Clunk/Click noises

[Marc Morris]

Hi, I have owned my Terrano for 6 years now, and had plenty of minor issues, but this one has got me stuck.....

2004 Terrano 3.0D, Manual, LWB.
On Monday, wife drove 7 miles and noticed a clunk (she describes as "like lumps of mud hitting underside of car"), and drove 7 miles back. I can replicate the clunk by driving along (windows down to hear). Sounds like it's coming from LHS, middle. Intermittent, and I expected it to be rear ARB link on LHS.

As I have previously owned a Maverick and now have this Terrano, I have regularly changed the ARB links at the front. Last Nov changed front and rear ARB links and all bushes. Check all these today, no play. Checked all exhaust mounts - OK. Removed rear drum, no loose friction pads on the shoes. Checked all 4 propshaft joints - no play. Jacked all wheels up and ran in 2WD and 4WD but can't make the clunk. Loaded up with handbrake, no clunk.

Any ideas?
My next plan is to remove each propshaft separately and test drive to try and isolate source.

 

[clivvy]

hmm..LHS middle is the front prop shaft I think, or at least that area.

gearbox and exhaust too - gearbox mount is almost dead centre but I doubt its that - from your description it sounds like something turning, is the noise in time with the car moving forward/wheels turning, or random clunking?

 

[Marc Morris]

I'm sure it's not the exhaust mounting. I test drove Tuesday night, and it seemed random, not linked to bumps as far as I could tell.
At lunchtime today, drove it back and forth on drive, and clunks at what seems to be pretty random points, whether forwards or backwards.

 

[Marc Morris]

Fixed... the simple ones are the best...

Having removed the front prop-shaft, no change. Started to think the worst, ABS ring on rear had split or something....

Anyhow, having read in another part of the forum of standing on the side steps, holding onto to the door pillar and rocking the car hard...thought I'd give it a go.... and when I did this, bingo could get the clunk.

Under car, with my daughter playing the swinging monkey, and I located the culprit. The rear ARB link bottom nut was slightly loose. Only clicked under serious side swings.

This must have meant I had not fully torqued it up when replacing the links in Nov.

Motto of this thread.... what has recently changed, and check and double check. .... Thanks for listening.:thumb2

 

[clivvy]

brilliant!!

well spotted, glad you got it sorted!!

 

[Sweety]

Nice to see a free fix:thumb2 you might have tightened the nut up enough at the time of fitting is but if it had the rubber bushes they might have compressed over time which has resulted in the nut needing tightening up again:nenau