Loose caliper bolt could cause those issues as the caliper can move around. If it is the caliper bracket to steering knuckle bolt I put blue loctite on those. Then if it's the slide bolts, I use blue loctite and torque them but I usually put it inside the threads on the caliper bracket so it doesn't get on the outside and bind anything. The play you have is in the gearing, it's there so that all of the internal parts can move without binding. The transfer case and rear differential also will have some movement like that. If you have ever used 4 wheel drive on a solid surface and felt the truck "bunny hop" when trying to turn in a tight circle, that is torque wrap. The hop is caused when one of the tires loses traction and all of the play in the driveline frees up, then it gets removed as soon as it has traction again and the cycle repeats until you stop the tight turning or something breaks. The other item that can make a clunk in the driveline are the universal joints. They can wear and become loose or they can start binding due to seal failure letting moisture in. For those you get either end of the truck off the ground and try turning the driveshaft, listen for squeaks or clunks if you rotate the driveshaft back and forth.
Jul 24, 2026 at 5:49 PM
