When backing out of a spot or turning the wheels back and fourth I'm getting a clunking noise and it's driving me insane.

It does it worse when I turn full lock to the left. I just replaced the tie rods, inner and outer with Moog. The idler arm is not even 2 years old. Everything underneath looks to be in good shape but I can't find the issue. I've had the truck aligned 3 times now and I still have a slight pull to the left as well with everything absolutely in spec.

Please help, noises/things of this nature make me want to set my truck on fire and buy a new one.

For reference it's a 2000 Scab 4x4 off-road with the 5.4. It's never been in a wreck either. I took off my RC steering stabilizer just a few minutes ago and it's a little worse now.

 

CV boots torn? If they are, and there is no grease I'm willing to bet money that is your clunk seeing as you described it as a turning lock to lock issue.

 

My CV's looked brand new and did the same thing. Some people say they click, mine felt like someone hit my wheels with a sledge hammer sometimes. I've check the CV's next. Even if your boots look good and they CV's themselves look brand new, they could still have an issue like mine did.

 

I've checked the CVs quickly and didn't find anything. I'll have to take a closer look. It mostly does it when I'm stopped or going 1-2 mph in reverse though. I've driven a car with bad CVs and it was a clicky like a roller coaster sound while turning and driving where as mine is a clunk or a pop.

 

Mine was clunking as well, I never got a click from mine. I didn't know the symptoms of a bad CV, I just knew I had new wheel bearings, ball joints, and tie-rods, so the next logical thing for me was the CV's and beings that they are cheap and easy to install I just put them on and it solved my issue.

 

Ball joints?

 

Has your brake caliper come loose?

 

x1000000. If never changed there's your cluck almost 90% sure. Jack up the front see if you can replicate the clunk with two people.