1986 front end clunk - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

steamplant · 11-11-2008, 05:32 AM

I have a 1986 camry, it makes a clunking sound going over bumps, I don't have alot of money to spend on this, looking for the most likely cause?

thanks

Kingdom934 · 11-13-2008, 11:03 PM

Jack the front end of the car up. Try see if there is any play with the front wheels at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 oclock angels.

Mines is caused by the outer tie rods.

runnr · 02-10-2009, 01:20 AM

Could also be the front antisway bar end clunking against the lower control arm. Each end of the antisway bar passes through a hole in the lower control arm. When the outer edges of the bushings in these holes are extremely worn, the control arm will move fore and aft and clunk against the washers at the end of the antisway bar. Good bushings are needed to prevent this play and to provide cushioning between the bar and control arm. Are your tires wearing irregularly, or is your steering twitchy when you accelerate or decelerate? If so, it could be from worn bushings. I bought a replacement kit from LDP automotive on Ebay, but you can find other retailers on the Internet. The kit replaces bushings in both holes on one lower control arm and does not require special pressing tools because each bushing consists of two pieces. If you try to buy a bushing kit at the Toyota dealer, they'll try to sell you an entire new lower control arm with bushings already pressed in for a much higher price.

toored · 02-15-2009, 09:11 AM

I have had to replace the inner tie rods on both of my 1986 Camrys due to clunking noises going over bumps. The outer tie rods on both cars were in good shape though (neither were ever replaced previously) and both have over 200K miles. With the car jacked up, you can feel the slop in the inner tie rods by grabbing the tire at the 3 and 9 oklock positions and shaking back and forth.

Jeoy Gunz` · 02-16-2009, 01:25 AM

The noise can also be the ball joint specially if u ride over a bump and u hear the thundering noise even after u go over the bump and it sounds like a ball rumbling. also could be struts. just changed my tire rods easy job but they wont make that much noise if they r bad.