The clunk you hear on a driveway at an angle
There is a particular noise many drivers know without being able to place. Pulling into a sloped driveway or a parking lot entrance at an angle, so that one front wheel rises before the other, something underneath clunks or knocks. On a straight road it is silent.
That pattern points quite specifically. When one side of the vehicle rises before the other, the suspension twists, and the parts that link the two sides together are loaded in a way they never are on smooth pavement.
Sway bar links are a common source. They connect the anti-roll bar to the suspension on each side, and when their joints wear, they knock exactly in this situation. They are usually a modest repair.
Sway bar bushings that have worn or dried out can creak or clunk in the same conditions.
Ball joints and other joints can make a similar noise, and they matter more, because they hold the wheel in position. A clunk should not be assumed to be the cheap part.
Describe it precisely
The more specifically you describe the noise, the faster it is found. Which side it seems to come from, whether it happens turning left or right into the driveway, at what speed, and whether it is a single knock or a rattle.
If you can reproduce it at will on a particular entrance, say so. A noise that can be made to happen on demand is a noise that can be found.
Nearby stores
Fenton and Washington also offer suspension repair.
About this store
The De Soto store is managed by Cathy Bequette.
See the national suspension repair page for all 34 locations.