troll3193

on a 4x4 it connects the frame to the axle to prevent side to side motion...

On a third gen it will be just forward of the axle... It's about 4-5ft long.

looks like this..

http://www.thurenfabrication.com/3rdgentrackbar.html

Bryan

mega-engr

The dealer told me the noise was in the steering box, so they replaced it... I decided to test it out over the spot it always makes the noise, which is going into a drive appron from a left turn (right turns = no noise). It was still there... Maybe they should tighten up every bolt there. Kind of hard to make them do because I took it back for a re-check and they said there was nothing wrong...

I did notice that after they replaced the steering box that they left the couple to the steering shaft loose. Looks like no way for it to really come off but it was able to be easily slid back and forth on the splines. I tighten the bolt pretty good and it doesn't move. Didn't affect the noise though...

I'll just have to live the with the noise for a bit and bring it back to them at some point to maybe replace the track bar... or tighten somthing up.

rjm022

i replaced my whole entire front end this past june-the only oem parts left up front are the steering box and the sway bar links. i have a nice clunk in my front end when i turn my wheel from a dead stop. it is loud and seems to be coming from the driver side wheel area-sometimes it feels like it is right under my feet! this monday, i will be investigating. everything i changed this past june was
dyna-trac hubs installed
new front brakes
new axle u-joints
new upper and lower ball joints
new tie rods
don thurens trac bar
dss steering brace
poly sway bar bushings
bilstein shocks
stabilizer shock
borgeson steering shaft
rotated tires two weeks ago- front end is tight and the power steering is working fine, this ought to be interesting!
i also contacted agr performance and psc motorsports-neither make an aftermarket steering box!

icrider

same issue for me. I've can't seem to figure it out and what kills me is when i have brought it somewhere someone looks under the truck and says 'oh, it's fine'....grrr.

the one idea i did get was a light motor oil on the sway control end links...haven't driven it since then as I am out of town but excited to get back and give it a whirl

CD in NM

I had the same clunk, right side, when turning tight over small bumps last year in the spring. I tightened/torqued the track bar, still had the clunk. I tightened/torqued the shocks lubricated the shock bushings, still had the clunk. I installed the Defiant Steering Stabalizer this past fall, still had the clunk, but at least the steering box now has something supporting it better and I did notice much better, responsive steering, straighter tracking. I lubricated the end link bushings, clunk gone, but only for a short period of time. Lubed it again, clunk gone. I have decided to replace the stock end links with the Carli end links.

CD

rjm022

my clunk is just from turning the wheel, when the truck is stopped or traveling under 3mph!. if i get in the truck in the morning and move the truck from a dead stop and turn the wheel-clunk!! if i rock the wheel back and forth-maybe four inches in either direction-clunk!! driving the truck-no clunk!

crackcorn

I had this problem and found the fix on this site. It ended up being my track bar. I would torque to specs but it would still come loose and pop only when wet and turning. Finally I took a long bar and tightened each end till I thought something would break. I have been noise free for three months. If my stock bar does this again I will just change to a thuren track bar.
Just my two bits on this subject.

rjm022

i do have the don thurens trac bar. i tightened the bolts with a breaker bar- i can not get them any tighter. will post my findings-hopefully monday night.

p0wd3rp1l0t

i have a clunk on the drivers side...and it does it traveling down teh road at like 25mph on a rougher road, but its feels like its right at my feet. and i cant hear it on the passenger side. i will check the sway bar once it warms up but it annoys me

rjm022

checked it out today- it is the steering box- i need a new one!!! i do not want to buy another oem one! the problem is- agr performance, psc motorsports,flaming river do not make an after market one for the 3rd gen trucks. i need to do some investigating!

Rednecktastic

I'd just get up under there and tighten everything down... If you really want to do it right tighten one bolt at a time (there aren't many) and drive it for a day.... So you can narrow it down.
FWIW I really cranked down on my trackbar bolts after my lift and had to retighten my shock bolts.

My 04 2wd had a thud in the frontend that the dealership couldn't get rid of I had to live with.... Nothing bad, just something that bothered me ya know.

icrider

I figured it out! It's the control arms...the bushing is totally shot in the lower control arm.

It only makes noise when your going slow and turning because it can shift around easily. However, when you're going fast and straight it doesn't seem to be an issue.

excited to be getting the issue solved and said the heck with it....4 new 1/2" longer control arms should be arriving soon.

for those of you who haven't figured it out yet jack your truck up and check it out...the bushings in the stock control arms are a weak link for sure.

Texan1983

i think mine is the steering box... when i got under there i just started grabbing stuff, sure enough the pitman arm has a very small amount of play it it. not much, but it does make a little noise, although is seems like it makes more noise in the cab than out side when i hit it. are these boxes ajustible at all? there looks like there is a nut on the top for ajustment, and i remember alot of older trucks haveing it. any ideas?