Underside noise, dealer can't figure it out

[TexEric]

I have a new 2021 Ram 1500 Limited. We just got through with a 4500 mile road trip; lots of driving but the truck wasn't abused by any means. A few days after getting back, I started to notice an intermittent pop or clicking sound coming from underneath (front side), but where is a mystery. It generally happens at low speeds, sometimes going over bumps but sometimes not. Sometimes it just occurs our of the blue. Sometimes it seems to come from under the steering wheel. It generally does not occur at highway speeds. Took it to dealer, who's had the truck since Monday, so for 4 days. They also hear the sound but are stumped as well. The service tech said they believe something is loose or has malfunctioned, but everything they've tried to do to fix it has not worked. The problem, the tech said, is that these sounds are hard to pin down, and it doesn't happen (obviously) when it's in the service bay. So they have to tighten this, adjust that, and then drive it to see if the problem disappears. Well, it hasn't. And it appears I'm getting nowhere with them.

I love this truck, the way it looks and drives, but this is driving me nuts. I was slightly concerned about RAM reliability issues before I bought; am now wondering if I should have thought about that more carefully. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a problem RAM's have? Possibly related to the air suspension? Any help would be appreciated.

E.

 

[Eighty]

You mentioned that it happens over bumps, and other random times. Any more clues you can provide?
During acceleration, coasting, braking, all three?
Do you think it happens when gears are shifting?
Does it ever happen when you’re stopped, or only when moving?

 

[TexEric]

Sometimes over or after going over bumps. Sometimes when accelerating from a stop, sometimes when slowing down, sometimes coasting. Sometimes it feels like it's coming from the bottom of the steering column, other times it doesn't. In other words, there's no real pattern. Only when moving, never stopped. I have not noticed it when gears are shifting.

One oddity, however: the whole time we were on the road during our trip, it was in aero mode. When we got back, just for the heck of it, I raised the air suspension up. That was when I first noticed the sound. The thing is, now it does it whether it's raised or lowered, perhaps more likely when raised, but again no pattern.

 

[79 300]

Do a search on here for "front end clunk". There are lots of threads on this sound you are describing. The most common cause seemed to be loose sway bar end links. Others talked about cab mounts being defective. When I put tow hooks on my truck I checked the sway bar bolts since I was already under there, and got about a half turn on the ones where it mounts to the frame.

 

[TexEric]

Do a search on here for "front end clunk". There are lots of threads on this sound you are describing. The most common cause seemed to be loose sway bar end links. Others talked about cab mounts being defective. When I put tow hooks on my truck I checked the sway bar bolts since I was already under there, and got about a half turn on the ones where it mounts to the frame.

Thanks, I did read on this forum about the possible sway bar issue. I'll ask my tech about that and do the search you suggested.

 

[TexEric]

For anyone interested, it took more than a week, but the dealer is telling me they think they have the problem fixed. They said the body mount bolts were not properly torqued from the factory, things came a little loose, and that caused the body to shift and cause the noise. I guess we will see. If anyone else has experienced this, I'd be interested to know.

 

[a1stormin]

Hey, I have the same problem on my 2019 Ram sport. Really weird as it only does it over bumps and if moving slowly and I jerk the steering from left to right. Never at highway speeds or driving straight.
Did the body mounts being tightened help you?