Skwerlb8 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Hey all...i'm driving a 93 Pathy..bought about a month ago...needed rear link kit done. After the repair was made i noticed the rear would clunk just after wieght transfer during braking. I get almost to a complete stop..the wieght moves back to its balance..and CLUNK. I've looked myself and had my mechanic under it..he claims its all tight and good to go. Any ideas what i could be looking for? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Last time my truck was doing that it was one of my frame crossmembers working its way loose. Those exact symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roost Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 If that doesn't fix your problems, try looking at you rear brakes. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonanza41 Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I have a 1994 Pathfinder and it just started doing exactly the same thing this week..also fuel tank started to leak...my frame is rusted through on the passenger side behind the wheel.I looked underneath and kicked around a bit but found nothing loose..but something is going on...let.s solve this one together. rb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I get something similar... when I take a tight turn and there's a bump or a dip in the road, there's this sickening CLUNK in the back... my mechanic says it's because the torsion bar mount is loose (or something like that) but it's nothing to really worry about as long as I don't go taking it off of any jumps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 i've always thought it was the sway bar links too but it may be the sway bar or one of the other links (x-memebr or panhard)... i am going to have to look harder myself as it's getting worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Mine only happens when making a sharp (read, 90* or more) RIGHT TURN that has a dip of more than two inches while making the turn. Any other time, no noise *shrug* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriskaw440 Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 not sure about how the 93 rear ends are set up but on the older ones, the bushings in the control arms (upper and lower) tend to blow out with age thus allowing the rear axle to move forward and backward when braking or accelerating or anything that puts a load on the axle. Mine was like that for over a year and drove me nuts (and is dangerous!) until a mechanic attempting to do a front end alignment said it cant be done until I replace the control arm bushings (at least the blown one(s)) so I did them myself and its been great ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skwerlb8 Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 not sure about how the 93 rear ends are set up but on the older ones, the bushings in the control arms (upper and lower) tend to blow out with age thus allowing the rear axle to move forward and backward when braking or accelerating or anything that puts a load on the axle. Mine was like that for over a year and drove me nuts (and is dangerous!) until a mechanic attempting to do a front end alignment said it cant be done until I replace the control arm bushings (at least the blown one(s)) so I did them myself and its been great ever since. As far as i know my bushings are in decent shape. the ones that needed replacing when i bought it..rear links..were done. i can rock the truck side to side and get it bouncing..but cant reproduce the noise..seems i have to be driving. Havent had the chance to pull off the rear tires and check the brakes yet. when its dry and not raining/snowing i'll get to it. I just dont get how the mechanic could miss something like this when i took it in for pre-purchae inspection. >shrug< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 not sure about how the 93 rear ends are set up but on the older ones, the bushings in the control arms (upper and lower) tend to blow out with age thus allowing the rear axle to move forward and backward when braking or accelerating or anything that puts a load on the axle. Mine was like that for over a year and drove me nuts (and is dangerous!) until a mechanic attempting to do a front end alignment said it cant be done until I replace the control arm bushings (at least the blown one(s)) so I did them myself and its been great ever since. hmmm. i bet that may be my issue.. seems like i feel movement and iirc one guy told me he thought my axle moved, but i am thinking he said side to side.. hmm.. thanks for that info.. i will have to look into it further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriskaw440 Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 they way my alignment guy showed me was, he had me stand back by the drivers side rear wheel while he hopped in and gave it some gas while one foot was on the brake and he said "watch that rear axle now..." and sure enough I could see that side just jerking back and forth while the vehicle remained still for the most part..... I said "yep thats pretty obvious!" the passenger side bushings still seemed good but I went ahead and replaced those ones also. Now the rear end is square and I dont miss that annoying klunking around one bit. Mine typically did it when just taking off from a dead stop....first gear and sometimes second....and I could feel the rear end wiggling around making the vehicle ride like it was drunk. If I kept pumping the gas back and forth I could make the pathy wobble down the road....looking quite silly of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tincan4X4 Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 they way my alignment guy showed me was, he had me stand back by the drivers side rear wheel while he hopped in and gave it some gas while one foot was on the brake and he said "watch that rear axle now..." and sure enough I could see that side just jerking back and forth while the vehicle remained still for the most part..... I said "yep thats pretty obvious!" the passenger side bushings still seemed good but I went ahead and replaced those ones also. Now the rear end is square and I dont miss that annoying klunking around one bit. Mine typically did it when just taking off from a dead stop....first gear and sometimes second....and I could feel the rear end wiggling around making the vehicle ride like it was drunk. If I kept pumping the gas back and forth I could make the pathy wobble down the road....looking quite silly of course I wonder if this is the cause of my transmission moving back and forth under acceleration/deceleration. I checked the motor mounts and trans mount and everything seemed peachy. Maybe my rear link bushings are bad. And I also get a nasty clunk from the rear once in a awhile as well. Maybe I found the cause of both problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriskaw440 Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 (edited) yeah its hard to actually SEE the bushing when its attached to the frame but all you have to do is take that bolt out that runs through the bushing and that end of the link will just fall loose from the frame. I think its the lower link bushings that tend to wear out before the upper ones too but thats just a thought. my upper control arms (links...whatever folks like to call them...) were still in ok shape so I just left them as is for now. Some will buy a whole new arm with the bushings already installed...I chose the cheaper but harder way....ordered new bushings from Rockautoparts.com and cut out the old ones from the arms, grinded out the holes of the arms just a bit to allow the new bushings to fit in good and snug and popped them back on the pathy and good to go. I chisled out the old rubber bushing and then used a sawz-all to cut the collars loose from the control arm. otherwise, good luck knocking them out some other way! My first bushing was a pain in the ass until I got that method I mentioned earlier nailed down, the other 3 bushings were cake work after that. (it was my first time doing such a job) I didnt even have to jack up the vehicle or remove any wheels to do the job....they sit high enough so you can just get under it. Once that dang klunking stuff was gone it was like driving a new vehicle! nothing more annoying in the world than mystery klunks on a vehicle. Before I knew what it was, I thought the differential was going bad on me. Edited November 28, 2007 by Chriskaw440 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skwerlb8 Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 well..fried my alt. and battery..had to put off lookin into the rear end for a bit. had one day of weather decent enough to do a re n re. Nevr dreamed parts could be THAT expensive! Also cleaned the MAF..some improvement there. Been snowin fer a day or 2 now..clunk or no..i need to get out and do some wheelin..Jones Lake..here i come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpawela Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Just my .02, i have an annoying clunk in the rear, also. It turns out that the exhaust pipe is hitting a part of the frame. I would get this clunk or thump every time I fired up the truck (exhaust moves) and when I hit bumps, but not pot holes interestingly enough. Not sure how to remedy this, but at least I know what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonanza41 Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Well all,,,,mine turned out to be a rust issue...As in ,, the rust ate my whole frame away above the passenger side rear wheel....anybody want some parts cheap...ouch...sad to see her go.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skwerlb8 Posted December 6, 2007 Author Share Posted December 6, 2007 Had the rear wheels off..brakes look OK..how do i go about checking the bushings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriskaw440 Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 (edited) Had the rear wheels off..brakes look OK..how do i go about checking the bushings? only one bolt holds the control arm (or link as its also called) to the axle and one on the other end to the frame. Just remove the bolt and that end will just drop down. If the rubber inside the end of the arm looks crushed or split in anyway....its shot, and will allow that end of the arm to slam back and forth on that bolt and sleeve it runs through. the upper two arms are a little harder to get to since they are way up over the axle so you have to reach way up there. I keep trying to UPLOAD a simple small JPG photo to show what mine looked like but this system wont let me for some reason....arrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edited December 7, 2007 by Chriskaw440 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roost Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 I was thinking that it may be the LSD slipping in and out. The clutches in the rear end may be sticking as well. Try replacing the rear axle oil. If you DO have a LSD, make sure you have the right fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89_trailboss Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 I had the rear end clunk in my most recent 94. it was the rear passanger sway bar link. joint was worn out so much that I could pull the link away from the sway bar. removal of the sway bar fixed that issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skwerlb8 Posted December 7, 2007 Author Share Posted December 7, 2007 i find the rear end is already kinda spongey and loose...replaced the shocks and did the link kit..helped a bit. Wouldn't removing the sway bar make it kinda..wobbly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 One other "clunk generator" on our trucks is when a U-joint on the driveline starts going bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denisb Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 i find the rear end is already kinda spongey and loose...replaced the shocks and did the link kit..helped a bit. Wouldn't removing the sway bar make it kinda..wobbly? I drove mine for 6 months without the sway bar and put it back on just because I was using it to and from work which is mostly highway. It was a little noticible, but not undrivable by any means. When one of my sway bar link mounts gave way I took it as a sign to remove the sway bar again and never put it back on before I sold the rig. Gave me way more flex too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 I'd be looking at diff slop or the drive shaft. It is easy to check. All you have to do is (while the car is parked) get under it and move the drive shaft. If it moves more than a couple of mm then one of the two will be the cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skwerlb8 Posted December 16, 2007 Author Share Posted December 16, 2007 uhg..well..i tried to check the bushings in it..couldn't even get a bolt to move. However..after reading the last post...i started putting the truck in neutral when comming to a stop..much to my surprise..no nasty clunking noise. Am i correct in thinking it's more likely to be a problem with diff? I can't move the driveshaft at all either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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