I have an occasional clunk from the front end when going slow bumps like speed bumps. Cant find anything when on the lift. got a bar under all the bushings and joints and can't see any play. If I go over a sharp dip pot hole the tire seems to meet the bottom of the hole with force and a bang. I don't know if this is also related but at some highway speeds I get a wiggle in the steering wheel.
At this point I'm guessing that the gas strut part of the front air strut assembly is bad. If this is the case is there a source for just the gas strut portion since the air bags look great and "was told" had been replaced not long ago.

thanks

I don't think you can really feel the play in the ball joints and arms on the front when you test them on a ramp. If the car it sitting on its wheels then it seems to compress all the joints. So that the play is taken out. You have to test it with the wheel in the air unsupported, even then you may not feel anything as the setup still remains in compression cause of the wheel hanging down so much.

The sounds you describe I would immediately think the ball joints. They are, compared to a new strut, far cheaper to replace. Here in the uk you can buy full kits of arms and ball joints for both sides for about £150 gbp.

To me the ball joints and arms are a bit weak for the size of the car and wear out quickly. To the point I almost consider them a consumable item like brake pads.

I would replace them and see if that fixes your problem first. Do both arms and the ball joint in the hub itself. An V8 or else ...

Testing was done on a lift.

OK.

I've recently replaced one side of the suspension on the front. Both arms and balljoints. My suspension was clunking badly when hitting potholes or bumps. In general driving on smooth roads, it was quiet the rest of the time.

When on the ground, with a pry bar, I couldn't demonstrate any clunk-able movement that matched what I was feeling when driving. When jacked up and the wheel in the air, I couldn't do it either.

When I took the rear most arm off the ball joint in the hub, I was then able to move the balljoint in the hub up and down by about 3mm. The play was immediately obvious - but I couldn't demonstrate that play before when the whole suspension was connected up.

On the front arm, despite completely undoing the top nut of the balljoint, I physically couldn't force out the balljoint from the hub - think air chisels, 2lb hammers, balljoint splitters and as much force as I could possibly put into it. This was because the strut was hanging in the air and pulling the arm downwards so much that the ball joint was at the limit of its movement, and wedging itself in place. As soon as I put a jack under the hub and lifted it upwards, the arm literally fell off the hub without any intervention.

My point is that when all the front suspension components are connected properly, they seem to preload with a lot of force that can overcome being attempts to move them about to check for play. Hence the suggestion to just replace the parts. V8 or else ...

So then in theory if I get it back on the lift and can put enough leverage and lift on the tire to get motion and range into the suspension parts I should see where the play is hiding? I know I have read that bushing and ball joints are common to replace as little as 50k miles.

Thanks.

Clunking and wobbling = front ball joints

As fisha says you can't get any play into them when assembled. You could try getting someone to wobble the steering while you have a look under the front, you may be able to see a bit of movement. I could on my old car when I swapped them out. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Thanks. I will focus my attention on the ball joints first and bushings second. I would feel better seeing some play, no matter how small, before replacing the wrong or good part.

In theory yes, but if you're looking to find a loose clunk that's easily dentified you may not find it. It could show as very small play. V8 or else ...

I will take very small play as a sign. We could not find any play. One bushing looked not as perfect as the other side but not play.

I know this sounds daft but the rear hub bushes wear and clonk and it sounds just like it's coming from the front, top bushes are easy to pry bar to check for wear, bottoms a bit harder....

No washer behind the top of the front drop links causes a clunk as well...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

I was able to put a 3 ft long bar under the right side sway bar and lift. Bushing looked good but endlink had a similar but smaller clunk and I could feel a bit if slack. So I'm guessing the endlinks are an issue. But I also noticed more inner tire wear on that tire only. Can an endlink alone produce the clunk, slight highway shimmy and tire wear on these beasts?

Update: I recreated the one tire lift with a half cinder block. The endlink is the clunk or at least the primary clunk. I can shake it when on the block. Plus the rubber boot is age cracked. Easy. Called my tire and alignment guy. Not always the smartest group but they have experience. Their opinion is alignment issue. It was just done in spring and the shimmy was their before but why not check. It's free under a 3yr deal. Maybe they can elicit play at a joint or bushing. Now which ball joints are usually the problem ones? They go by different names from suppliers. The ones that bolt on the arm or the ones that are integral to the arm? Or both?

Bump. I though edit would do it.

Alignment not the issue so I assume need lower ball joints/control arms along with my endlinks. They couldn't see any movement but I question how hard they tried. Is it best practice to replace the upper ball joints at this time too since you need to remove the lower to get at them anyway?

Unsure what you mean by upper ball joint, you have a compression link at the back and a transverse link at the front, both have bushes one end and ball joints at the other...

The ball joints don't tend to last well as they don't move much, the bushes wear though... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Yeah the terminology on these parts drives me nuts. Different suppliers call the parts by different names. So I will say the bottom of the spindle has 2 ball joints. One integral to the arm often called the control arm. Sometimes this is referred to as the lower or even front ball joint. The other ball joint is just behind and sits slightly higher and bolts to the spindle. This tie rod connects to this ball joint. What I call a tie rod RAVE calls a track rod.