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Clunking Sound Front End Steering

25K views 35 replies 24 participants last post by  dstock 
#1 ·
Just took my 2dr 09 Wrangler in to check out clunking sound when steering. Dealer replaced steering dampener but issue remains. Only starts to happen after driving over 10 minutes and mostly occurs when turning wheel only slightly. Suggestions or anyone else with similar problem. Vehicle came with stock 32inch tires and "upgraded suspension". Had 4dr 2008 but never had this issue.
 
#4 · (Edited)
^ not helpful at all..... but funny shit because its true!

Check the steering sector shaft bushing where it enters the firewall/dash. Bushing probably rode its way down the shaft and you'll have a bunch of play. Pound it back in, hose clamp it, never have to deal with it again.
That's a good thing to check. I wouldn't expect you to have worn out ball joints but get under it and tug on things to see if you have excessive play.
 
#3 ·
Check the steering sector shaft bushing where it enters the firewall/dash. Bushing probably rode its way down the shaft and you'll have a bunch of play. Pound it back in, hose clamp it, never have to deal with it again.
 
#5 ·
Have them check your Steering Box and Intermediate Steering Shaft. I had my IS-Shaft replaced earlier this year. No more clunks!

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

BB
 
#6 ·
I had the same problem with the clunk. After the vehicle got hot I could feel a tapping/clunk in the pedals and the steering wheel.

One band-aid fix you can do yourself for around $5(grease and clamps) is to:

Take the clamps off of the rubber boot on the steering sector shaft.

Then slide the boot down to expose the splines where you will find little to no factory grease.

Use a high tac / high temp grease, like Permatex (01020) 5th Wheel Grease and work that into the splines.

Slide the boot back up, and put the clamp on the lower end.

Fill the boot as full as you can with the grease ( I used a seasoning injector for cooking for this, I took apart the injector and filled it with the grease from the packet, then used it with the needle to inject as much grease as I could) and put the top clamp on.

After tightening both clamps, I squeezed the boot to work more grease into the splines.

After I did this I rarely notice the clunk if at all.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Before you go tearing into it yourself(as we all like to do) and void warranty... Mine was that the splines on the IS shaft were shredded from lack of factory grease. I had the dealer take a look and it was covered under the 3/36 warranty.

I've also had to have them shove the bushing back up into the firewall once.

I asked the dealer if I'd have removed the boot myself, would y'all have grumbled about honoring warranty? His reply was basically no, but Chrysler would have. Key to getting this fixed is evidently just to wait until it's really bad / destroyed, then take it in for the freebie. Unless yours replicates a lot easier than mine... Mine started out very intermittent and got very bad after a few years. And yes, I tried to have it fixed before it got that bad... but when the dealership mechanic is a 18yr old who thinks "Jeeps are supposed to ride rough and have rattles" it didn't work so well. :) He actually said that. And I switched mechanics/dealerships to a more helpful one with mechanics that know how a jeep should ride.
 
#10 ·
Could be your tie rod and drag link. Any time i go over a nice size bump i get a rattle or metal clanking sound from both the tie rod and drag link. Cant wait to replace them with the currie HD's.
 
#11 ·
Wow, I was just going thru search results for the clunk I feel in the frontend and actually the gas pedal and found this.

I feel Soooo much better seeing others have had the same issue, and I am not the picky crazy guy...lmao

Now I have to decide whether to just grease it w/ the needle adaptor or try to get the dealer to put a new Intermediate Shaft in it. I don't feel any play in it all when I reach down and pull on it.

I just bought this 2009 JK 2 Door from the dealer, so I am the second owner.
They had told me I am covered under the 3/36K warranty but the 5yr/100K was not transferable to the 2nd owner. My issue is that my mileage is closely appraoching the 36K (35,555).

Don't know if they will go for the replacement warranty shaft????

Any input as far as trying to deal with them vs just greasing under the boot??
Thanx :)


ALSO< BTW Here is a link to another write-up concerning this, just in case anyone else is reseaching this issue ;)
http://www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1682
 
#12 ·
Don't know if they will go for the replacement warranty shaft????

Any input as far as trying to deal with them vs just greasing under the boot??
Thanx :)
being close to the 3 yr/ 36000 miles, shouldn't be an issue.

They will likely want to do the cheapest and quickest solution possible. That would be the grease, but it's super easy....so if they (for whatever reason) decide that this wouldn't be warrantied, then imo- do it yourself. I doubt that they will opt to replace the intermediate shaft- jmo.

With most dealerships, i would personally rather do it myself than to trust them anyway.

In terms of dealing with them on the customer vs dealership level.....it normally pays to be firm but not arrogant. Emphasize things like the warranty, safety concerns, etc. Being civil with them can go a long way. Once a customer becomes rude, then they will want to wipe their hands entirely.

BTW- How do you know that this is what is indeed causing the clunk/ issue?

Have you looked on the engine bay side of the firewall to see if the bushing has come loose?
 
#13 ·
Thank You.

I did look over the underneath, as well as the bushing at the firewall.
Everything looks tight, clean, and shiny...lol

So maybe I should just get grease into the boot myself tomorrow, and avoid the dealer if that is all they are most likely going to do???

Like I said the shaft doesn't move when pulled on, so they might bitch about replacing it w/ no visible wear.........
 
#14 ·
They likely will have reservations about replacing the shaft. They will def want to try grease first. I simply don't trust most dealerships in the least....even the ones that are willing. Seems that so many times you take a vehicle in for service, and wind up with your Jeep covered in grease inside and out, the problem unresolved, or a new problem in it's place. Certainly not all of them- but many.

I would do it myself. Some HD black marine grade grease, and a needle fitting- done. If you find that the boot/ bushing/ shaft is not the issue, then please post up. Could be something else entirely. Good luck.
 
#15 ·
greased mine last week...all good!!
 
#16 ·
Funny thing is that my dealership told me that they've just started checking the splines on the IS right away now...and if they are destroyed, just replace it right off rather than just grease. Said they'd been getting a few of these lately

Definitely steers better after / not near as much play.
 
#18 · (Edited)
i know this thread is old, but i heard some clunking driving home today...but not necessarily turning, maybe more like fighting to keep the jeep straight in the crazy wind we had here today. could any turn of the wheel cause this? or is it usually a full on cornering maneuver?

thanks

almost forgot...i felt this thru the gas pedal more it seemed
 
#19 ·
Mine would do this whether turning or driving straight, it just depended on how rough the road was.
 
#23 ·
Anything about this look bad to y'all?




And is this second pic the boot y'all are talkin about putting grease in?

Vandy
@Vandy The everything looks ok in the first pic, the boot in the second pic is where you inject the grease into the splines.

I dont know nothing of mechanic..but this boot its the part that I need to remove to cover inside with grease?
Yes, but you don't have to remove it. Some people elect to break the factory clamps and slide the boot to make it easy. Others are having success with using a needle injector and just poking a small hole through the boot.
 
#25 ·
I had a clunk in the steering also. Took the steering shaft apart and inspected, but it looked perfect. Went ahead and added greese like others have done... but still had the clunk.

Then determined it was from the steering sector (steering box), so I made a slight adjustment to the bolt with the jamnut on the top of the sector by tightening it about 1/8-1/4 of a turn and you know what?

No more clunk!!!
 
#29 ·
I think mine is coming from my steering box as well would yours clunk when turning the wheel in either direction. Mine just recently started doing this and i havnt had time to check it out yet due to work. Unlike what everyone else is saying mine does it if its cold or hot doesn't change and only when I turn the wheel. Guess im gonna have to check my sector shaft tomorrow and see if thats the problem if not i will try adjusting like you did.
 
#26 ·
Mine was because I had loose bolts from the factory. Some of them were the sway bar connections, oil pan drain plug, etc. I'd check your undercarriage really good if I were you. Apparently, that recall that Jeep issued did NOT cover as many JKs as it should have.
 
#28 ·
Spoke too soon...got a couple clunks on the way home today and I have no fuckin clue what it is. It only happens when it's windy as shit and I'm having to tug my jk all around the road. Only hear the noise with a crazy headwind and can not find anything loose underneath...damnit


Vandy
 
#31 ·
Well i got under the jeep today and had the wife turn the wheel while i was checking everything. It turns out that one of my hard brake lines popped out of the clip and was hitting the joint every time i turned. Easy fix bent the line put back in the clip and no more clicking. Hope some of you will have just as easy of a fix.
 
#32 ·
At my first oil change when I got the 2010... used the needle injector and pumped that boot full of grease, check it every once in a while now to make sure it's still full of grease and refill if I need to.
 
#34 ·
My steering wheel/pedal clunk was the axle side track bar bolt.

The 14MM stock bolt(s) don't like their 9/16" holes. The stock bolts are all-thread (threaded the entire shank), over time they wallow out the bushings. Take your track bar out and examine the bushings. Chances are the inside of the bushings will appear threaded from the bolt wearing into them.

Replace all your chassis bolts (control arms, track bars, shocks) with Grade 8 - 9/16" hardware.

I finally figured it out when I rocked the Jeep back and forth with one hand on the track bar. There was a slight movement and noticeable clunk between the track bar and axle bracket.
 
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