Chasing that "frt end clunk"

[Eyespyautomotive]

So as a new Raptor owner, I have learned all about the "clunk". I have read every thread on the net regarding it and all the possible fixes. My truck is a 2014 crew with 55k mostly hwy miles. The prior owner pampered it, it has had an easy life.
I regret to say I have the clunk, it is majorly sapping my enjoyment of this fine truck. I am committed to figuring it out. I am an accomplished mechanic, so, most things don't get past me but so far the clunk has.
Let me outline what I have done so far and maybe some good discussion will come of it.

It is typical of what I have read from all over the net. Only makes noise over sharp steps or bumps in the road at lower speeds, not on the highway, way worse when cold. Front end feels loose under your feet and sounds like a mallet on the floor. Has a sensation of a rubber isolated "heavy thing", it is in rhythm of road bumps. If you get in a good rythmn of bumps, it feels like the front suspension will fall out.

Ive read all about the TSB's and Ford says its normal. I dont belive it.

What ive done so far..

1. Full underneath front end inspection. Truck is clean, no looseness in anything, ball joints tight under prybar test. No play in tie rods, sway bar links and bushings clean /nice. Nothing to give an indication anything is wrong
2. Replaced all 4 shocks with rebuilt units from GJ Motorsports, new lower bushings installed. Torqued lower nut with my dewalt impact that goes to 700 lb/ft. Still clunks.
3. Inspected upper and lower ball joints when doing the Shocks. All tight.
4. Replaced the swaybar links becuse they are cheap. Still clunks. OEM pieces seemed fine/tight.
5. Restrained the frt axles to see if the axles/IWE were loose or had play and were knocking around. Nope, Still clunks.
6. Made various go pro vids of the front suspension and chassis. Noise isnt heard on vids mid truck and back. Loudest when i mount to the front frame or UCA.
7. I have zip tied and restrained anything remotely loose, harnesses, E brake cables, etc to eliminate other noises.
8. NVH isolators tight
9. I work at Ford in CAD. I have poured all over the complete Raptor front end CAD data cutting sections and looking at anything it could be. Nothing, im baffled.

So what next? UCA's? Steering rack?
Motor mounts?
Something under the fenders?
I really starting to think its something weird that is unexpected. Or a tolerance issue that allows 2 things to clash under extreme situations. Why louder in the cold?
Fox claims the shocks make no noise in operation.
Do 2017+ trucks do this? if not why, what changed?

I know some will say Buy Kings or new aftermarket uppers and lowers. But there isnt any reason this truck shouldnt be quiet. Every one ive owned prior (non raptor) were.

Add your experienced opinion below.....

 

[WFWP]

Total shot in the dark here but my 2012 F250 has a similar sounding clunk and it's the body mounts. Feel it under my feet and it does transfer feel through the steering wheel being the left front one is loose.

 

[Eyespyautomotive]

I plan to take a good look at the body mounts. I also plan to ratchet strap the motor down tight and see if the mounts are too loose. I was surprised at the amount of motor movement in my underhood video.

 

[Hasty]

I just rebuilt my shocks and upon reinstall had the clunk. I too checked lower shock bolt torque, sway bar end links, ball joints. After going over everything twice I found the upper shock rod bolt on the top hat wasn’t seated fully. It was originally torqued but I went ahead and tightened till it seated and now no more clunk.


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[BenBB]

I'm fairly sure mine is lower balljoints; replaced them last year with greasable Moogs and now when I grease the **** out of them the noise will go away (warm or cold) for a week or two then return. Just ordered Motorcraft balljoints, will swap them out this weekend or next. BTW this is on a '13 with almost 165k miles, last year I rebuilt shocks, put in new (stock) UCAs so balljoints & bushings, new inner & outer tie rod ends, and aforementioned LCA balljoints, all of which significantly reduced all the clunk/rattle/clank from the frontend. I didn't replace the lower shock bushings or LCA pivot bushings, or sway bar links (or IWEs/hubs/CVs for that matter). I think the tires contribute a great deal to NVH and I can live with it as long as I know the important shit is new/reliable/functional...

 

[bwep]

I pretty much went threw almost everything you did. My second set of shocks were slightly used, low miles never rebuilt. Same thing, I think the noise was worse. I decided to shoe horn in the Gen2 shocks. Low and behold no more front end noise. Other than a little bump steer on the quick bump hits ride quality has been great. My truck is a on road daily driver, so I have no concerns about over extending the travel. I got stuck in a snow storm towing my 5,000 pound trailer. I ran 4 wheel drive for 250 miles and had no problems. So in my case it had to be the shocks. Nice to have a front end not sounding like it's falling out.

 

[Eyespyautomotive]

Thought maybe the coil spring top hats. I made video's of the top of the spring mounts expecting to see the rod and rod nut moving alot up and down. Nope, things seem tight and you can hear the noise on the video and it's not in conjunction with the movement of the shaft. Next up, steering rack mount inspection and also seeing if the internal steering gear shaft has play.

Man I love this truck, hate how it feels. Still searching.

 

[beadblaster]

I have fox 3.0 shocks and have the front end clunk. I replaced the upper and lower shock mounting bearings with new ones,bought the forged off road lower mounting bolts with the longer shank, torqued bolts to 430 ft lbs and still have the front end clunk. Installed a set of ready lift lower control arms,no more clunk. definetly something with the tolerances on the stock arms lower mounting tolerances.

 

[Leftsidej]

So as a new Raptor owner, I have learned all about the "clunk". I have read every thread on the net regarding it and all the possible fixes. My truck is a 2014 crew with 55k mostly hwy miles. The prior owner pampered it, it has had an easy life.
I regret to say I have the clunk, it is majorly sapping my enjoyment of this fine truck. I am committed to figuring it out. I am an accomplished mechanic, so, most things don't get past me but so far the clunk has.
Let me outline what I have done so far and maybe some good discussion will come of it.

It is typical of what I have read from all over the net. Only makes noise over sharp steps or bumps in the road at lower speeds, not on the highway, way worse when cold. Front end feels loose under your feet and sounds like a mallet on the floor. Has a sensation of a rubber isolated "heavy thing", it is in rhythm of road bumps. If you get in a good rythmn of bumps, it feels like the front suspension will fall out.

Ive read all about the TSB's and Ford says its normal. I dont belive it.

What ive done so far..

1. Full underneath front end inspection. Truck is clean, no looseness in anything, ball joints tight under prybar test. No play in tie rods, sway bar links and bushings clean /nice. Nothing to give an indication anything is wrong
2. Replaced all 4 shocks with rebuilt units from GJ Motorsports, new lower bushings installed. Torqued lower nut with my dewalt impact that goes to 700 lb/ft. Still clunks.
3. Inspected upper and lower ball joints when doing the Shocks. All tight.
4. Replaced the swaybar links becuse they are cheap. Still clunks. OEM pieces seemed fine/tight.
5. Restrained the frt axles to see if the axles/IWE were loose or had play and were knocking around. Nope, Still clunks.
6. Made various go pro vids of the front suspension and chassis. Noise isnt heard on vids mid truck and back. Loudest when i mount to the front frame or UCA.
7. I have zip tied and restrained anything remotely loose, harnesses, E brake cables, etc to eliminate other noises.
8. NVH isolators tight
9. I work at Ford in CAD. I have poured all over the complete Raptor front end CAD data cutting sections and looking at anything it could be. Nothing, im baffled.

So what next? UCA's? Steering rack?
Motor mounts?
Something under the fenders?
I really starting to think its something weird that is unexpected. Or a tolerance issue that allows 2 things to clash under extreme situations. Why louder in the cold?
Fox claims the shocks make no noise in operation.
Do 2017+ trucks do this? if not why, what changed?

I know some will say Buy Kings or new aftermarket uppers and lowers. But there isnt any reason this truck shouldnt be quiet. Every one ive owned prior (non raptor) were.

Add your experienced opinion below.....

Been searching the forums forever in reference to something similar to what I hear every bump I hit. Can you please post your video footage so I can see if it’s similar to what I have going on my 2017?

 

[Jonny V]

How do you like the shock rebuild from GJ? Their price is a good bit lower than Forged Off-road...