2003 Chevy Silverado Light Clunk from Front End

ACTAEON

MEMBER
2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
110,000 MILES

Hi,

I have noticed when turning the wheel left, my silverado makes a noticeable clunk coming from the front end. (Inaudiable as to which side). The clunk can be felt in the steering wheel. Also as a side note, both front tires have 10k miles on them, and both are scalloping on the inside of the tire. I have had the vehicle aligned, balanced, rotated, new front shocks, and fully inspected. The vehicle IS driven daily on a dirt/lime rock road, however both mechanics say everything is "Tight" in the front end. Please help solve this mystery, and I am really tired of the "slapping" noise it makes now that the tires are scalloped :).

Thanks

5 Replies

DENNYP

MECHANIC
1,824 POSTS

The steering intermediate shaft probably needs lubed or replaced. Driving on roads like this will destroy almost any tire.

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Sunday, February 24th, 2008 AT 1:22 AM

ACTAEON

MEMBER
3 POSTS

The steering intermediate shaft probably needs lubed or replaced. Driving on roads like this will destroy almost any tire.

Is there another name for the "Intermediate Shaft"? I have been trying to locate that on partsamerica and can't find it? I've also heard recently that it could be the hub assemblys. Do you think that the hub assemblys would cause this tire wear?

Thanks again!

Dale

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Friday, March 21st, 2008 AT 7:35 AM

THE FACTORY MAN

MEMBER
50 POSTS

That is the correct name for the component. Someone else may be able to come up with a "slang" name for it but I always prefer to use the proper name. This shaft is located between the bottom end of the steering column and the steering gear. I agree that this shaft probably needs to be lubricated or replaced.

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Friday, March 21st, 2008 AT 11:22 AM

ACTAEON

MEMBER
3 POSTS

OK, found the part, thanks so much for the advise. One last question, will the worn shaft actually cause tire wear, or is the scalloped tire wear just from driving on the poor surfaced road. I just think it's really strange that my tires keep doing this?

Thanks again for the help, it's so hard to find anyone that will give you honest un-motivated answers :)

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Friday, March 21st, 2008 AT 3:13 PM

THE FACTORY MAN

MEMBER
50 POSTS

The tread patterns on some tires can show unusual wear patterns if they are not rotated as recommended. Some tire designs are more susceptable to this than others. Are you sure your suspension components and shocks are in good shape. Are you sure the wheel alignment is correct? Show the tire wear to the shop that aligned the wheels and see what they say. If you are sure these items are good, I would rotate the tires to even out the wear. The roads you are driving on sure could be a factor in tires wearing out a little sooner than they would on a contrete highway. Are your tires properly inflated? The intermediate shaft will not cause tire wear.