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Clunking Noise Over Potholes? Suspension Check Guide
Aug 12, 2025
Hearing a clunk when you hit potholes? Our suspension check guide helps you figure out what’s causing that annoying noise and how to inspect your car’s suspension. Great for DIYers and car owners wanting to stay safe! Subscribe for more easy car maintenance tips. #SuspensionNoise #CarClunking #AutoRepair #CarMaintenance
View Video Transcript
0:00
Clunking when you hits a pothole. Yeah,
0:02
that sound is your car's way of saying,
0:04
"Hey buddy, something's loose down
0:06
here." I'm Tom from Car Justify, and
0:08
I've been under enough cars to tell you
0:09
clunks don't fix themselves. But finding
0:12
the source is usually easier than people
0:13
think. If you hear a deep solid thunk
0:16
when you go over bumps, the first thing
0:17
I check is the sway bar links, also
0:20
called stabilizer links. They're like
0:22
little connecting rods between the sway
0:23
bar and your suspension arms, and
0:25
they've got ball joints at each end.
0:27
When those joints wear out, the link can
0:29
rattle or knock every time the wheel
0:31
moves independently. I've seen this a
0:33
100 times. Cheap part, easy fix. Next,
0:36
control arm bushings. Think of these as
0:38
the suspension's shock absorbers for
0:40
metal parts. They keep everything snug
0:42
while letting it move a little. When the
0:44
rubber cracks or splits, the arm bangs
0:46
against the mounting point over bumps.
0:48
You can usually spot bad bushings by
0:50
looking for torn rubber or even shiny
0:52
metal where it's been rubbing. Don't
0:54
forget the struts or shocks. If the
0:57
mounting bolts are loose or the top
0:58
mount, called a strut mount, is worn
1:00
out, you can get a clunk that sounds
1:02
like it's coming from inside the fender.
1:04
Fun fact, a buddy of mine replaced his
1:07
shocks but forgot to torque the top nut
1:09
properly. Drove him crazy for weeks
1:11
until we found it. Also, check your ball
1:13
joints. These are basically pivot points
1:15
that let your wheels steer and move up
1:17
and down. If they're worn, you'll
1:19
sometimes feel the clunk through the
1:20
steering wheel. You can jack up the car,
1:22
grab the wheel at 6 and 12:00, and see
1:25
if there's play, but make sure the car
1:27
is supported safely before you go
1:28
yanking on it. Tie rod ends can make
1:31
similar noises, especially if they're
1:33
loose in the steering knuckle. Usually,
1:35
these give more of a tap you can feel
1:37
through the wheel, but over big
1:38
potholes, it blends right in with other
1:40
suspension clunks. Here's a quick tip.
1:43
When you're chasing suspension noises,
1:45
don't just listen from the driver's
1:47
seat. Have a friend bounce the car up
1:49
and down while you watch and listen from
1:51
outside. You'd be amazed how obvious a
1:53
loose part becomes when you're standing
1:55
right next to it. So, in short, sway bar
1:59
links, control arm bushings, strut
2:01
mounts, ball joints, and tie rod ends
2:03
are your top suspects. Start with the
2:06
cheapest and easiest to check and work
2:07
your way up. Catch it early and you'll
2:09
save yourself bigger repair bills and a
2:11
whole lot of pothole drama. All right,
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that's it for today. If this helped you
2:15
zero in on that clunk, give the video a
2:18
thumbs up, hit subscribe, and drop your
2:20
own mystery noise story in the comments.
2:22
I might even cover it in the next video.
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