clunk or thud noise coming from the front at low speeds

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

maybe its more of a *THUNK* sound. usually happens at low speed when i first start up the truck, never really hear it much aside from then, nothing feels off. I am not sure if this is a common occurance or not.

i had my friend "mechanic mike" take a look my suspension, he said everything looked fine, aside from a slightly loose wheel bearing that we tightend up.
I also did a few google searches on this and didnt find much., i did a few thread searches. idk, maybe someone here is familiar with this front end noise scenario?

 

[scotts90ranger]

Look at the thread down a little bit labeled "death wobble", he found a compromised frame by the front suspension mounts... being in CA you probably don't have that problem but a possibility... a clunk would indicate a bushing or joint going out, could be any of the pivots on upper or lower A arm, either ball joint, you probably would have found a tie rod end but not sure if you looked at the sway bar bushings, they can make a racket... sometimes it is harder to find a loose joint with the vehicle off the ground, sometime it's easier... I would take a long screwdriver or similar size pry bar and pry at the A arm pivots by the frame...

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

my cheapo sway bar link bushings are already visibly deteriorating, so i suppose ill replace them again. thnx for the brainstorm.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Let's assume (knock on wood) you don't have a frame problem. Let's also assume you don't need to tighten your bearings.

Check attachments for the shocks, control arms, and springs. Make sure they're tight. You said your sway bar bushings are already suspect, but other parts could still be bad too.

Jack up the front end. Get both wheels off the ground at once. On each front wheel move it back and forth by grabbing the sides first. Pull one side as you push the other. If you feel a little bit of give as a "click" sensation before other steering parts move, suspect one or more tie rod ends are bad on that side. The bad one could be inner or outer, but suspect outer first as it usually gets more wear. If everything moves as though you were moving the steering wheel without any give at one wheel, your tie rod ends should be good.

Then move each wheel back and forth vertically by grabbing the top and bottom, again feeling for a "click". If you get one, suspect the ball joints on that side. If the click is more noticeable as you move the top of the wheel, suspect the upper joint is bad. If it's more noticeable as you move the bottom, suspect the lower joint. Both could be bad on that side. I ended up replacing them all on my Ranger after getting it.

If you still have a slightly loose bearing, you will feel a similar "click", so eliminate that possibility first.

Hope this helps.