Table of Contents
Unusual noises coming from your car are never a good sign, but some are scarier than others. A clunking noise in the front of your vehicle can be an especially frightening one, especially when it’s accompanied by rattling or vibrations you can feel in the steering wheel.
While you should address these noises as soon as possible after noticing them, fixing them is likely easier and less expensive than you may suspect. In this guide, we go over what may be causing those clunks in the front of your vehicle and what you can do about them — without having to spend a fortune at the dealership.
Clunking Noises In Front of Vehicle: Potential Causes
In general, clunking noises from the front of your vehicle are almost always related to the front suspension. When parts are worn out, broken, or misaligned, they can make contact with each other in ways they’re not meant to. As a result, they can start to make significant noise when they bump up against each other, especially when turning or stopping the vehicle.
In this section, we go over the most common reasons why your front suspension is making that loud, rattling sound.
Possible Sources of Clunking Noises
There are several key components to your front suspension. Damage or excess wear to any of them can cause them to make abnormal sounds. The parts of your suspension that move the most are the ones most likely to be causing the issue you can hear while driving.
Bad Sway Bar Links
The joint between your vehicle’s sway bar and the wheel assembly is called the sway bar link. This linkage is what allows for movement while restricting the components from moving too much. It is almost inevitable that these links wear down over time and become loose or otherwise misaligned and cause clunking sounds.
Worn-Out Sway Bar Bushings
Your vehicle’s sway bar links have rubber washers that separate them and keep them from bumping into each other called sway bar bushings. These are made from heavy-duty rubber and can last for a long time, but are prone to wearing out or cracking eventually. If they do, the other parts of the sway bar links will start to knock into each other, causing that telltale clunking noise.
Bad Ball Joints
The suspension in your vehicle employs round bearings called ball joints that connect the control arms of the suspension to the steering knuckle. This allows the wheels to move freely in response to steering actions by the driver.
It is natural for ball joints to wear down over time after many years and miles of use. When they do, their surface can become uneven. This can create more friction than your suspension was designed for and result in irregular movement, especially when stopping or turning. These movements can create those clunking noises you’re hearing as well as jolts or vibrations to the steering wheel.
Worn Strut Mounts
The strut assemblies on your vehicle have shock mounts that separate them from the vehicle body on the top end and the wheel assembly on the bottom. These mounts prevent the metal components from making contact with each other and causing damage.
Over time, these mounts can wear down and lose their structural integrity. Environmental factors like extreme temperatures and salt water can cause them to become brittle and crack. Collisions or kicked-up road debris can also knock them out of place.
If the shock mounts are compromised, they can allow the metal components of your suspension to come into contact with each other. This can result in a clunking noise and also more damage to the vehicle.
How To Fix Clunking Sound in Front of Vehicle
It is critical to address a clunking sound as soon as you notice it. Ignoring it or putting off repairs will only make the problem worse and could cause further damage to your vehicle.
If you’ve taken your clunking vehicle to the dealership for them to look at it, you likely got a very steep estimate. Fortunately, you have much more affordable options. However, it’s important to take the time to address the problem correctly to make sure that you get the right fix. Our Suspension Experts have created a step-by-step guide to do just that.
1. Identify the Source of the Problem
One good thing about suspensions is that you can usually see where problems are coming from. You can take your vehicle to a trusted independent shop — which tend to be cheaper and less likely to overcharge you — straight away.
However, if you know your way around your car, lifting it and inspecting the front suspension yourself can help you get a handle on the issue, even if you plan to take it to a technician anyway. Knowing what’s wrong and being able to communicate that to the shop can help them solve the problem and discourage them from trying to sell you repairs you don’t need.
2. Determine What Parts Need To Be Replaced
When you get a repair estimate from the shop, make sure to request an itemized list of what’s wrong and ask if they work with owner-supplied parts. If they do, set an appointment about a week out, or as soon as you can after that and try to avoid driving as much as possible in the meantime.
3. Buy Replacement Components
The itemized list you got from the mechanic can serve as a shopping list for replacement parts. Buying parts yourself allows you to choose the ones you want to put in your vehicle. It also prevents your mechanic adding a little on top of the cost of the parts to make some extra money at your expense.
It is vital that you choose high-quality suspension components you can trust. Your suspension is your vehicle’s primary safety system. Its components absorb a lot of the weight of your vehicle and the forces of it moving. That means you rely on your suspension to keep you and your passengers safe — not something you want to trust to cheap components.
At Strutmasters, we use our 25 years of experience to ensure we carry only suspension components we’d trust on our own vehicles. All of our products have been vigorously tested for the vehicles they are sold for. They also carry a one-year limited warranty against manufacturing and material defects.
4. Replace Worn-Out Components
Our suspension products usually reach our customers within a few days, meaning you’ll have plenty of cushion between when the parts arrive and your repair appointment. Bring the parts with you to your appointment and take a minute to go over what’s there with the professionals. Strutmasters kits come with everything needed to complete a replacement job, but it’s always a good idea to check — just in case.
Replacing any of the components mentioned above should be a relatively quick fix for professional mechanics. That means you shouldn’t get a hefty labor bill for the job.
If you have some experience working on vehicles, you may be able to DIY the replacement work at home. These jobs are relatively simple and it’s almost always easy to see when something isn’t right. You also don’t need special equipment to complete the majority of suspension repairs.
However, be aware that a bad installation can cause major problems for your vehicle. So be honest with yourself about your capabilities and go with the pros if you have any hesitations.
4. Perform an Alignment Service
After you or a mechanic has replaced the worn-out parts to address the clunking sound, it is heavily recommended that you take your car for an alignment service as soon as possible. The repair shop that did your work may even be able to do the job.
Any suspension repair can change the alignment on a vehicle since they involve removing and reattaching the wheels. Driving on a poorly-aligned vehicle can seriously damage your suspension, including the parts you just replaced. Getting an alignment service performed after your repair work helps ensure that your suspension absorbs the forces of driving your vehicle as your manufacturer intended.
5. Test Drive Your Vehicle First
With your suspension repaired and your clunking noise gone, it is tempting to hit the road and enjoy a healthy vehicle right away. However, it is important to double-check the installation by taking it for a test drive on safe, low-speed roads with little traffic.
Test all the movements you do under normal driving conditions that put stress on the suspension. This includes hard stops, accelerating, turning, and more. If your vehicle completes these actions with no abnormal noises or movements, the replacement has likely been a success.
Once you’ve confirmed that your suspension has been fully restored with a test drive, you can safely head off on your next road trip. With Strutmasters parts, you can expect a noise-free and worry-free driving experience for long into the future.
Clunking Noises From Your Vehicle: Conclusion
If you’re hearing clunking noises from the front suspension in your vehicle, you should address the situation as soon as possible. While it’s possible to drive on bad suspension parts for a little while, doing so will likely make the problem worse and damage other suspension components, making it more difficult and expensive to repair.
Your suspension is critical to the safety of your vehicle. At Strutmasters, we go the extra mile to ensure everything we sell is something you can trust to get you and your passengers where you need to go safely and comfortably.
To find replacement parts to fix the clunking noise in your vehicle, type your make, model, and model year into the search field. You can call our Suspension Experts at 844-548-0348 Monday through Friday from 8AM - 9PM or on Saturdays from 9AM - 6PM. These trained professionals can help you make sure you get the exact components or kit you need and help you with any other suspension-related questions you might have. Say goodbye to that clunking noise forever and hello to a quiet, stress-free driving experience from here.
