2500 ram clunk noise

Clubbs

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Location
Blounts Creek
My trusty 2018 2500 Cummins has developed a clunk. Not a tap or a click but a "hitting the frame with a hammer" clunk. Usually happens when turning left, but has become more frequent. Sometimes it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger and other times it's in the back maybe. Loud, and can feel something shift but not in the steering wheel.

Replaced ball joints and no change. Checked bolts on links and trans cross member shocks and body mounts.

Thought it should be track bar but Im not seeing any play.

Any ideas???
 
When you figure it out....

My 2019 F250 does about the same. Front left. Sounds like a missing bushing in a shock mount, sway bar, something like that. Heavy meta clunk. But everything looks good.

I've given up looking. Had a couple of shops look at it too. Figure one day it'll get worse and I'll be able to see something. Or crash into a busload of puppies.
 
Clubbs said:
My trusty 2018 2500 Cummins has developed a clunk. Not a tap or a click but a "hitting the frame with a hammer" clunk. Usually happens when turning left, but has become more frequent. Sometimes it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger and other times it's in the back maybe. Loud, and can feel something shift but not in the steering wheel.

Replaced ball joints and no change. Checked bolts on links and trans cross member shocks and body mounts.

Thought it should be track bar but Im not seeing any play.

Any ideas???
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I broke a motor mount in my 07, had similar symptoms.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
I broke a motor mount in my 07, had similar symptoms.
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This clunk only seems to happen when im braking and or turning. Doesn't happen or at least I can't hear or feel it when I'm in the go pedal so I don't think it's drivetrain related
 
Maybe. Haven't thought about that yet. I'll pull wheels and check
 
Mine ended up being the trac bar. Slowly got worse. I’d have someone rock the steering while you look. Don’t want the holes to get work on axle. That being said both my motor mounts are trash too lol
 
Noel said:
Mine ended up being the trac bar. Slowly got worse. I’d have someone rock the steering while you look. Don’t want the holes to get work on axle. That being said both my motor mounts are trash too lol
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I'm thinking this is the culprit and had my son rock the steering. Didn't see it move with just him steering on pavement. But I also hear the clunk with stopping quickly in a straight line, I guess the track bar loads up in that situation too as the suspension compresses.

Thuren or Carli level kit may be in the future
 
If the frame side has a bushing, that's probably it. They won't move much. They'll make a bunch of noises though.
 
Link bushings
 
shawn said:
Link bushings
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You know that's what I thought at first. Never heard of these going bad and when I search for radius arm bushings the googles aren't flooded with solutions. Have you replaced yours? Are these dealer only parts? Permanently installed in the radius arms maybe?
 
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Also check your unit bearings, the Cummins is so heavy that they do not live long on these trucks. I had a four year old Chevy 2500 start popping and clacking over potholes and one if the unit bearings was the culprit.
 
Bolt checked it all again, still nothing evident. Sort of hoping it's the trackbar but not certain the pop always correlates to when the trackbar should be seeing any load...

I did just replace the passenger bearing at around 210k miles. Replaced with an AutoZone part so maybe that thing is coming apart. Drivers side is still original, but the clank is definitely coming from the passenger side.

I think the rear tick tack maybe a driveshaft joint going out.

230k miles it might just start needing some maintenance.
 
I've tightened everything, pulled and banged on stuff, and no indication other than it seems to be related to front axle turning and articulating... Had to be the track bar right.

Ordered a set of Thuren springs, track bar, and Bilsteins tonight. Hopefully this will be the solution
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Looks like replacement radius arm bushings arent that expensive, but pressing them out of the axle might be a challenge.
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Yup, I've got a press, but even then might destroy the arms. If the noise is still there after the trackbar replacement I'll look it arm bushings next. But since it almost always happens when turning I think it's the trackbar doing its best to keep the axle under the truck
 
Clubbs said:
Yup, I've got a press, but even then might destroy the arms. If the noise is still there after the trackbar replacement I'll look it arm bushings next. But since it almost always happens when turning I think it's the trackbar doing its best to keep the axle under the truck
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Based on looking at aftermarket arms for them, it looks like the bushing is in the axle, like the SD axles
 
Thuren parts are in, clunks are still there. While wobbling the axle around with no springs or track bar I could hear the frame side arm bushings making the noise. It sounds like the bushing barely moving and there's enormous friction between the frame ears that cap the bushing and the steel sleeve in the middle of the bushing.

This all started when I rebuilt the trans and had to loosen these bolts to get clearance on dropping the trans cross member. I hammered them with the impact when I was done, maybe I overtightened them and squeezed the frame ears in too close.

Visually the rubber looks fine, I'll try loosening the bolts and greasing the metal to metal surfaces somehow
 
Clubbs said:
Thuren parts are in, clunks are still there. While wobbling the axle around with no springs or track bar I could hear the frame side arm bushings making the noise. It sounds like the bushing barely moving and there's enormous friction between the frame ears that cap the bushing and the steel sleeve in the middle of the bushing.

This all started when I rebuilt the trans and had to loosen these bolts to get clearance on dropping the trans cross member. I hammered them with the impact when I was done, maybe I overtightened them and squeezed the frame ears in too close.

Visually the rubber looks fine, I'll try loosening the bolts and greasing the metal to metal surfaces somehow
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And make sure you do the final tighten of the suspension bolts while it’s on it’s own weight otherwise your suspension will be in a constant bind causing noises and issues.
 
The only bolts were the track bar and shocks. I put the trackbar in while it was on its own weight, little sketchy with it perched on the wobble springs
 
Had new tires put on Friday and alignment done to Thuren specs. Seemed to make more clunking noises than usual. Thuren's specs said to torque the control arm bolt to 200 something (forgot so I set it at 250). Had to pull the wheels and bottom shock bolt out to get to them. Drivers side didn't seem to move at all. Passenger lower was pretty loose. Gave them all a couple clicks with the torque wrench and haven't had a clunk since. Hope this holds up.

35x12.5R18 Flakens ats clear just fine by the way.
 
Dave....

We NEED pics! Even though it looks like all the rest of them. That's not the point :D
 
Only pic I have
PXL_20240915_224252280.jpg
 
skyhighZJ said:
But how do you survive with a 6’3” bed!!! Omg that’s not even a real truck if it’s not a 8’bed!!!


Lmao… love it and the blue is one of my favorites.
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You ain't lying about the bed. Can't stand a shortbed and with the massive box (had it from me previous long bed). But the mega cab is the deal for family road trips. Have hopes or one day stretching the frame and making it a mega long bed. Probably never happen
 
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