paulsaw Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Note: I posted this on jeepforum and am adding it here for good measure. Hope it might help someone. Paul S. Hi, new member here... this will be my 1st ComancheClub post. I have a 20+ year old jeep comanche pickup truck that has reached the point where lots of the rubber is rotting away (bushings etc). I currently am experiencing a clunking noise coming from the front end. It sounds like a deep thud... not exactly metal-on-metal but close. It happens over small bumps at slow speed. The front end feels loose. I just replaced my front 4x4 u-joints (with the harbor freight tool) so thats not it. Shocks / springs are good. Steering gears and tie rod ends appear ok. Front sway bar main bushings are good but the sway bar link bushings appear rotted. I purchased a pair of sway bar links w/bushings on ebay motors for $25 (+$10 s&h) and they should be here in a few days. Will report back with the results after I install them. ************************************************** Installed the new sway bar links yesterday. Managed to take a few photos. It was an easy job and fixed the clunking noise. Got a good look at the lower control arm bushings while under the truck (they should probably be next on my fix-it list). pic1 - link before replacement... pic2 - new link... pic3 - lower 18mm nut / bolt has a star driver head on one side - I didn't have any star drivers so I used channel lock pliers after applying WD40 and some heat with a propane torch... these old crusty bolts came out fairly easily. The top nut is 15mm... pic 4 - old link removed (note rotted rubber bushing)... pic 5 - new link installation on drivers side (used the comanche jack and some cinder blocks to move the sway bar up a little so the lower bolt would slide in easily)... Paul S. http://oklounge.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 how much was that sway bar link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepcoMJ Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 i would have said ujoints. ball joints is next on the list. then tierod ends and control arm bushings. mine clunks right now because of bad ujoints. they're stiff and won't accept grease...time to fix that :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I'd go with control arm bushings before I went with ujoints/ball joints. I toasted one of my upper bushings in MO, that thing makes a wicked clunk clunk when I hit a bump. You can feel it in the floorboards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulsaw Posted April 30, 2007 Author Share Posted April 30, 2007 I read somewhere that the upper control arm bushings are a difficult job because you have to press out the bushings, but the lower control arms just drop in. Need to tighten things up in the front end before I go for an alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 uppers can be done with a stout c clamp, plenty of lube and some determination. Just freeze the bushings overnight and with some persuasion they'll go in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepcoMJ Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 hmm...i can feel the bumps in the floorboards with a "creak/pop" noise. UCA bushings? i'm thinking so...perhaps I will just replace them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 that's what min does. it's an ugly double pop that I can feel in my feet. I know it's my UCA bushing, cause I can see it moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twisty Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I have a clunk, and I believe that its just the tracbar that has come slightly loose on the frame mount. You could try to tighten that before spending money...because its free. :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroader461 Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 i had that same clunk and found that my axle side track bar bolt was loose and it was moving around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egghead Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 I've got a clunky noise coming from my Manche. I checked every single bushing out, couldnt find anything. Turns out my driveshaft has a lot of play in it. Oh and not to mention a small clunk from the trac bar. Egg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duner Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Check the track bar bushings, my skycracker adjustable is already giving up the bushing on the axle side. I had to remove it this weekend to modify the mounting bracket (cut off tab and weld to the axle bracket, thanks dad) so I could use the JKS adjustable swaybar links and the bushing edges were crumbling already. After you check the the bar check the upper control arm axle bushings this should eliminate the clunking with a proper alignment but remember all of the rubber bushings are suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Hmm, I have a clunking as well. Going over a series of bumps it might sound like "cah-cah-doo, cah-cah-cada-cooh." I've got a new track bar, new u-joints, new ball joints, new TREs, new LCAs, and I don't run a sway bar. Maybe I'll check the UCAs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 I diagnosed mine pretty easily. I left it in 2 wheel, then grabbed the lugs of the TSL and tried turning the tire. I could see movement in the frame side of the UCA, and the axle twisted about 1/4". Probably explains my loss of steering wheel center feel ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulsaw Posted May 2, 2007 Author Share Posted May 2, 2007 I did notice that the drivers side lower control arm is bent... it looks like somebody (past owner) bottomed out on a boulder and put a slight bend in the LCA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 that might do it. Here's a basic run down of the front suspension system in a modern 5 link jeep. The Lower and upper control arms locate the axle in the wheelwell. This is mostly accomplished by the lowers, with the uppers controlling the caster and the axlewrap. The trackbar centers the axle under the truck. You don't have rack and pinion steering, just a good old fashoined steering box and draglink. The draglink mounts to the pitman arm on the steering box on the frame end, and to the tie rod on the axle side. The factory Jeep steering is what we call an inverted Y, because the drivers side knuckle is connected to the draglink, and the draglink connects to the passenger side knuckle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulsaw Posted May 2, 2007 Author Share Posted May 2, 2007 how much was that sway bar link? $25 plus $10 shipping for the pair (via ebay motors). Partsamerica has them too but they sell each bushing separately. Their parts have been questionable lately too... nothing serious just little stuff: one of the u-joints was missing it's grease fitting, calipers had different size bleeder nuts that made me think I was going insane when I tried to bleed the brakes. As I mentioned my drivers side LCA is slightly bent. Found new lower control arms w/bushings for $60 + $20 s&h. Does that sound reasonable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 seems like if you are going to replace all this stuff you should look around forums and get your self some "upgrade" components and do yourself a homebrew lift. I would look for LCA bushings if I were just going to replace the LCA's cheaper and unless your current LCA's are bent then you shouldnt need to replace them. That said I don't think 80 is too bad for some new LCA's. But I can only compair it to the 250 it costs for adjustable LCA's needed for lifts over 3 or so inches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 As I mentioned my drivers side LCA is slightly bent. Found new lower control arms w/bushings for $60 + $20 s&h. Does that sound reasonable? nope. you can get crown auto ones for about $20 a piece. 1984-98 FRONT LOWER ARM (INCLUDES BUSHING) 52001162 $21.95 from here: http://www.thejeep.com/onlinecatalog/p122.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulsaw Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 seems like if you are going to replace all this stuff you should look around forums and get your self some "upgrade" components and do yourself a homebrew lift. ... I'd be lying if I said the urge to lift has not hit me ... but it goes away fast. you can get crown auto ones for about $20 a piece. 1984-98 FRONT LOWER ARM (INCLUDES BUSHING) 52001162 $21.95 from here: http://www.thejeep.com/onlinecatalog/p122.htm ... Thanks for the link. I'm going to buy a pair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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