when i rotated my tires yesterday i inspected my rear brake assembly and noticed there was a little bit of play when i would try and spin the wheel. could this be what is causing my clunk when i come to a complete stop. but it also happens occasionally when i let off the brakes after stopping completely. like the shaft is spinning without engaging the universal for a split second. any suggestions how i can repair this spending the least amount of money?

 

The clunk could be a combination of things. When the suspension is unloaded your rear end sits at a set angle to the ground. When you accelerate that angle is increased pushing the driveshaft into the back of the transmission - clunk. The play in the wheel could be a worn pinion. Combine this with the suspension flex and the force is amplified - clunk. Your universal joints may be ready for replacement depending on the age and mileage on the vehicle. This too can result in play and amplify the force - clunk.

Start with the universal joints as these pose more of a safety issue than an inconvenience. For the most part the clunk is not going away. There is a temporary fix for the driveshaft that, in my opinion, is not worth the time and trouble.

You can check some of the related post for additional information.

 

Sometimes you can't get around it, just deaden it a little. My 99' clunks when putting it in reverse, so did my 91'. Thats after new u-joints, grease job on yoke, and on the 91' a rear end rebuild. What is the year?

There is always play in the rear on trucks anyhow. Everything is so bulky and heavy duty compared to a car that its hard to get it 100% tight especially with mileage on it. Plus a truck has a longer drive shaft then a car and transfer case if 4wd which adds to (or amplifies) the play.

 

obviously not 100% sure but it sounds to me like you need to replace your universals. they are like 20 bucks apice i think but not the easiest thing to install. depends on how comfortable you are doing it yourself. you might check with a shop to see how much they will charge. good luck!

 

U-joints are easy to replace if you have the time and a place to do it. Suggested tools would be a hammer, torch, ratchet and sockets or a set of wrenches. Grease on hand would be a good idea too. U-joints are like $8 - $15, something like that.

 

I just replaced mine with greasable u-joints for $17.50 a pop @ our local Napa. Like Jcbst said grease, sockets n rachets, hammer, and possibly a torch to loosen the u-joint a little and your set. Just make sure you mark exactly how your driveshaft came off and your set.

 

I'm an old guy (well almost an old guy) been working on trucks for 28 years. Don't worry abount the clunk thing. New trucks with 20 k do it too. As for the U joints, when worn they sometimes make a crack sound (not a clunk)when you shift an automatic into gear, or with a standard as the clutch just starts to bite. As they wear more they start to squeak with each turn of the drive shaft when starting from a stop. You can tell if they are worn by dropping the drive shaft, twist the joints and see how they feel. A little tight is okay. What you are feeling for is roughness. I've seen worn U joints ignored for so long that the spider wore completely through the cup and started wearing into the shaft. The almost old guy; 97 K1500 regular cab short bed, 5.7 with 5 speed. Also have a 2006 C1500 extended cab, 4.8 automatic. The 97 is my favorite.................

 

I have the same problem the original poster mentioned and nobody seemed to have a foggy clue what I was talking about when I posted this same subject up like 3 weeks ago, LOL!

Anyways, I'm gonna stick with the old guys advice and not worry about it unless I notice it get worse... or if I notice my driveshaft doing cartwheels behind me on the highway. By the way I have seen that happen!