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  #1  
Old 06-19-2017, 11:36 AM
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Unhappy Single clunk noise under the car?

Hi everyone:
I need help to narrow down an annoying single clunking sound from somewhere in the middle (and possible in the back?) under my car. From more than a year, I am experiencing this clunking noise especially when:
1. Mostly when I turned left or right. I can easily reproduce the single clunking noise when I turn from the street to go up to my driveway. or going down from my driveway turning into the street.
2. Going straight then slow down/braking before a turn.

There is NO clunking noise when I accelerate, brake, or going straight (even on a bumpy road). I noticed the clunk noise only happened when there is a shift/twist of the car weight from one side to the other. My indie checked all the 2-3 flex disks from the drive shaft and they are ok. He does not think the sub-frame bushings are bad either.

my car: 05 X5 3.0L, no air suspension.
Thanks!
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Old 06-19-2017, 01:10 PM
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Check the lower ball joints.
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Old 06-19-2017, 02:38 PM
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And then check the torque on the six reinforcement plate bolts.... The give away here is the noise occurs when the chassis is experiencing twisting or flexing forces.
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Old 06-19-2017, 04:02 PM
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Look at sway bar links. Those tend to go bad and can give you that "clunk". Luckily its a cheap simple repair.
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Old 06-19-2017, 04:35 PM
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Thanks for the replies! Other than the plate's bolts, which are easy to check, how do you check for bad ball joints? can I assume that the ball joints are in the rear of the car since I don't have any steering looseness or vibration in the front suspension?
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Old 08-16-2017, 12:16 PM
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Single Clunk RESOLVED!

Thanks so much to upallnight, wpoll, and smokeyyank! After many long desperate months, the clunk noise is now resolved!

I actually got both problems that you mentioned:
1. One of the front bushing in the tension bar - driver side was completely shot. I replaced it. I also replaced the driver side since the bushings got serious cracks
2. Two bolts from the re-enforcement plate were loose, one from each side. They were the ones that also held the torsion bar - right above the plate. I think the majority of the clunking was from these two bolts

My car now drives so smooth, quiet, and solid, without any clunk!

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