clunk on drivers side on fast take off with rubi suspension on sport

[entropy]

Well, I could now pick your wife out of a lineup if i heard her say "ok".

I read through the thread. Did all control arms ever get loosened and retightened, on the ground, at their new higher neutral point? That should be done simply for bushing longevity. If you're able to twist a drag link and/ or tie rod and it doesn't have some resistance, it's getting a bit tired. If it's making a clunk, it's quite tired and probably your culprit. Have you checked each joint while someone was moving the steering wheel back and forth? Not a big movement, but just enough to get the tires to shift.

What I am trying to see at the joints?

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[Headbarcode]

What I am trying to see at the joints?

Any kind of movement between the housing of the joint and what it's attached to. Both knuckles and the Pittman arm. Sometimes the movement can be too small to see, but can be felt by bridging the gap, between the ball joint housing and what it's attached to, with the pad of your thumb. Again, have the person behind the steering wheel only oscillate enough to get the tires to move.

The linkages in the steering and suspension are supposed to maintain a fixed distance between 2 points. Any wear in a ball joint will allow that distance to fluctuate. That fluctuation will clunk.

 

[JLman1959]

update.

jeep drives and accelerate well in all conditions including bumpy road, flex, high speeds. I checked the torque on shocks, LCAs and front trackbar. all good. I lifted the front and rocked the wheel, nothing.

It is very obvious when it happens from full stop to harsh acceleration, drivers front picks up feels as if the front goes forward, wheel stays behind, then "clunk" and drives normal.

I am gonna take it to a mechanic and ask him to loose the LCAs and retorque. I recently replaced those, so I think that could be the source of the issue.

My wifes jeep has same issue,been to dealer many times and still not fixed and is your and what fixed it.

 

[entropy]

edit: it is the shocks!. I took the driver shock off and tested it. I couldnt hear the clunk but felt funny, probably because there was so much lift up front. Then I switch shocks. As soon as I put the shocks back, clunk came back.

 

[Jeep It]

edit: it is the shocks!. I took the driver shock off and tested it. I couldnt hear the clunk but felt funny, probably because there was so much lift up front. Then I switch shocks. As soon as I put the shocks back, clunk came back.

Glad you got it figured out, what’s your plan now?

 

[entropy]

Glad you got it figured out, what’s your plan now?

Ill just keep driving it as is and avoid hard takeoff, I have to floor it for the clunk to occur. I am saving up for a winch and metal rear bumper.

I already got a rugged ridge steel arcus bumper. Which the wife doesn't like cause it is stubby. When I told her today that the issue was the shocks due to the jeep being too light, she said "I told you not to get that damn stubby, shouldve gotten a real bumper"

Anyway if the winch and rear bumper dont "fix it". I'll just wait till the shocks start going and upgrade. Might upgrade to rancho sooner.


I am not sure really. I dont wanna lift it, it is 2 door and I dont wanna go above 33s. I rather spend the "lift kit" money on a rear ARB locker to replace my LSD.

 

[jdubya421]

When I still had a sport on rubi suspension I noticed too that the front would skyrocket on hard acceleration. I "raced" my friend from a light and he joked it looked like I was going to wheelie. I guess its the sound of you bottoming out your shock because the rebound damping isn't high enough to slow it.

 

[JLman1959]

Just had it back to the dealer for clunk issue, said they retorque all suspension bolts and said they yet to hear clunk noise. I get it back after they having it two days saying they never heard clunk and one tech said he heard it once but said they can’t find anything but I get it back and drive 5 miles come to a stop then accelerate and it clunks. Getting real pissed at these dealerships anymore on fixing things, I know it’s a lease vehicle but it has a problem that needs addressed.

 

[Jabarsetti]

I am not sure if this has been said. I just went through this exact same issue. but on my driver side rear. After some inspection, My LCA was loose, all of them but the D-rear was extremely loose. I would get under and re-torque everything, I mean everything!

 

[JLman1959]

I am not sure if this has been said. I just went through this exact same issue. but on my driver side rear. After some inspection, My LCA was loose, all of them but the D-rear was extremely loose. I would get under and re-torque everything, I mean everything!

I am not sure if this has been said. I just went through this exact same issue. but on my driver side rear. After some inspection, My LCA was loose, all of them but the D-rear was extremely loose. I would get under and re-torque everything, I mean everything!

They told me they retorqued everything on suspension, wife is about ready to get rid of it.

 

[Jabarsetti]

They told me they retorqued everything on suspension, wife is about ready to get rid of it.

My place(trusted) told me the same thing, I even double a few of the things. It wasn't until I went through the entire list of items replaced that I found the issue. Another place to check is to make sure the spring is set in it's spring perch. I found out on my initial inspection upon taking delivery from the shop that my spring perches weren't aligned right. Unless you're lift was put on by the dealership or Jeep shop and it is warranty in which I would keep bringing it back to them until it is fixed. I would go through and physically check all the torque values on the items replaced.

Disclaimer: I am by no-means a mechanic and only know what I have researched and talking to other owners on this forum. Hell, I never owned a torque wrench until I decided to tackle this issue on my own. I am slowly realizing how easy it is to work on a Jeep, and as my confidence grows, I'll take on more upgrades myself.

 

[JLman1959]

My place(trusted) told me the same thing, I even double a few of the things. It wasn't until I went through the entire list of items replaced that I found the issue. Another place to check is to make sure the spring is set in it's spring perch. I found out on my initial inspection upon taking delivery from the shop that my spring perches weren't aligned right. Unless you're lift was put on by the dealership or Jeep shop and it is warranty in which I would keep bringing it back to them until it is fixed. I would go through and physically check all the torque values on the items replaced.

Disclaimer: I am by no-means a mechanic and only know what I have researched and talking to other owners on this forum. Hell, I never owned a torque wrench until I decided to tackle this issue on my own. I am slowly realizing how easy it is to work on a Jeep, and as my confidence grows, I'll take on more upgrades myself.

Ya it pisses me off that you spend a lot of money for these to have dealers say it’s normal or nothing wrong. I don’t believe she will by another Jeep and this was her first one.

 

[entropy]

I just wanted to update this thread. I have not replaced the shocks but did get bigger 33 falkens and rubi wheels on the Jeep. The issue is almost gone, but still there IF I floor the skinny pedal from full stop on 1st gear (auto). If I do it on 2nd gear no issue. On a steep hill it is more noticeable.

Guess what is causing it?. The rear LSD. It gives too much traction on the rear at takeoff and the jeep wants to lift a tire, shocks limits travel and clunk. Lifted 2 door, light up front, rear LSD. clunk. It was worst with the smaller tires because LSD works best with smaller tires.

This is not that uncommon for rear LSD. If you have a 2D rubi turn on your rear locker and take off, it is gonna wanna lift the front too.

Kinda sucks for wheeling. I lifted my front trying to climb up an obstacle. Since I have open fronts. The rear LSD in these jeeps works well. It has a lot of bad rep, but from my wheeling trips, it locks real good.

Anyway, if you have this same issue. Dont sweat it, it is what it is. Ive had it for a long time and Ive driven the Jeep a lot and gone wheeling with it and it is fine. I bet if you get 35s itll disappear. I might try better shocks, but the jeep is still gonna try to lift that front tire.

 

[entropy]

I wanted to update this post if anyone with a Rubi suspension has the same issue. I finally fixed it for good. I installed bilstein 5100 shocks for 1.5 to 3 in lift, sometimes marketed as 2 to 3in.

My rubi shocks were extended to 21.5inches on riding height, way to close to their 23in max. On hard takeoff, with the front lifting due to the rear LSD the shock will max out. I already had to replace busted rubi shock.

With the new shocks the jeep drives like a dream. No nose dive, firmer ride with less body roll. And best of all the clunk is gone.

I fixed the "issue" of the front lifting while offroading by installing a front locker.

 

[Blanco Willys]

Ill just keep driving it as is and avoid hard takeoff, I have to floor it for the clunk to occur. I am saving up for a winch and metal rear bumper.

I already got a rugged ridge steel arcus bumper. Which the wife doesn't like cause it is stubby. When I told her today that the issue was the shocks due to the jeep being too light, she said "I told you not to get that damn stubby, shouldve gotten a real bumper"

Anyway if the winch and rear bumper dont "fix it". I'll just wait till the shocks start going and upgrade. Might upgrade to rancho sooner.


I am not sure really. I dont wanna lift it, it is 2 door and I dont wanna go above 33s. I rather spend the "lift kit" money on a rear ARB locker to replace my LSD.

You can put Teraflex 1.5 spacers on top it’s a cheap way to get more lift I have factory red rubi shocks on mine. I think it was like $180

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