harsh "clunk" occasionally when tran is shifting

[Bluebonnet]

this is a 20003 Ford Ranger; good maintenance including a tranny oil change last spring after a cross-country drive hauling a uhaul trailer. no problems then

this winter, tho, stuck on ice more than once, had to steer hard to get off, the rocking thing where you go forward and back, I was very careful all the same, but now every once and a while I get a "thunk" sound when driving as the automatic shifts into gear.

my mechanic said just service the tranny, i.e, change the oil (again) -

is this enough? honestly I don't see what dif this will make -

 

[29662]

Does it only happen when you first put it in drive?

 

[SrDriver]

Universal Joint and not transmission issue?

 

[Astro14]

More details would help: which gear? At what speed? What throttle?

Clunks/thunks/bumps can be many things: low line pressure in the trans itself, caused by internal wear, or tired fluid, or as simple as trans/engine mounts that are gone....don't forget to check your u-joints while you're under there...

 

[exranger06]

Common problem on Rangers. There's a TSB for it. Lubricate the slip yoke.

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/drivetrain-tech/54768-anyone-experincing-driveshaft-thump-clunk.html

 

[tstep]

2002 explorer here w/ 5r55 transmission. Clunk into reverse and a hard 3-4 shift. After some research online, seems to be a symptom of a sticking solenoid. New solenoid pack or Andy's bore fix.

 

[Bluebonnet]

no - it's definitely when driving and accelerating or decelerating - the shift has always been very subtle, almost inperceptible so this is a definite change which is why I noticed it.

 

[Bluebonnet]

my question is also what could I have damaged/worn when trying to get off the ice? I've been worried it was the clutch -

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Your automatic doesn't have a clutch, per se. If you were rocking between forward and reverse, you wouldn't be going fast enough for the torque converter clutch to engage.

How long/hard did you rock the truck?

 

[Bluebonnet]

it's my understanding there is a clutch there that's how it works to engage the transmission - it's just not manual is all

don't know how to gauge how hard I rocked it, not as bad as some folks I've seen, but it was difficult sometimes to get out, even with the kitty litter I put down on the ice - and I didn't have this sound until after the last time I was stuck and had difficulty getting out -

can a U joint get damaged this way?

 

[Bluebonnet]

please see my latest replies

 

[29662]

Originally Posted By: Bluebonnet
it's my understanding there is a clutch there that's how it works to engage the transmission - it's just not manual is all

don't know how to gauge how hard I rocked it, not as bad as some folks I've seen, but it was difficult sometimes to get out, even with the kitty litter I put down on the ice - and I didn't have this sound until after the last time I was stuck and had difficulty getting out -

can a U joint get damaged this way?


There's no clutch, it's a clutch pack. What you're describing sounds like the slip yoke clunk that plagues various ford RWD vehicles. Grease it and check all your u joints while you're down there as well.

 

[Bluebonnet]

ok thanks -

I'm going to the mechanic in the morning - do you think I still need to have the tranny oil changed? will that make any dif, especially since it was just done a year ago, and it hasn't been that many miles at all -