Steering clunk - new noise

[EricB]

Hi all

So a couple weeks have gone by since the Nissan commercial shoot, and I hop in the Patrol to go drive it today.
We've been busy with a house move so PFP has just been waiting around patiently...

It starts right up - yay...
I pull out and immediately hear a steering clunk (not super loud, not horrible sounding, just "clunk"), I straighten the steering wheel and try the other direction and hear it again.
I drove down the block and back and I noticed the sound is 'symmetric' - happens at the same points when I turn left or right.

It happens once when i start a turn, then no unusual noise until I get to close to full lock, then it makes the sound again.
Straighten the steering wheel, and same two noises happen again when i turn the steering wheel the other way: once when i initiate the turn, and a second time when I get close to full lock.

The truck drives fine though.
There is no kick back in the steering wheel, no jerkiness in how the steering wheel turns...

I crawled underneath and I don't see anything obviously loose or visibly damaged...
I know this wasn't there before the shoot, so I want to track it down.

Any thoughts on where I should look next?

[RiverPatrol]

Can you feel it through the steering wheel when it clunks, or is it just a noise? Dose the noise sound like it's coming from the front steering/suspension or possibly higher up the steering column?

You replace the steering damper shock, maybe check that that is secure.

[Rolly]

Jack up the front end, secure it with axle stands (hopefully) get someone to turn the steering wheel and listen for the clunk?

[moore_rb]

I'm going to bet it's one of the two (or both) of the adjustable ball joints on the steering draglink

[Nicolanders]

Funny, we've had the exact same problem down here for a while. Except in our case the *clunk* is there when turning from left to right.

Some days, we don't hear it at all, but then it returns later on. It seems like lots of weight on the front - like going downhill through lots of turns - will get the sound there for sure.

We did listen to it back in Quito, and it seemed to be coming from the front-left suspension shackles - or thereabout. A mechanic tightened the nuts on the springs a bit, and the sound went away for a few hundred kilometers. But then returned.

[250g60]

Get someone to shake the steering , check the steering joints, a worn joint will go in and out (don't grease the joints until after you check it), if the adjustable joint has movement it may pay to pull it apart and inspect it as the cups, ball and spring do wear out, also check the rubber boot is intact. If the shackles are worn out you will see movement between the pin and bush(up & down), side to side movement in the shackle could mean missing or wrong spacers between shackle and spring or a broken spring eye.
Good luck

[EricB]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions !

Now if only there were more hours in the day ... At least the shortest day of the year is less than a week away ...
I'll report back as soon as I've had a chance to look it over again .

-e