A heavyish clunk noticable when pulling away. Sounds like something "taking up the slack".

What could it be?

2004 2.0 JTD 16v.

Handbrake cable siezing?
Driveshaft CV's worn?

I very much doubt it's anythying to do with the handbrake - when pulling away, i.e. letting the clutch out and moving off from stationary, there's a clonk. It could be something in the drive train - a ball joint, maybe - something like that. I don't know what commonly goes on these vans. I've also knoticed something's not quite right cornering when there's a bumpy road, too - perhaps there's clonking then, too.

Check all the wishbone and subframe bolts and mountings for tightness and wear, it will certainly be in there somewhere.

Zog said:

I very much doubt it's anythying to do with the handbrake - when pulling away, i.e. letting the clutch out and moving off from stationary, there's a clonk. It could be something in the drive train - a ball joint, maybe - something like that. I don't know what commonly goes on these vans. I've also knoticed something's not quite right cornering when there's a bumpy road, too - perhaps there's clonking then, too.

Click to expand...

I mentioned the handbrake because I had this with mine, you have a drum and shoes on the back wheels...mine were sticking and did not release immediately giving a clonk every time the wheel moved as I pulled away...good clean up and copper lube cured.

Sounds yours may be bottom swivel of wishbone....you can only check for wear in those with the van body jacked up on axel stands and the wheel hanging loose...tyre lever on the ball will reveal if any movement...expensive replacement, you have to replace the entire wishbone.

CV's worth checking too....find a bit of space and do a hard steering lock turn in each direction under power....if they are worn you will hear it!

At least part of it's coming from (probably) the offside front.

If I trickle along slowly and touch the brake, there's a clonk. When I press the accelerator there's another. Also when cornering sometimes or going over bumps.

Another possibility could be the suspension strut top bearing? Or even as I found after having a steering box replaced all the bolts holding the subframe were cross threaded and not tight....

Another thought....Anti Roll bar bushes?

jack it up and have a look don't just drive it listening for noises

I took it to National, who spent 3/4 hr looking at it, and also got underneath. After much levering and thumping, nothing was found bar "slight play in the tie rod inner joint" (on the rack), and they did not sound very convinced about it. £165 all in.

Clunk clunk still there. I will try to test in on corners.

I know this doesn't sound plausible but we had a similar clonk which only generally showed itself when pulling away. We checked the ball joints strut tops and even changed the drive shafts. Then someone told me the wheel bearings don't show the usual symptoms when worn and the can clonk. We changed the F/N/S wheel bearing even though we couldn't really detect any play or rumble in it and that definitely cured our clonk!

That's interesting, thanks. I am forming the impression that all isn't well when going through left-hand sweeping though tightish bends. It seems to steer too much in, which leads to a reaction by the driver to twitch the wheel right!

However, this could be just me. It might do the same on RH bends. I will have to pick a wide empty road and give it a shimmy. Again, I have had a look under and I can't see play anywhere. It'll go for another check on Saturday.

Reading all the symptoms you list have a feeling in me waters its the anti roll bar moving in worn rubber mount brackets....begetters to replace unless you can find the wrap round ones.

Zog, Have you found the cause of your "clunk" yet?

No, it's been looked at by another quick-fit mob, it'll have to go in for a good look at by someone. There seems to be quite a noticeable lurch in LH corners, which I'm making consideration for, but RH ones are OK.

I don't know what to do about this. I can't see what's wrong, another garage can't either.

There's a nasty jerk ("oversteer"?) on LH bends, possibly when exiting the corner, made worse I think if there's power on going through the corner. It's necessary to expect and compensate by a twitch of the streering to the right. This does not happen on RH corners, where everything is as it should be.

I think I'll have to stop using the van, and use a flaming bicycle, if I can't get a handle on this, or crawl all around LH corners at 30 MPH...

I seem to be having a similar problem, after jacking it up this morning I noticed that the bush on the round bar which goes across the axle is shot- trying to locate a new bush is a nightmare as looks like a Panhard rod but I thought it was a torsion rod, fuming trying to locate this bush!

Friend of mine had a similar problem, turned out to be the drop links, worth having a look

Zog, have you had any luck yet? Took mine in, both gaters are worn away on the shocks and the mech said the offside rear looks shot, being changed Thursday to gas and see if it changes anything, he seems to think all the bushes are ok but the rear beam bush does look pretty naff to me so I might just get that changed as well. I shall let you know the outcome as have the same problem, mine really does not like left hand bends and it is definitely the rear end that sounds like it is hanging out.

I've got to get 4 new tyres, will see whether they can see anything then, bearing in mind the recent info in this thread.