Help! '07 Yukon slapping/clunking sound in front drivers side

[Northern Ont]

Hey folks;
I've got a different slapping/clunking sound from the front drivers side. First time I heard it I thought I had run something over, checked the mirrors but nothing. I had just pulled out of a parking spot and was just driving thru town, maybe doing 40 km/h, made this weird (and fairly loud - from the inside at least) repetitive slapping/clunking noise while I was driving straight, no steering input and no brakes. Maybe every 3 or 4 seconds, did it 3 times over 3 or 400 yards then stopped. Wasn't accelerating hard or anything. So wrong frequency for a tire or CV joint or accessory belt problem, but that's what it sounded like, almost like something that was stuck to the tire and slapping the wheel well hard. Didn't do it again for more than a week, then this morning same noise but while I was braking and turning into a parking lot, then while I backed out of the spot later it made a weird creaking/slapping/clunking sound then nothing since. The transfer case was in auto all the times it happened.
There is one other side note, we've had this Yukon for a couple years now, and sometimes when you are in auto, when you take off from a stop sign or something, if it's in Auto, it feels like one set (front or rear) are slipping for a second, then it all hooks up. Only problem is that you are on dry pavement. Not sure if this is normal, I don't think it is. I'm thinking the tranny or something in the drivetrain is slipping and shouldn't be.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The dealership here is not the greatest. I'm planning to take the tire off tomorrow and have a look in there see if there is anything obvious.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[awray]

Do you have auto ride suspension?

 

[jcg2188]

I would take it out of auto and just drive in 2wd unless necessary. But maybe it could be a tire out of balance or your wheel well liner flapping due to the wind?

 

[KMeloney]

I second the motion to take the truck out of Auto. It shouldn't be in Auto full-time, unless it's always icy/slippery where you are.

Not sure what else could be going on, noise-wise...

 

[Northern Ont]

Hey guys;
Roger on the Auto. Put it into 2 on the weekend. I don't have auto ride on it. I spoke to the service manager here and told him about the 'slipping' that has been occurring in the drive line prior to this noise. He suggested the same thing, take it out of auto and see if it still happens. He thought maybe if something is slipping, the front end could be attempting to engage, and causing the clunking. It's plausible.
Anyway, I had a good look under the Yukon tonight, and there is nothing obvious, although the front left wheel bearing has 1/8" of play, so I'm going to replace that for starters. I have changed a number of different front wheel bearings over the years, but never had a bearing give me that heavy clunking sound. They usually whine or whirr a little and you can make them noisier by turning and putting weight on or off of them.... Any of you guys ever had other noises with bearings?
But a bearing wouldn't be intermittent.... It has made the noise 2 or 3 times over the last week and a half of regular driving.
Very strange...

Anyway, any other suggestions would be helpful. I know what happens if you go to the dealer with an intermittent problem... You come home alot lighter in the wallet with the same vehicle problems....
Thanks,

Rob

 

[Northern Ont]

Update:

So I was out of town for the weekend, and on the way home on Sunday the ABS and Stabil-trac (or whatever it is) lights came on together with similar messages in the DIC while I was on the highway.

My conclusion is that the play in the front wheel bearing (which I got replaced under the 160 000 km 5 yr warranty this morning (YES!!!) had begun to affect those two system sensors in that wheel. They must have been sending funky information to the computer, and it was trying to compensate by possibly braking or trying to engage that wheel with the Auto 4WD system... Which is what probably was causing the clunking/groaning/slapping from the front right side.

Phew... I was imagining the worst... Front Diff, Tranny.
Although I hope I'm not posting this too soon, time will tell if the clunking has been fixed, although it does all make sense.

Friggin' smart vehicles... I hate them. Alas, that is a rant for another thread.

I checked the wheel this morning and the bearing was SIGNIFICANTLY sloppier. I was very very surprised at how fast it went from the almost no slop in the bearing to full slop wow shouldn't be driving this....

Anyway, hope this helps someone else in the same boat sometime. Thanks for the suggestions.

Rob

 

[DStockton]

Good info. Thanks