Noise when braking...

[02-TJ]

I have an 02 Wrangler with 26,000 miles. The front end clunks when braking, a single clunk only when first applying the brakes. It does not always happen, but seems to get worse when going over bumps. But when it does happen, I can actually apply the brakes over and over, and have the clunk happen over and over. I have looked at the track bar bushings, and they "look" good. I have to pull them apart to verify. But, would the track bar cause a noise when applying the brakes? (The noise is from the front left) I took it to the dealer, and they have no clue. I checked to make sure the calipers were tight, and I made sure the wheels were tight.

Also, the front brakes were replaced about 3 months ago. The noise only started happening a week ago. Any suggestions?

 

[graewulf]

Now the tires.....

check:

caliper mount bolts
brake pads (may have slop, allowing them to shift)
ball joints
wheel bearings
I'm sure there are others....

slop in any of these can cause a clunk when braking. if its the pads, don't worry about it, some do this.

 

[Snitty]

i stress making sure you caliper bolts can slide in and out easily..

 

[2000wrangler]

i has a clunking noise in the front and the dealer told me that i had dry grease fitting in the front. he said to grease them every oil change. i also had a sway bar end link that was shot and was slidding back and forth making a clunking sound every time the suspension moved

 

[Snitty]

haha.. i think "clunk" is the most commonly used word for describing a noise on a vehicle