Popping when I turn.

[bigjim350]

When the wheels are straight, if i turn a little one way or the other there is a loud pop coming from the front end. Happens while moving and while stopped. Had my wife turn the steering wheel back and forth while I looked under it. Could hear the sound but couldnt say anything that had any play in it. So what do ya think it is? Gonna grease everything tomorrow and see if it helps. My guess is that its the balljoints, but its just a guess....

[4.3LXJ]

I had that happen. Turned out to be a dry lower ball joint

[bigjim350]

Yeah im also thinking its something dry. Havent greased the balljoints since I bought the xj....and its been through hell.

[4.3LXJ]

Lowers cannot be greased. But you can grease the uppers.

[Mudderoy]

When the wheels are straight, if i turn a little one way or the other there is a loud pop coming from the front end. Happens while moving and while stopped. Had my wife turn the steering wheel back and forth while I looked under it. Could hear the sound but couldnt say anything that had any play in it. So what do ya think it is? Gonna grease everything tomorrow and see if it helps. My guess is that its the balljoints, but its just a guess....

I had a pop only occasionally turned out to be factory track bar with 150k on it.

[cantab27]

check these bolts jim...same thing once ....couldn't see anything under it moving but found these loose causing a popping sound....

http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr52/cantab27/Image060.jpg

[bigjim350]

I had a pop only occasionally turned out to be factory track bar with 150k on it.

Well I just rebuilt the trackbar with a new TRE, but I thought it could be the trackbar mount since ive had it off a few times. But I re-checked the bolts and they are still super tight.

[Mudderoy]

Well I just rebuilt the trackbar with a new TRE, but I thought it could be the trackbar mount since ive had it off a few times. But I re-checked the bolts and they are still super tight.

On mine I think it was the upper ball joint.

[prerunner1982]

I also have a loud popping noise in the front end when I turn, but it is on the driver's side and I believe it to be the track bar. Let us know what you find Jim, may be one more thing for me too look at. I probably need to look at the ball joints....with 240K on the odometer I am not sure when they were changed last....if ever.

[denverd1]

just went through my steering stuff and now have a similar pop. I'll check the trackbar mount as you fellas suggest. FWIW i replaced the steering gear, added a dropped pitman arm, and replaced the TRE that mounts to pitman.

[Mudderoy]

just went through my steering stuff and now have a similar pop. I'll check the trackbar mount as you fellas suggest. FWIW i replaced the steering gear, added a dropped pitman arm, and replaced the TRE that mounts to pitman.

After thinking about it, I remember mine would pop when I was backing out of the garage and that little lip, maybe 1" high, it would pop when the front tires dropped down.

Then when I was backing out and turning my steering wheel in the parking garage at work. Otherwise I never heard it.

[NW99XJ]

More often times than not this can be related to the trackbar mount. Just like Cantab27 pointed out, those two bolts on the side (and remember there are two more underneath,) can "appear" to be tight, but it only takes a 1/4 of a thread to produce enough play to create this sound. We're talking the entire front of the XJ's weight fighting against the urge to move over the axle... there's a lot of force at work here. And I know these arent the easiest to get a fair amount of force on. You may have the coil spring in the way on one, oil/tranny lines and other things in the way underneath, not to mention the little room in that cavity in the frame rail that they provide for access to the lowers.

I've dealt with this issue more times than i care to remember, even having to stop on the trail sometimes to tighten things up because it sounded like I was going to break something. I have a double shear drop bracket for my track bar mount, and it STILL gave me this same issue even after I went up a grade and size in hardware, loctited it, and torqued it down super good. I've finally resorted to throwing a couple tack welds on it just to keep it on place. I'll still periodically check the nuts/bolts for tightness, as they are still the primary mounting method.

[bluedragon436]

I have a nice popping sound in my front end every now again when I turn.. And now I find my steering wheel is a bit turned when I am driving straight... So I am going to check my track bar mount as well as my drag link, as I have heard that the little adjustment part of it tends to come loose and can even crack over time..

[prcjeep]

What about your frame side control arm mounts? Or did you recently replace them... idk.

my guess.... something loose. I finally found what looks to be all the poping I have in the front end and it the lower arm frame side bushing kit things from RC. I have about a 1/8"-1/4" movement when twisting a little left and right and its loud and it gives me DW. Luckly RC is going to warranty them for me :)

Also noises used to come from the axle side control arm mount bolt getting loose and wollowing out the mount hole a bit to make the popping

[nickxj94]

check these bolts jim...same thing once ....couldn't see anything under it moving but found these loose causing a popping sound....

http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr52/cantab27/Image060.jpg

That is what was popping on my 2000 xj i replaced the mount cause it wouldn't tighten anymore then found a crack in it when I pulled it off

[bluedragon436]

What about your frame side control arm mounts? Or did you recently replace them... idk.

my guess.... something loose. I finally found what looks to be all the poping I have in the front end and it the lower arm frame side bushing kit things from RC. I have about a 1/8"-1/4" movement when twisting a little left and right and its loud and it gives me DW. Luckly RC is going to warranty them for me :)

Also noises used to come from the axle side control arm mount bolt getting loose and wollowing out the mount hole a bit to make the popping

I'm wondering if these are not both possibliities for my popping and my DW at the same time... I have actually been thinking about it more.. I just wish I could tell when I have the DW whether it is the axle moving back and forth side to side or if it is moving forward and aft.. then I'd know if that was what was causing the DW.. then I could figure out if it is the cause of the popping when I turn sometimes if it stopped after I replaced the bushings.. Then agian my bushing replacement won't be as easy as yours.. since I have rubber bushings at both ends that would have to be pressed out and press new ones in..

[prcjeep]

I'm wondering if these are not both possibliities for my popping and my DW at the same time... I have actually been thinking about it more.. I just wish I could tell when I have the DW whether it is the axle moving back and forth side to side or if it is moving forward and aft.. then I'd know if that was what was causing the DW.. then I could figure out if it is the cause of the popping when I turn sometimes if it stopped after I replaced the bushings.. Then agian my bushing replacement won't be as easy as yours.. since I have rubber bushings at both ends that would have to be pressed out and press new ones in..

Now that i think about it, as long as ive had the popping ive had at least a little bit of DW tendencies. When everything that I have replaced, I still have the same popping noises, which leads me to believe that its from the control arms

[bluedragon436]

Yeah I was hoping to avoid wasting the money.. I mean it know it is good to have good steering parts anyways... but that is a wanted upgrade over time, and would like to spend what little bit of spare money I have on whatever will hopefully take care of the DW and popping sounds.. mainly the DW issue right now...

[nickxj94]

The frame mount caused my popping and dw, I replaced trackbar with a adjustable one and got the mount from my parts xj only problem I have now is bump steer I need to fix

[prcjeep]

The frame mount caused my popping and dw, I replaced trackbar with a adjustable one and got the mount from my parts xj only problem I have now is bump steer I need to fix

bumpsteer, man that shit was annoying! when i replaced my tie rod end on the frame side mount of the track bar it was taken care of :D

[nickxj94]

bumpsteer, man that shit was annoying! when i replaced my the tie rod end on the frame side mount of the track bar it was taken care of :D

yeah all my frontend parts are still factory on the 00xj lol at 170k im sure there worn out.:rolleyes:

[Mudderoy]

Andy (@ ironman4x4fab.com) built one hell of a track bar with unibody rail to rail support that I really liked, but it isn't offered on his site. It was about $275 if I remember. Nice stuff.

Just before I became aware of Andy's stuff, I bought some RC replacements.

Tie rod and track bar. I went for the heavy duty track bar.

http://store.4wheelingplus.com/images/rr-adjustable-track-bar-jeep-xj-zj.jpg

[bluedragon436]

If I figure out that my track bar is the issue as far as the death wobble and most likely the pop in the front end when I turn too, I think I'll def be hitting Andy up about his... I would like to pick it up eventually anyways... so if my track bar is the culprit here... I guess I'll be hitting him up with an email, as I haven't seen him on here in a little bit..

[bigjim350]

Well I greased the balljoints, re-tightened all the bolt on the trackbar mount, installed new trackbar TRE last week, have already rebuilt the flex joints on my control arms, and intalled new rubber bushings on my control arms on the axle end......still pops WTF?

[4.3LXJ]

Chase it down to the side if you can.

[bigjim350]

Well if i turn to the left it pops twice on the left side, then when i turn to the right it pops once on the right side :confused:

[cantab27]

well don't turn...simple really.....



no no your welcome

[4.3LXJ]

well don't turn...simple really.....



no no your welcome

Now why didn't I think of that? :stars:

Lower ball joints man. They get dry and cannot be greased

[bigjim350]

Now why didn't I think of that? :stars:

Lower ball joints man. They get dry and cannot be greased

Yeah thats what i was affraid it was. Gonna have to wait till this 700 mile plus trip is done. I figure if they are just now starting to pop they should have a few miles left in em....thats the same thing im figuring for my pinion bearing that is starting to whine. Damn i sure hope it makes the trip...

[4.3LXJ]

If it is lower ball joints, no biggie. They won't go anywhere without you.

[denverd1]

put 33's on, popping went away. Now I just need to align it since I got the dropped pitman arm.