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pop/crack sound when suspension flexes

olivedrabcj7

NAXJA Member #1384
~6.5" lift. RE drop brackets. sixed upper and lower control arms. adjustable trackbar.

it doesnt do it when im going slow and crawling over say a rock or tree or whatever. but when im turning left into my driveway (slopes up from road), as soon as my front left tire flexes up into the driveway and the weight is unloaded from the left rear, im getting a pretty loud pop or crack sound from what feels like directly under my floorboard or seat. the only other time ive heard it is i had to slam my brakes the other day when a dog ran out in front of me and i heard/felt it when i slammed my brakes. im having trouble deciding wether or not its related to the rear end unloading or if its from a force on the front axle. anybody got any ideas?

here are the things ive checked:
all control arm bolts are tight
trackbar isnt popping
jam nut on trackbar is tight
rear leaf spring bolts are tight.
shackle bolts are snug (not uber tight so they will travel)
all bushings are new
any other ideas?
 
Sounds like your steering linkage is worn out (joints). Mine does the same thing for the last 6 months.
 
i cant help ya but this better not be some excuse to not put a dent in it this weekend:D
 
heh. no way. ill be there. only problem is im scheduled to work saturday from 8am to 3pm and i dont know my hours for sunday. i already had to ask for this friday off to take my GF to little rock for our anniversary :\

if at all possible ill be out there this weekend. hell i might even come out and ride for a few hours saturday afternoon if i have to work on sunday. im itchin to wheel this thing. ive been driving over everything (decorative rocks at mini malls, curbs, buddies tires, hondas, small children). auto zone is anal about hours though. ill most likely be out thur.

im thinking it may be the part of the bracket that my upper control arm bolts to on the frame side. i tightened the upper bolt that goes through the frame with my impact gun and it literally broke the grade 8 1/2" bolt that was in there. so i replaced it and torqued it down to whatever RE reccommends (i forget off the top of my head). oh well. if its a weak link, well find out this weekend.
 
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Could be your hub. I was experiencing the same thing into the driveway. Just 10 minutes ago the hub started grinding, when I pulled into the driveway the pop was louder than ever. Jack up the tire and grab/pull on the top and bottom. If theres movement your hub or balljoints are gone. Have someone watch the knuckle where the balljoint is and if theres no movement there but there is in the tire, it's the hub. Hope that helps ya.
 
Had the same problem with my buddys,the plastic spacer would crush,replaced it with an aluminum spacer,no more problems!
 
k theres no movement whatsoever in the hub, tire, balljoint, nothing. its definitely in the suspension. its annoying me
 
I have the same creaking noise when turning at low speeds into my driveway. Can seem to find it and have already checked all joints. I think it could be my coil springs shifting becuase those little reatiner clips at the botom are shot.
 
Did you check to see if the rear shock bolts on the body are tight? I had a similar experience when one of the two bolts sheared off. It makes a pretty loud noise.
 
are you *positive* it isn't the track bar at the upper mount?
that's what it used to be for me (similar conditions-- turning left).

have someone turn the wheel back & forth while you're under there.

$.02
 
MMIXJ said:
are you *positive* it isn't the track bar at the upper mount?
that's what it used to be for me (similar conditions-- turning left).

have someone turn the wheel back & forth while you're under there.

$.02
X2.

mine made the noise your describing when I would turn left thru a dip in the road. Track bar mount couldn't be moved by hand, but tightened the bolts = no more noise.

Daryl
 
MMIXJ said:
are you *positive* it isn't the track bar at the upper mount?
that's what it used to be for me (similar conditions-- turning left).

have someone turn the wheel back & forth while you're under there.

$.02


X2
 
IT'S AN XJ THING YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!!! :laugh3:

ha ha just kidding i hate those friencken noises
 
Also check to make sure that your shocks are not blown. One of my shock went out this past weekend and it make a loud sound just like if the control arms were loose. I did notice though that oil was coming off the top of the shock. :wierd:
 
olivedrabcj7 said:
im thinking it may be the part of the bracket that my upper control arm bolts to on the frame side. i tightened the upper bolt that goes through the frame with my impact gun and it literally broke the grade 8 1/2" bolt that was in there. so i replaced it and torqued it down to whatever RE reccommends (i forget off the top of my head). oh well. if its a weak link, well find out this weekend.

Very likely that's what it is. I didn't catch at first that you had drop brackets, but I was going to say that it sounds like the UCA frame mount. It doesn't really sound like it, unless it makes the noise now and then when turning, but the track bar mount on the frame likes to come loose, especially the two bolts on the inside of the frame......worth checking and tightening. Another thing to check is the bolts on the steering box, another place that can cause a pop or creak.

If tightening all the bolts doesn't get rid of the noise, start looking for frame cracks on the drivers side frame rail from the firewall forward. But, because you said it made the noise when you slammed on the brakes, and because you can sort of feel it with your foot, it's most likely something in the UCA frame mount.

Happy hunting,
 
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i was considering running a couple small beads along that bracket that holds the upper control arm. i think thats what it is. i looked under there and i can see where the bracket has scraped the frame clean where its moved ~ 1/8" forward and back. i dont like the idea of breaking that bolt off up there so would putting down some weld on the bracket to stop it from moving hurt anything? id definitely leave the bolt in there too. anybody else have this problem with the drop brackets?
 
I have the same noise and haven't been able to find the cause. Do you hear it/feel it when you go over a dip in the road or a speed bump? I can go over a speed bump wth my passenger side, no noise. Go over it with the driver side and hear the noise. About the only thing I haven't checked is the UCA mount, so that'll give me something to do this weekend.
 
have you bought or fabbed up any braces yet?
 
olivedrabcj7 said:
i was considering running a couple small beads along that bracket that holds the upper control arm. i think thats what it is. i looked under there and i can see where the bracket has scraped the frame clean where its moved ~ 1/8" forward and back. i dont like the idea of breaking that bolt off up there so would putting down some weld on the bracket to stop it from moving hurt anything? id definitely leave the bolt in there too. anybody else have this problem with the drop brackets?

Yeah, it won't hurt a thing to put a couple of tacks on that bracket.....in a place that you can get to if you later need to grind them off. Remember, the stock frame is galvanized to try to grind a little spot before welding.
 
I actually just found out my source of the noise. I have a heim joint that went bad on my adjustable trackbar (ProCompe piece of @#$%). I figured this out when I put a completely newer steering on and drove it around the driveway without the track bar. I put the track bar on an it was there again. I then used a forklift to flex it out and I could make it do it with my hand. Go figure.

I was wrong earlier in saying it was my steering linkage.

Thanks

Cracker
 
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