Author Topic: 1983 C10 suspension clunk  (Read 2213 times)

Offline bnoggle

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 41
  • Newbie
1983 C10 suspension clunk
« on: April 30, 2017, 05:31:45 PM »
When going over bumps, or turning at a sharp radius, I occasionally hear a loud clunking sound out of the front end of my truck. Over the past few weeks, I have also noticed a small shimmy coming from the front end of the truck. Today I passed my dad going down a fairly flat straight road, and he told me that it looks like the truck is leaning more than normal towards the driver's side when driving. Does anyone have any guesses of what this could be? The wheel bearings were checked, and re packed last spring, and nothing is visiably wrong with the steering rack.

Offline VileZambonie

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18980
Re: 1983 C10 suspension clunk
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2017, 06:30:49 PM »
You do not have a steering rack unless the front end is modified. You need to do a complete front end inspection.
,                           ___ 
                         /  _ _ _\_
              ⌠¯¯¯¯¯'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline bnoggle

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 41
  • Newbie
Re: 1983 C10 suspension clunk
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2017, 07:23:24 PM »
Sorry, I actually meant to say steering box not steering rack. As for a full front end inspection, I jacked it up but could not find any loose members in the suspension. Tie rods and sleeves appear to have been replaced, idler arm is tight, and all fittings are greased. The only other thing I can think of is that it is a problem with a ball joint.

Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: 1983 C10 suspension clunk
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2017, 01:07:56 PM »
did he say the front or rear was leaning more? ive heard of leaf springs (in the rear) breaking and this would cause a leaning and clunking sound
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline bd

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6438
Re: 1983 C10 suspension clunk
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2017, 01:52:12 PM »
...You need to do a complete front end inspection.

...which includes inspecting the frame and crossmembers for cracks.  When doing this, pay particular attention to the steering box-to-frame mounting - look closely for any rust tracks radiating outward from and around the steering box bolt holes on the inside face of the frame rail.  Look for powdery rust accumulated between the crosmember-to-frame attachment points at the forward crossmember and transmission support crossmember.  In addition to checking all of the steering joints and ball joints, inspect for offset of the inner shaft bushings relative to the inner shafts and make sure the shaft-to-frame bolts are not loose or missing alignment shims.
Rich
It's difficult to know just how much you don't know until you know it.
In other words... if people learn by making mistakes, by now I should know just about everything!!!
87 R10 Silverado Fleetside 355 MPFI 700R4 3.42 Locker (aka Rusty, aka Mater)