I have been chasing a knock in my 02 1500 4WD chevy front suspension for about 2 months now, and Im going to set the f'n thing on fire...

The noise (deep metal on metal sound) occurs at slow speeds, mostly when only one wheel hits a bump, and its stronger when turning.

I have replaced the idler arm and bracket, and both upper ball joints, all of which were smoked.

I still have the knock...can anyone point out things that they have found that do this.

I have not checked the lower ball joints, either of the control arm bushings, the pittman arm, or tie rod ends. I am not sure if the torsion bars have bushings, so I don't now if those are the culprits.

Can someone please put these items in order of probability to cause my problem...

control arm bushings
lower ball joints
torsion bar bushings
pittman arm
tie rod ends

Thanks, this is killing me.

 

Try the steering shaft lube

 

put the torsion bar bushings at the bottom of your list as there are no bushings.

 

Front CV joints?

 

Put it in 4wd and see if it get worse. Or hammer on it and see if it breaks!!!!

 

Sounds like a front CV as stated above or something really freaky like a hood hitting the rubber stops....it's happened to me before..lol

 

You usually can tell if you turn the wheel all the way one direction from a stop and start to accelerate if it clicks or makes the noise your talking about then that might be it, your 4WD would have to be on. At least that is how you tell on a FWD rice burner.

 

What year truck? The 99's and up have issues with the intermediate steering shaft knocking. I had mine replaced once under warranty, and have lubed it once since. I recently performed the lube procedure on my friend's 02 Silverado also. It's a temporary fix, more of a maintenance item, but mine has been quiet for a few years now since I last lubed it...although it hasn't seen alot of miles.

 

little info that I forgot...

2002, 118,xxx miles
the problem doesn't go away, or get worse in 4WD,

got it, no torsion bar bushings

steering shaft is a point of interest...I notice that if I am driving down a road that is not smoothly paved, no pot holes, but you get it, bumpy, thats when I hear it the most. The front shocks are new too.

What does the steering shaft lube mean?

The arm coming from the steering box to the tie rods, or is it something else?

thanks

 

Steering shaft lube is just thick grease that the dealers put in there to stop the knocking. Gm was doing this under warranty. BUT I think now, GM has stopped doing this and they take the shaft out, move it in and out and re-install. GM is doing this I think up to 50k, then you are screwed and have to do it yourself.