Loud Clunk When Selecting Drive and Reverse

[Raskolnikov]

Good morning. I've been casually looking for a clean Typhoon for many, many years (as you can tell from my join date) and I finally have the means to pick one up now that the kids are getting older. I test drove a very clean truck yesterday, but one thing that worried me was a loud clunking sound when I put the truck into drive or reverse. The truck would "lurch" slightly at the same time - not like it was going to take off and run someone over, but I could definitely feel it. I'm aware that hard shifts aren't uncommon for the 4L60, but I wasn't expecting this.

A search on this forum makes me think it could be related to the U joints, but I thought I'd post this and see if anyone offered other input.

Thanks in advance for any help.

By the way, the "Syclone/Typhoon Buyer's Guide" was extremely helpful during my inspection. Hats off to its creator!

 

[Slyclone]

Sounds like trans adjustment out.

could indicate a new trans/rebuild and not set, or adjusted properly at the linkage.

I had some crazy idiot who told me he been building transmissions for years.. after I simply had him install .. just install a low mile gmc typhoon transmission in exchange for the weak one. Switching them out. I even bought the low mile trans off a board member here. Anyway after I got the keys and started it put in gear it was like a stick of dynamite went off. Seriously.. I ducked and cringed wating for the drive shaft to come through the truck.

Had to get out run in and ask the dumb mfer if he even test drove the truck. He assured me he did and I walked out of there knowing he had no idea how to set the vehicle up.

Might shed some light on the issue.

 

[Raskolnikov]

The seller said he had not done a rebuild (he's owned it for the past 10 years), and I can't believe he's tolerated it for 10 years, so it must have a been a recent development.

 

[92 Ty 1173]

I bought my truck with 60k and it had a very noticable lurch when I would select a gear, no cluck though. It has the original trans so I always took it as thats what they do. If it would clunk without moving then I would say u-joint. You can check the u-joints while parked as long as its on a level surface. Reach under and try to rotate the driveshaft and look/feel for play in the assembly.

 

[IGottaSy]

In my case, the truck had lowering blocks installed wrong. The misaligned rearend was ramming the driveshaft into the transfer case (which had been replaced by previous owner). Took the blocks out and that issue was fixed. Did a write up with pictures. The metal to metal sound was more pronounced on the passenger side for some odd reason. The Syclone's rearend suspension is soft. Slapper bars could be a cheap fix on a stock truck for that leafspring flex.

 

[Mephisto]

Might sound silly... but jack the truck up and make sure all the bolts that mount the trans to the block are there. Mine didn't exactly clunk when going into gear, but from a stop in fwd or reverse it would make a clunking noise and then go away once I got up to speed. Turned out 3 bolts were gone and the trans was banging against the block... good stuff.