Front end clunk while turning - FIXED - TSB # 23-047-18

[immersivenc]

I'll look into it, I think I'm going to stick a go pro under the truck and move it a lot and see if I can pin point something happening. The service advisor changed his tune in the phone when I told him I was a Licensed Mechanic (Heavy Equipment) by trade and i wasn't just dreaming this noise up. I said it costs me 30 bucks a day in payments so every day they have it is a bunch of money I'm paying for F*** all.

I think a huge part of the problem in my case is that the advisors aren't relaying exactly what I'm telling them to the mechanics. I spoke with the mechanic working on my truck and everything I told him about the clunk, AC and fuel economy modes was a surprise to him, I told him the exact same things I told the service advisor.

Let me know if you find anything. Only thing I could find that could be questionable was a little play in the CV joints but I suppose some is normal to a degree. My dealer is talking with the higher ups on what move to make next. If I open a STAR case, I have to leave the truck with them for who knows how long. Be nice if FCA would find a problem truck and use it as a lab rat and start replacing things and figure out what the heck is going on.

 

[Polaris Man]

My CV shafts have a slight amount of side to side play as well.

 

[Old member 1160]

I am experiencing the same issue on a 2 week old Laramie. Working to get a service appointment scheduled with my Dealer. My production date is June 30th. Not at all happy this issue sprang up so early on a brand new (and expensive) truck.

 

[immersivenc]

I am experiencing the same issue on a 2 week old Laramie. Working to get a service appointment scheduled with my Dealer. My production date is June 30th. Not at all happy this issue sprang up so early on a brand new (and expensive) truck.

Thanks for checking in. I’m shocked at the number coming forward with the issue. Please keep us posted here on the outcome with your dealer. I currently have a case open with FCA but the case manager has not yet reached out(go figure). We need a TSB issued on this ASAP

 

[Douglas31]

I am experiencing the same on my 3 day old Laramie. Pretty frustrating.

 

[immersivenc]

I am experiencing the same on my 3 day old Laramie. Pretty frustrating.

Thanks for letting us know. If you can spare the time to take your truck in to the dealer for this, it will help all of us speed up the process to a TSB or some other kind of resolution. I have escalated this to the GM and Sales manager at my dealer. FCA has been zero help... are you listening @RamCares? No response from them either. They are currently putting a team together in the service dept to help chase this issue down and get it up the chain. I’m trying my best

 

[VaderRebel]

Just curious, if anyone has noticed, are all the owners with the "clunk" driving air ride trucks?

 

[alacombe]

Let me know if you find anything. Only thing I could find that could be questionable was a little play in the CV joints but I suppose some is normal to a degree. My dealer is talking with the higher ups on what move to make next. If I open a STAR case, I have to leave the truck with them for who knows how long. Be nice if FCA would find a problem truck and use it as a lab rat and start replacing things and figure out what the heck is going on.

This is completely NOT true. You do NOT need to leave your truck with the dealer to open a STAR case. That is complete BS!!!!!

 

[immersivenc]

Just curious, if anyone has noticed, are all the owners with the "clunk" driving air ride trucks?

I don’t believe so.

 

[VaderRebel]

I don’t believe so.

Just checking, was a theory I was working on since most "clunk" sufferers had Limited's or loaded Laramies

 

[alacombe]

Thanks for letting us know. If you can spare the time to take your truck in to the dealer for this, it will help all of us speed up the process to a TSB or some other kind of resolution. I have escalated this to the GM and Sales manager at my dealer. FCA has been zero help... are you listening @RamCares? No response from them either. They are currently putting a team together in the service dept to help chase this issue down and get it up the chain. I’m trying my best

Open a STAR case! I am telling you bro this will get engineers involved and speed up the resolution if there is even one and if not they have to document that. You do Not need to leave your car with them while the STAR case is getting investigated.

 

[VaderRebel]

Open a STAR case! I am telling you bro this will get engineers involved and speed up the resolution if there is even one and if not they have to document that. You do Not need to leave your car with them while the STAR case is getting investigated.

Truck, he has a truck.

 

[alacombe]

Truck, he has a truck.

Yeah yeah

 

[warvet]

At the dealership now dropping it off. The service manager’s 19 is in shop for same issue as well as another customer. They’ve had Star cases open on theirs. Tech said he didn’t need to ride with me to feel the clunk because they know it exists now that I’m not the only one complaining. Guys, please go in and get it checked. And as I’m typing this, manager walks up and says his is fixed. They bought “body ears” to attach all under truck and drove it. It relays to a hand held screen. He said it found nothing so they went under his truck and tightened every single thing they could and it’s fixed. He admitted they tightened so much that they aren’t sure what was loose. I’ve had my body mounts tightened already, so that’s not it on mine. He’s all smiles and he swears mine will be fixed even if they just have to tighten every single thing. But the Star cases are open on those other two trucks so hopefully that helps everyone.

 

[immersivenc]

At the dealership now dropping it off. The service manager’s 19 is in shop for same issue as well as another customer. They’ve had Star cases open on theirs. Tech said he didn’t need to ride with me to feel the clunk because they know it exists now that I’m not the only one complaining. Guys, please go in and get it checked. And as I’m typing this, manager walks up and says his is fixed. They bought “body ears” to attach all under truck and drove it. It relays to a hand held screen. He said it found nothing so they went under his truck and tightened every single thing they could and it’s fixed. He admitted they tightened so much that they aren’t sure what was loose. I’ve had my body mounts tightened already, so that’s not it on mine. He’s all smiles and he swears mine will be fixed even if they just have to tighten every single thing. But the Star cases are open on those other two trucks so hopefully that helps everyone.

Thanks for the update! Please let us know how yours is when you get out of there. If it’s looking like yours is cured, I will relay to my dealer. Sales manager at my dealership had experienced the clunk first hand also which helps.

 

[19RamLimited]

Thats odd. He say he tightened everything. I have a ton of play in my front CV joints. I thought it could had been the front cv joint sliding in and out of the knuckle then I felt how much movement is at the front differential. Im sure if something was loose enough to make the noise they would had noticed it and made a note of how loose it was.

I would had especially thought they would had try to isolate the issue so they could had helped with solving the problem. I do know though that its not always there so he may just not be experiencing it at the moment.

 

[warvet]

Dealership just called me. They did, to my truck, what they did to the Service Manager's truck. I'll try to type exactly what they said and when I get the service ticket, if I see something different, I'll let you know. Mind you, I haven't driven it yet and they are telling me to drive it and see if all is well.
They lifted the truck and loosened the ball joints, sway bar, sway bar linkage, tie rod, control arms, wheel bearings (I hope I didn't miss anything). Then they lowered the truck and let it sit there for a few minutes. Then came back, raised the truck back up and retorqued all of those things they loosend. Then the called the foreman who took it on a 10 mile ride and he said he couldn't replicate the clunk.
My drive from there to home will be about 13 miles and I'll give you an update later this evening and then another in a day or two. If I missed something in their diagnosis and see it on the sheet, I'll come back and give that to you.

 

[19RamLimited]

Looking forward to hearing back

 

[immersivenc]

Dealership just called me. They did, to my truck, what they did to the Service Manager's truck. I'll try to type exactly what they said and when I get the service ticket, if I see something different, I'll let you know. Mind you, I haven't driven it yet and they are telling me to drive it and see if all is well.
They lifted the truck and loosened the ball joints, sway bar, sway bar linkage, tie rod, control arms, wheel bearings (I hope I didn't miss anything). Then they lowered the truck and let it sit there for a few minutes. Then came back, raised the truck back up and retorqued all of those things they loosend. Then the called the foreman who took it on a 10 mile ride and he said he couldn't replicate the clunk.
My drive from there to home will be about 13 miles and I'll give you an update later this evening and then another in a day or two. If I missed something in their diagnosis and see it on the sheet, I'll come back and give that to you.

Super curious to hear your initial thoughts after picking up your truck. I have opened a star case (@alacombe ) with my dealership and truck is going in Monday. Hopefully the untorque/retorque works for you and I am planning on having them do the same. If not, they will be in touch with FCA engineers to proceed with next steps

 

[riccnick]

They lifted the truck and loosened the ball joints, sway bar, sway bar linkage, tie rod, control arms, wheel bearings (I hope I didn't miss anything). Then they lowered the truck and let it sit there for a few minutes. Then came back, raised the truck back up and retorqued all of those things they loosend.

They did this wrong...
You are supposed to re-torque suspension components with the weight of the vehicle on them, at least from what I've learned