Late model Chevy question

[DRD57]

My wife has a 2004 Avalanche 1500 Z66 2WD.

Whenever you're going over an uneven surface (e.g. hitting a small pothole, going into/out of a driveway, going through a dip, etc.) there is a noise form the front left side of the vehicle that sounds like someting loose is clunking around.

I thought it may be a bad shock absorber or something loose in the steering or suspension but, everything there appears normal. The shock is fine, all the steering joints are tight, there's nothing out of place under the hood.

I'm stumped.

Any ideas on what I should check next?

PS - I hate this. I sound like the non-car guys at work who come up to me and say things like "my car goes clink clink boing when I turn the wipers on, what's wrong with it?"

[Dave]

Id check with a local dealer and see if thee is an a arm bushing problem with that vehicle. The malibu we just traded did that on the right side and the local dealer wrench (he tells me all kinds of good stuff) told me what was wrong a year ago. He said they go at like 35k miles..
Dave

[tomslik]

how's the intermediate steering shaft?
there was a tsb on some chevy trucks for that, if i remember correctly..

[enjenjo]

I had one here that would do that, only on a left turn, over a bump. It was a damaged air dam that was hitting the linkage.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

That might have the one piece sway bar links -  looks like a rod with a small tierod end on each end. Looked good but really clunked on my Trail Blazer.

Charlie

[oiler]

If you checked the frt end and everything is tight I'd head to the Intermediate shaft as Tomslik suggested.
The way to tell if that is what the problem is to unbolt the shaft from the steering box shaft.
Its bolted together almost directly below the master cylinder.
The shaft going into the firewall is the one that gets loose.
I hate to say this :oops: but stroke that shaft in and out about 10 times to get the lube back into the splines.
Reattach it and see if the noise is gone or better.
If it is you can get a lube kit from GM and relube the shaft.
The other thing that we run into here in the cold is the bumper brackets rusting and breaking free from the bumper, sounds just like a loose shock or loose bushing
Jeff

[STEVE1103]

I had the same thing on my 2000 Blazer, did find that the shock has some play in it , tightened up but still have that noise, its been over a year now.

Front end has been all rebuilt too!

[DRD57]

Thanks,

I'll check the steering shaft. That sounds like the most likely culprit.

[BFS57]

Hello;
When you guys find out what wrong, let me know, My '02 Trailblazer has the same problem!

Bruce

[Normspeed]

Don, I looked on Alldata.com for TSBs.  Here's the link: http://www.alldatadiy.com/TSB/11/0411b5fY.html

There are two listed:

#06-08-61-003A (Sept 06) Underbody clunk/noise when turning;

#00-02-35-003K (August 06) Underhood clunk felt in steering wheel

If ya know someone at a Chevy dealer they can fill you in.  Or you can subscribe to Alldata for the big picture.

[brti]

If the shock has the "pin through" eye at the bottom, try jamming something under the shock eye then take it out for a test drive. I've seen it where the flex in the shock rubbers will let the metal eye portion of the shock bottom out and "clunk". it will only do it under severe conditions and not when you bounce the car or pry on it.

Damm thing will drive you nuts.

[DRD57]

tomslick and oiler nailed it.

I disconnected the shaft just like oiler said, then I made sure the neighbors weren't looking and I stroked the shaft several times. I put it back together, test drove it and the noise was gone.

What do I ask for at the Chevy parts dept. to get this thing lubed properly?

Thanks for the help.

[oiler]

The part # for the lube kit is 26098419.
It comes with a syringe filled with synthetic grease and a plug.
real detailed instructions also if you need them (which I doubt will be the case)
Jeff

[DRD57]

The instructions just confused me.

When I disconnected it and stroked the shaft (I can't believe I just said that) it was the part that went into the firewall. The instructions look like I'm supposed to be putting the lube in the lower part that I disconnected.

Is that right?

[oiler]

It is the lower portion of the shaft  that goes through the firewall that has to be lubed.
I usually disconnect the shaft from the base of the steering column and then install the lube kit while it's on the workbench.
Theres a u shaped clip installed in the end of the shaft where the pinch bolt that you removed to disconnect the shaft goes through.
You have to pull out that clip with needle nose pliers ,extend the shaft,shoot the lube in and then install the plug and tighten down the nut to expand the plug.
I put the shaft,plug side down on the bench and kepp working it up and down until the new lube comes out of the splines.
reinstall the clip and then the shaft.
Give er
Jeff