Front Suspension Issue - Clunking and Cupping

cupping can be an alignment issue since it's pretty much like the tire is dragged while its turning. feathering across the surface of tire would be more like a bad strut and the tire would be hopping along the road scuffing it. inside edge tire wear is most likely a camber issue and the toe is out slighty also. worn suspenion parts can also cause cupping/feathering but it would be more across the tire imo.

to check the tire rods...jack up 1 side of the car and get the tire just enough of the ground so it isn't touching. face the wheel and grab both sides of it, push the outer edge and pull the other side so you are rocking it side to side. It would help if someone was with you so you or the other person could look and the tie-rod end. If it's bad it will feel loose and have alot of movement where it mounts to the knuckle, the same for the inner. The inner will feel sloppy and have alot of movement in and out, do the same for the other side.

The lower ball joints, check them after the tie rods. with the car in the air just enough to clear the ground but enough room to a get a large pry bar or long 2x4 under or even a long peice of pipe under it. place the pry bar under the tire and pry up and down while having someone look at the ball joint, there shouldn't be any movement or bounce where the ball joint mount to the knuckle, if you see play it's no good.

wheel bearings should not have large amounts of play. when you do the rod check and are rocking the wheel side to side you might feel a very slight amount of movement in the wheel from play in the hub. if it wobbles alot check the bearings. basically everything should feel tight and move side to side and up and down nice and tight, if something is wrong you feel it and or hear it.

I had a similar problem after replacing the rack and inner tie rods. Alignment was completely out, even by eye. This made a wierd clunk sound, again from the drivers side.
Had the alignment done and it's been fine ever since. I didn't figure out what was actually making the sound.

On my 91 GT the original ball joints are non-greasable and have visual wear indicators that protrude downwards towards the ground. These are checked with the car sitting unsupported on the ground.

The balljoints come as part of the entire control arm, and must be replaced as a unit.

blackstangt said:

One other thing, the sway bar bushings that mount to the apron, could they cause this if they're messed up?

Click to expand...

That was my first thought when OP mentioned having to turn before the clunking noise showed itself. More than a decade ago I had a similar problem and replacing the front sway bar bushings with urethane bushings fixed the problem. Apparently the old bushing tore and the bar pushed through it knocking on the mount/frame during every slow right turn. It's a cheap upgrade even if it's not the problem.