Why does my car make a clunking noise under load or when turning?
A clunking noise and binding sensation during turns, acceleration, or shifting between drive and reverse usually point to worn-out suspension components like bushings or ball joints. This sudden clunk prevents a smooth transition of power from a dead stop and creates an unsettling experience while driving.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1putting the vehicle on stands to free spool the wheels
- 2changing transfer case fluid
- 3turning components by hand to check for play
- 4Checking lower control arm bushings
- 5Inspecting motor mounts
- 6Examining ball joints for wear
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“It’s making the noise everytime I make any turn under load, when I start accelerating and it’s now doing it when switching from drive to reverse.”source ↗
“I only notice it in turns or when starting to accelerate and the switching of reverse to drive. I don’t feel any wobbling outside of that it rides smooth after it does it’s clunking”source ↗
“It started to make a clunking noise whenever i go from a deadstop to start. It doesnt do it on turns or any other situation, just from stop to start”source ↗
“It doesnt clunk when coming to a stop, it clunks when going from a stop to a start. Like when i press the accelerator at a red light it clunks but doesn't do it any other time”source ↗
“All the bushings and ball joints are shot on this damn thing so imma take a look”source ↗
Where this came up
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