but sometimes it is heard when the road is smooth.



The sound resembles someone tapping on the frame with a hammer. My overloads in the rear are in contact with the frame outriggers, and I have noticed a similar sound coming from that end when I hit a bump, but the new sound is definitely from the cab forward.



I am at a Dodge dealer in Edmonton, Alberta as I write this.



Any ideas as to what it could be?

let me know, I've had that for 20+K miles:-laf

 

[retirednak]

I had a clunk in the left front and it was as simple as a sway bar link gone bad... of coarse it could be a ball joint too

#1 on the sway bar links.

Good luck on your drive up here. Hope you brought your rain gear. Enjoy our great state and happy motoring. -Casey

 

[JCrockett]

I had a similiar probelm and come to find out my upper control arm bolt on the frame was loose, so the control arm was rattling around in there. Check all your control arm bolts just to eliminate that possibility. Enjoy the drive

 

[Hardrocker]

Update

We are now in Watson Lake, camping out at Campground Services.



I got an appointment at the Dodge dealer in Sherwood Park, Alberta. They did a front end inspection and found that the link between the pitman arm and the tie rod was wobbling. The mechanic said that this was the subject of a recall, but only a certain number of pitmans arms were replaced in the recall, and not mine. I don't know why this tapered ball joint would loosen up in the pitman arm, but that is what appeared to have happened. I asked that they save the replaced parts for me so that I can do a proper inspection when I get home.



$600 later I had a new pitman arm and a new link ($135/hr for labor!). The clunk seems to be diminished. I can hear my overloads clanking against the frame outriggers, but the sound is clearly at the rear. After going over some of the roads between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake I was glad to have the steering secure!



The next project for the old girl is to get some air bags for the back to stop the clunking there (it clunks with both the pickup camper and with the 5th wheel).