Pop/Clunk noise when turning wheel at a stop/low speed

[Wirflesnurfle]

Hey everyone. I have a 2020 4WD STX ranger. Running 33s and have the old man emu front heavy suspension kit installed. Recently I started noticing an odd noise that sounds like its coming from the front drivers side under the vehicle. I attached a video, any information regarding this would be great!

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[DukeCanBuildit]

Re-check the torque on your lug nuts. Others on the forum have reported similar symptoms and found it to be as simple as loose lug nuts. It might also be a popped or loose anti-sway bar link.

If it persists after checking those items, I’d re-torque the rest of the suspension components; upper ball joint, tie rod, coilover uppers & lowers, CV nut.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

My first thought is ball joint. Going off nothing but the sound and appears to it happen when you change directions with the tires.

Get that corner off the ground (lift, jack whatever) pull the wheel off and check all the bolts, ensure they are still torqued to spec. Check that your cv on both sides "feels the same" shake it, try and slide it etc, look at the ball joints and see if they can be greased, or just don't look/feel right.

Second thought, does it occur constantly while driving or just when you change direction of travel? (turning, starting or stopping etc)

If constantly ie going down a flat level surface and it clunks repeatedly while going straight I would change my anwser from ball joint. ?

 

[Wirflesnurfle]

Re-check the torque on your lug nuts. Others on the forum have reported similar symptoms and found it to be as simple as loose lug nuts. It might also be a popped or loose anti-sway bar link.

If it persists after checking those items, I’d re-torque the rest of the suspension components; upper ball joint, tie rod, coilover uppers & lowers, CV nut.

Ok, thank you. I'll have to try these suggestions on saturday to see if it fixes it. Thanks again!

 

[Wirflesnurfle]

My first thought is ball joint. Going off nothing but the sound and appears to it happen when you change directions with the tires.

Get that corner off the ground (lift, jack whatever) pull the wheel off and check all the bolts, ensure they are still torqued to spec. Check that your cv on both sides "feels the same" shake it, try and slide it etc, look at the ball joints and see if they can be greased, or just don't look/feel right.

Second thought, does it occur constantly while driving or just when you change direction of travel? (turning, starting or stopping etc)

If constantly ie going down a flat level surface and it clunks repeatedly while going straight I would change my anwser from ball joint. ?

I can only hear this noise occuring when at a stop or at speeds around 5mph or less. I have had it inspected by 4wheelparts and my local ford dealership. Ford replaced the lower control arms and retorqued everything but the noise is still there. 4wp looked at it again yesterday and also confirmed that everything was torqued properly. 4wp said the noise was "just the bushings" and to disregard it, but I still feel like something isn't right

 

[Jhbryaniv]

I can only hear this noise occuring when at a stop or at speeds around 5mph or less. I have had it inspected by 4wheelparts and my local ford dealership. Ford replaced the lower control arms and retorqued everything but the noise is still there. 4wp looked at it again yesterday and also confirmed that everything was torqued properly. 4wp said the noise was "just the bushings" and to disregard it, but I still feel like something isn't right.

Ok, that makes sense.

It could be the bushings binding or something similar.

Take the tire off, loosen all the bolts a little bit, just enough to release anything that is bound but not enough that the bolts fall out, put the tire back on and set the truck back on the ground. Roll back and forth a few feet to settle the suspension and without putting truck in the air retighten all the bolts you loosened to spec...

I can't find the video right now that I watch a video where he talked about how the bushings can get bound up while the suspension is not under load and when they are put under load they won't spin or twist to release themselves...

Squeaking I could dismiss as not to worry about. This isn't a squeak....?

 

[Wirflesnurfle]

Ok, that makes sense.

It could be the bushings binding or something similar.

Take the tire off, loosen all the bolts a little bit, just enough to release anything that is bound but not enough that the bolts fall out, put the tire back on and set the truck back on the ground. Roll back and forth a few feet to settle the suspension and without putting truck in the air retighten all the bolts you loosened to spec...

I can't find the video right now that I watch a video where he talked about how the bushings can get bound up while the suspension is not under load and when they are put under load they won't spin or twist to release themselves...

Squeaking I could dismiss as not to worry about. This isn't a squeak....?

No kidding lol. Alright, I'll try this aswell on saturday and see if it can hopefully get rid of the noise. If you find that video please post it, that'd be awesome. Thank you!

 

[Jhbryaniv]

No kidding lol. Alright, I'll try this aswell on saturday and see if it can hopefully get rid of the noise. If you find that video please post it, that'd be awesome. Thank you!

I hope it helps/fixes the issue. If not you're out some time and that's it.

How long has the ome suspension been on the truck?

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Ok, thank you. I'll have to try these suggestions on saturday to see if it fixes it. Thanks again!

Oh, don’t forget to check where the anti-sway bar is connected underneath the truck - they could easily have been overlooked when things were put back together.

 

[Wirflesnurfle]

I hope it helps/fixes the issue. If not you're out some time and that's it.

How long has the ome suspension been on the truck?

OME suspension was installed in August 2023. Truck has been driven 3k miles since then. No offroad use before or after install. Total mileage on truck is 29.5k

 

[Dshaw19]

Hey everyone. I have a 2020 4WD STX ranger. Running 33s and have the old man emu front heavy suspension kit installed. Recently I started noticing an odd noise that sounds like its coming from the front drivers side under the vehicle. I attached a video, any information regarding this would be great!

Any update on the diagnosis of this? I have a 2021 STX doing the same thing.

 

[Wirflesnurfle]

Yes! I realized that when my oil was changed the technician did not tighten my ARB UVP kit back to spec. This caused the middle part of my skid plate to be extremely loose. After tightening it to spec the noise is completely gone.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Yes! I realized that when my oil was changed the technician did not tighten my ARB UVP kit back to spec. This caused the middle part of my skid plate to be extremely loose. After tightening it to spec the noise is completely gone.

I’m glad you figured this out and man, I’m tired of hearing stories of how “technicians” mess up vehicles for a simple oil change - one took a sawzall to the belly pan of my Passat to make a hole to drain the oil instead of removing it.

Others remove fender liner push pins in Rangers and never replace them. Some have put on the wrong filter, stripped drain plug threads, etc. ?

 

[YaBoiNewton]

one took a sawzall to the belly pan of my Passat to make a hole to drain the oil instead of removing it.

FULL STOP
WTF kind of dump did you take your car to for this kind of service?

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

FULL STOP
WTF kind of dump did you take your car to for this kind of service?

I know, right? It was a local, trusted chain of auto service shops - like Firestone. Can’t trust anyone, I guess.

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