Clunk/Creak after driving

[shreddyloam]

Hello all! I recently had the Eibach protruck leveling kit installed, as well as Grimm offroad UCAs. After 3-4k miles, I developed what can only be described as a clunk or creak in my steering/start/stop. I can feel a slight clicking or clunking through the steering wheel and my feet. It is really only audible inside the cab. and only very slightly outside.

i have gone through and ensured that the struts, knuckle, tie rods, sway bar links are solid and snug. The sound/feeling only starts after driving for 5-15 minutes. Basically once everything has cycled a handful of times. I also had a pretty serious squeak when the suspension was cycling, but I shot some grease into the UCA bushings and that went away.

Any idea what I might be?

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[FKNRANGER]

Hello all! I recently had the Eibach protruck leveling kit installed, as well as Grimm offroad UCAs. After 3-4k miles, I developed what can only be described as a clunk or creak in my steering/start/stop. I can feel a slight clicking or clunking through the steering wheel and my feet. It is really only audible inside the cab. and only very slightly outside.

i have gone through and ensured that the struts, knuckle, tie rods, sway bar links are solid and snug. The sound/feeling only starts after driving for 5-15 minutes. Basically once everything has cycled a handful of times. I also had a pretty serious squeak when the suspension was cycling, but I shot some grease into the UCA bushings and that went away.

Any idea what I might be?

I have the same thing going on, its just on acceleration then it goes away. I have an appointment with dealership on Tuesday and will let you know what they find. I feel it in my steering wheel , I kept on searching these forum's and you seem to be the only person I can find with the same issue.

 

[Jason B]

How much lift did you get? Approaching 3" with spacers and UCA's puts the front axle shafts at a steeper angle and could cause problems with CV joints.

 

[Fitzmotor]

Not the only person, I also have a similar soft bump/clunk on accell, to me it feels like a motor mount nut has come loose a bit or something similar and my front end is all stock.

It took several hundred miles to start doing it, which tells me its something coming loose.

Has anybody been into their truck enough to notice how the nuts/bolts are not very tight, when I picked up a clunk after a few miles I traced it down to the leaf spring bolt loose, when I changed the rear springs I found the shock bolts, U bolts and spring bolts all lacking torque.

 

[FKNRANGER]

Not the only person, I also have a similar soft bump/clunk on accell, to me it feels like a motor mount nut has come loose a bit or something similar and my front end is all stock.

It took several hundred miles to start doing it, which tells me its something coming loose.

Has anybody been into their truck enough to notice how the nuts/bolts are not very tight, when I picked up a clunk after a few miles I traced it down to the leaf spring bolt loose, when I changed the rear springs I found the shock bolts, U bolts and spring bolts all lacking torque.

Definitely a soft clunk and feel it through steering wheel and feels like from front end.

 

[shreddyloam]

I have the same thing going on, its just on acceleration then it goes away. I have an appointment with dealership on Tuesday and will let you know what they find. I feel it in my steering wheel , I kept on searching these forum's and you seem to be the only person I can find with the same issue.

The leveling kit its 3". I reckon this might be stressing the CVs. Is this something that a Diff drop would fix. All in all wishing that I went with the Fox 2.0...

 

[shreddyloam]

Not the only person, I also have a similar soft bump/clunk on accell, to me it feels like a motor mount nut has come loose a bit or something similar and my front end is all stock.

It took several hundred miles to start doing it, which tells me its something coming loose.

Has anybody been into their truck enough to notice how the nuts/bolts are not very tight, when I picked up a clunk after a few miles I traced it down to the leaf spring bolt loose, when I changed the rear springs I found the shock bolts, U bolts and spring bolts all lacking torque.

I haven't taken my truck offroad much, but I noticed my driver side leaf spring has come out of alignment. Seems that there are a handful of loose bolts on these things.

 

[GhostTremor]

Anyone figure this out? I'm having the same issue, only on acceleration from a stop can feel a soft clunk in the steering wheel. Stock tremor.

 

[JasonTremor]

Stock 2021 Tremor here as well. Have that occasional clunk feel in steering while leaving a stop light. Also did some light trails today and it was audible to passenger and felt same in steering wheel feedback. Going to slide under there tomorrow and check bolt tightness everywhere I can access.

 

[GhostTremor]

Stock 2021 Tremor here as well. Have that occasional clunk feel in steering while leaving a stop light. Also did some light trails today and it was audible to passenger and felt same in steering wheel feedback. Going to slide under there tomorrow and check bolt tightness everywhere I can access.

Keep us updated

 

[JasonTremor]

I just finished going over all the nuts and bolts in the front suspension and didn't find any loose. I then thought about the GM trucks I've had in the past that had a clunk that originated from the two piece collapsible steering shaft between the firewall and the steering rack. Sure enough, when I pulled back the splash shield for the oil filter and wiggled the steering shaft, I was able to recreate the clunk. It acts like a tuning fork and is amplified inside the truck cab.

There is likely enough flex in the cab mounts and possibly the frame that when accelerating from a stop or offroading it would cause that telescopic steering shaft to move and make the noise. It doesn't take much movement and there is very little movement there.

Until another explanation is available, I'm comfortable the collapsible steering shaft is the source of the noise.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hello all! I recently had the Eibach protruck leveling kit installed, as well as Grimm offroad UCAs. After 3-4k miles, I developed what can only be described as a clunk or creak in my steering/start/stop. I can feel a slight clicking or clunking through the steering wheel and my feet. It is really only audible inside the cab. and only very slightly outside.

i have gone through and ensured that the struts, knuckle, tie rods, sway bar links are solid and snug. The sound/feeling only starts after driving for 5-15 minutes. Basically once everything has cycled a handful of times. I also had a pretty serious squeak when the suspension was cycling, but I shot some grease into the UCA bushings and that went away.

Any idea what I might be?

Hmmmm,

I clunk and creak every time I get out of my Ranger....

best,
Phil

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I just finished going over all the nuts and bolts in the front suspension and didn't find any loose. I then thought about the GM trucks I've had in the past that had a clunk that originated from the two piece collapsible steering shaft between the firewall and the steering rack. Sure enough, when I pulled back the splash shield for the oil filter and wiggled the steering shaft, I was able to recreate the clunk. It acts like a tuning fork and is amplified inside the truck cab.

There is likely enough flex in the cab mounts and possibly the frame that when accelerating from a stop or offroading it would cause that telescopic steering shaft to move and make the noise. It doesn't take much movement and there is very little movement there.

Until another explanation is available, I'm comfortable the collapsible steering shaft is the source of the noise.

Hi Jason,

This is something that should have been found in development of the truck and fixed. I think attention of the dealer is in order and open up a formal complaint with Ford Customer Care...

best,
Phil

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Stock 2021 Tremor here as well. Have that occasional clunk feel in steering while leaving a stop light. Also did some light trails today and it was audible to passenger and felt same in steering wheel feedback. Going to slide under there tomorrow and check bolt tightness everywhere I can access.

Anecdotal, but I went through a similar process with my Brother's Jeep. A consistent clunk could be felt through the steering wheel upon acceleration from every stop. We wasted a ton of time bouncing on the bumpers, shaking control arms, staring at bushings, until we finally had enough sense to feel out the ball joints. They were completely shot. A week later we had some new ball joints installed and the clunk is gone.

Rides pretty quietly now, but only if you ignore all the other groans of pain coming from that poor machine. It was his first car at 16. He really took the "trail-rated" badge to heart.

 

[JasonTremor]

Hi Jason,

This is something that should have been found in development of the truck and fixed. I think attention of the dealer is in order and open up a formal complaint with Ford Customer Care...

best,
Phil

Hi Phil,
Your approach is sound, but the dealer service network in my area isn't the best. If it gets worse, I will take that path, but that telescopic shaft looks almost identical to the steering shaft in the 2000 and 2017 GMC Sierra's I had. Likely the same supplier. Both made the same noise when putting some flex into the chassis. All GM would do is remove it, fill it full of a moly based grease and slide it back together and reinstall. The grease acted as a shock absorber and sound deadener. Had to re-grease about every 20k miles. Eventually I just turned up the radio so I could no longer hear it.
Thanks,
Jason

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