Huge metal/clunking sound randomly,

[KWRubi]

2020 Gladiator Rubicon 3.6L, 106k km.


After the vehicle is fully warmed up and sits for about 30 minutes, I back out of a parking space, shift to Drive, and after rolling a few meters with light throttle (sometimes with the steering slightly turned), I occasionally get a loud 1–2 second metal grinding/clunking noise from the bottom front( not so sure) . It feels like the whole vehicle shakes during the noise, then everything returns to normal. No warning lights, shifts normally, and it has happened three times. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Can’t obtain a video because it happens so random and so fast and it scares me every time. Suspected the brakes because haven’t touched them till last week but it happened today again after a whole swap of pads and rotors.

Everything stock, needs some advice.

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[Sweetums]

This may seem like the dumb question, but did you leave it in 4WD?

Have you looked under the vehicle for signs of something being amiss, such as loose or missing lug nuts, a missing caliper bolt causing the caliper to rub the inside of the wheel, loose or broken u-joints on the drive shaft, or broken engine/transmission mounts?

 

[KWRubi]

Hello! No I did not leave it in 4WD, nothing seems loose under the truck. One of the calipers seized up before the brake maintenance but it was taken care of already. The technicians checked the u joint and found nothing. The mounts I’m not so sure but I wouldn’t believe that it will break around 70k miles/ 100k km.

 

[Sweetums]

You may need to have someone outside the truck looking under it and listening (or place a GoPro under there) while reversing and moving forward to see if you can replicate the problem. It's not really possible to diagnose a noise that we can't hear. "Metal clunking" could be anything from loose control arm bolts or ovaled out holes to motor mounts, to a failing transfer case or steering problem.

 

[Janster]

The next question… are you able to shift it into all the modes….4Hi, 4lo, etc?

I would double check the calipers & the Ujoints to make sure everything is still tight and installed properly. Nothing against any technicians, but……things can come loose.

 

[Narth]

2020 Gladiator Rubicon 3.6L, 106k km.


After the vehicle is fully warmed up and sits for about 30 minutes, I back out of a parking space, shift to Drive, and after rolling a few meters with light throttle (sometimes with the steering slightly turned), I occasionally get a loud 1–2 second metal grinding/clunking noise from the bottom front( not so sure) . It feels like the whole vehicle shakes during the noise, then everything returns to normal. No warning lights, shifts normally, and it has happened three times. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Can’t obtain a video because it happens so random and so fast and it scares me every time. Suspected the brakes because haven’t touched them till last week but it happened today again after a whole swap of pads and rotors.

Everything stock, needs some advice.

That heavy, shaking metal-on-metal clunk or grind immediately after shifting into Drive is very likely the front axle disconnect (FAD) mechanism or the ABS/Traction Control momentarily pulsing the brakes during the initial steering and acceleration.

 

[Sweetums]

The ABS does a self-check shortly after the vehicle starts to move in drive, but it doesn’t sound like metal-on-metal.

 

[tysongladiator]

That clunking noise could be anything from a loose shock mount or control arm mount to an rod end or steering issue. Maybe install a couple of action cameras underneath, one for each side and see if it shows itself in the video. It cold be something simple as a part improperly torqued.

 

[Commodus]

2020 Gladiator Rubicon 3.6L, 106k km.


After the vehicle is fully warmed up and sits for about 30 minutes, I back out of a parking space, shift to Drive, and after rolling a few meters with light throttle (sometimes with the steering slightly turned), I occasionally get a loud 1–2 second metal grinding/clunking noise from the bottom front( not so sure) . It feels like the whole vehicle shakes during the noise, then everything returns to normal. No warning lights, shifts normally, and it has happened three times. Has anyone experienced something similar?

Can’t obtain a video because it happens so random and so fast and it scares me every time. Suspected the brakes because haven’t touched them till last week but it happened today again after a whole swap of pads and rotors.

Everything stock, needs some advice.

I would start with checking torque on your lower control arms and track bars. I had a similar noise after installing my lower control arm skids and the bolts loosened

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