Front end problems

I have two front end problems that I have been trying to track down with no luck and its driving me crazy.

First off, I a click/pop occasionally when steering in tight situations. I notice it more when off road, but a few times while at low speeds in a parking lot so it is apparent in both 2wd and 4wd. Usually when the wheel id fully cranked or close to it and then rotated back in the other direction.

Now, I have greases all the fittings in the front, checked the track bar (RE adustable) and all control are bolts. All are tight, and when turning the wheel back and forth with the key on but enigine off, I don't see anything that looks loose. There is some slight movment from the axle from the control arms.

Second, I have some sort of rattle in the front that I can feel in the floor boards from time to time. This appears when traveling on dirt roads at speed that aren't really smooth. I have also noticed it when hitting a drivway or something like that just right. Now the thing with this is, when I am offroading such as climbing over some rocks or up against something, this isn't a problem, I don't feel anything. The other thing is it seems to have changed, become more noticable with the addition of some RE lower control arms. My thoughts here might be that I am just not used to feeling this in other vehicles since they have a frame and here the control arm bolts directly under my feet. Maybe the newer stiffer bushings in the new arms make it worse.

For the record, its a 98 with 3" rusty's springs with RE control arms and adjusable track bar.

Any help would be appreciated.

Check the U-joints and ball joints. Jack up the front axle, put it on stands. Look for play in the U-joints first, rotate a tire by hand and feel with your other hand for play.

To check the ball joints, get a prybar. Stick it between the knuckle and bottom side of the U-joint. Pry upwards on the U-joint, watch for movement in the ball joints. Any movement, and they're probably bad.

Well the click/pop is U-Joints. The bumping will be harder to find. Some time it's best to lift a wheel at the axle housing so the Ball joints are in their normal position, then leaver/pry up on the tire at the bottom and look for any tilting/leaning at the top.
Any movement is a bad ball joint.

langer1 said:

Well the click/pop is U-Joints. The bumping will be harder to find. Some time it's best to lift a wheel at the axle housing so the Ball joints are in their normal position, then leaver/pry up on the tire at the bottom and look for any tilting/leaning at the top.
Any movement is a bad ball joint.

Click to expand...

Yeah you could pry up on the tire from the ground when its jacked up, that would work too. I usually check ball joints on a chassis lift with the vehicle 4-6 feet in the air, hence the reason I place the prybar between the U-joint and knuckle. Either way works.