Getting a drive train clunk when turning.

[mudnut]

G'day, all.
Recently when I do a right turn at an intersection (sealed road in 2H), there seams to be some slackness in the drive train which gets taken up as I accelerate. It doesn't do it when making a left turn. Any ideas where to start looking for the cause? The engine and gear box mounts are ok.

[mudski]

You sure its in the drive train? Not just the springs shifting. If the rubber sests are worn or gone you will get clunks when turning.

[BigRAWesty]

Check the radius arm bolts. This is what mine did.
Check them asap as its easier to tighten them have to weld on washers

[Punderhead]

Yep, check all your bushes. And if one is stuffed, replace all in that category as the rest probably aren't too far begind.

(Yes i made that mistake myself)

[mudnut]

It feels as if there is a tiny lack of power then a quick boot from behind.

[Figjam]

Mine sometimes feels like that from a bit of play in the seat slider

[mudnut]

I dealt with all the seat slides within a month of getting the vehicle.

[liftlid]

Put handbrake on and get somebody to rock car back and forth, if you see rear trailing arms move around bushes stuffed. I also get similar when coasting downhill with cruise control on, car sort of hunts a bit trying to keep constant speed.

[mudnut]

All arm bolts have been checked tight, all the bushes look ok when levered with a crow bar. I will get someone to rock the car and have a look.

The rear diff oil is due to be changed out. Could that cause the diff to grab?

[liftlid]

All arm bolts have been checked tight, all the bushes look ok when levered with a crow bar. I will get someone to rock the car and have a look. The rear diff oil is due to be changed out. Could that cause the diff to grab?
Anything grabbing inside a diff is usually fairly violent.

[liftlid]

I've also had clunks when turning from worn body bushes( felt that under my feet) , loose nuts on aftermarket sway bar links ( chassis bracket) and those flexy coils with the thinner top coils ( coils bind and unbind and eventually snap)
Few more things to check

[Rossco]

Yeah the good old GQ body mounts have a habit of collapsing after a while. My middle ones are on the way out now.
What about backlash? Give the tail shaft a twist back and forth see how much movement there is (in neutral no handbrake). . .

[Winnie]

I've also had clunks when turning from worn body bushes( felt that under my feet) , loose nuts on aftermarket sway bar links ( chassis bracket) and those flexy coils with the thinner top coils ( coils bind and unbind and eventually snap)
Few more things to check

Yep mine are a bit knackered too, got a few clunks coming from the front passengers footwell, only on wet roads.
Body mounts are bloody expensive though!

[mudnut]

There is 1 1/2 to 2mm of backlash at the diff when I twisted the tail shaft.

[Rossco]

There is 1 1/2 to 2mm of backlash at the diff when I twisted the tail shaft.

Hmmm, doesn't sound too bad although I'm no means an expert. . .

Yeah body mounts are bloody expensive, it's a fair job as well putting them in.

[Winnie]

Hmmm, doesn't sound too bad although I'm no means an expert. . .

Yeah body mounts are bloody expensive, it's a fair job as well putting them in.

Is it any harder than installing or removing a body lift? I wish I had done mine when I took out the body lift.

[Sir Roofy]

yep mine are a bit knackered too, got a few clunks coming from the front passengers footwell, only on wet roads.
Body mounts are bloody expensive though!

re think that winnie d/c 4 didnt help thow that would have made a couple more clunks

[Winnie]

re think that winnie d/c 4 didnt help thow that would have made a couple more clunks

I've only driven the car once since that weekend, lol it did it before then too.

[Sir Roofy]

i've only driven the car once since that weekend, lol it did it before then too.

all i got was a massive clunk lol

[Winnie]

Yeah and a bit harder to repair than body mounts!

[Rossco]

Yeah and a bit harder to repair than body mounts!

Ooh yes. . . A bit more expensive too i would say.

Yeah pretty much the same as putting in or pulling out body lift. Need to take all bolts out and Jack the body up a little. Not real hard just a bit of a pain.

[Winnie]

Ooh yes. . . A bit more expensive too i would say.

Yeah pretty much the same as putting in or pulling out body lift. Need to take all bolts out and Jack the body up a little. Not real hard just a bit of a pain.

Only took me and a mate about 2 hours to take my body lift out so it's probably a job I should do sooner rather than later....... nah it can wait

[mudnut]

If your gunna do the body mounts, undo the top radiator mounting screws, so you don't flex the radiator when jacking up the front of the body.

[mudnut]

I think it is the diff because I did

a tight U turn and it felt fine

until one of the tyres squealed

a little bit

as the clunk happened.

[Sharky1]

G'day, all.
Recently when I do a right turn at an intersection (sealed road in 2H), there seams to be some slackness in the drive train which gets taken up as I accelerate. It doesn't do it when making a left turn. Any ideas where to start looking for the cause? The engine and gear box mounts are ok.

It sounds like you have 2 separate issues. 1stly, your rear diff is worn & has too much backlash, which is why the "slackness" gets taken up when you accellerate. 2ndly the clunk is most likely your panhard rod- either the bushes or where it mounts onto the chassis. Check that the bolt eyelet on the chassis is round & not egg shaped & torque the CRUD outa that bolt. I mean SWING off it!!! Also check your radius arm bushes. They'll cause this as will worn tie rod ends.

[mudnut]

I jacked the rear axle up,

undid the tail shaft from

the flange, fitted the

flange tool I made last

year and used a long piece

of pipe on a breaker bar to

torque the nut up about an

eighth of a turn. I also used

a tyre lever to recheck all of

the rear bushes. I also pulled

the top panhard bolt out and

checked the bolt holes. After

re-torquing the nut super

tight I took the Old Trol

for a test run to a court and

did a few figure eights.

There is a definite

improvement. Some

of the bushes are getting

long in the tooth and will

be replaced when cash is

available.

[mudnut]

With the help of a
mate, who owns a
hoist, I torqued the
flange nut another
eighth of a turn.
The diff now has a
slight breakaway
torque, which is what
the manual recommends.
The test drive was
smoother too.

[mudnut]

I found that the lefthand side engine mount had also let go. The clunk has almost completely disappeared since renewing the mount. The diff probably needs to be checked properly. When finances permit, I would like to get the diff shimmed a bit tighter.

[threedogs]

@ MN I have laser cut washers if the body mounts are out of round, [weld on]
panhard mount on the chassis
Have all the "Clunk" jokes been done???

[Clunk]

I found that the lefthand side engine mount had also let go. The clunk has almost completely disappeared since renewing the mount. The diff probably needs to be checked properly. When finances permit, I would like to get the diff shimmed a bit tighter.
Dont worry fella, I haven't completely disappeared..... I'll always come back to haunt you when you least expect it [emoji14]

@ MN I have laser cut washers if the body mounts are out of round, [weld on]
panhard mount on the chassis
Have all the "Clunk" jokes been done???
Not at all mate, I'm sure there's plenty more to be had

[mudnut]

@ MN I have laser cut washers if the body mounts are out of round, [weld on]
panhard mount on the chassis
Have all the "Clunk" jokes been done???

That is an excellent idea, TD, but the holes are ok.