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POP! POP! + Busted Spot Weld?

Frank Z

Frank Z

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado Springs
I've been fighting a nasty POP from the front end for quite some time. All of the usual suspects (loose bolts, ovaled out holes, track bar, etc) have been inspected and they are not the cause. I had my wife turn the steering wheel back and forth while I kept my hands on various moving and stationary parts. The closer I got to the frame rail between the drivers side coil and shock, the more pronounced the feeling through the side of the rail.

Anyone ever encounter this problem? How did you correct the problem?
 
Take a real close look at the steering box. Are the bolts tight, are there cracks in the frame.
You can sometimes see rub marks or rust rings if the box is moving on the bolts, subtle indicators, the box often moves a few millimeters and is hard to detect. The box sometimes shifts no matter how tight the bolts are.
The first few years I had my 88 the left front fender well would pop. I'm guessing the sheet metal was flexed in an odd way. It finally relaxed enough over the years and stopped on it's own.
 
what first post?????? JK
We're just trying to help with things overlooked and diagnose over the net.
I had a nasty pop turned out to be TRE of track bar wallowed out and no threads to tighten any more.
 
Frank Z said:
Did anyone even bother to read the very first post?
Click to expand...
I've crawled around under various XJ#s for hours looking for the source of odd noises. I've looked at the same pieces over and over. If it isn't obvious it's likely subtle or something really unusual.
Like the plastic cover for the steering shaft slipped and is hitting something.
Somebody had replaced the bottom bolt in my trac bar with a standard DIN bolt. Threads fit fine, the OEM bolt has s lightly larger diameter shank than a standard DIN bolt. The movement was subtle, took me forever to find the noise.
 
If it's cracked (which is what you're trying to lead us to believe) then it's up to YOU to find it. So stop whining about how nobody read your post, and go look for a crack.

The best way to find cracks (IMHO) is to first clean the suspected area. Where there's joints of any type would be the starting point. Then do a visual with a really bright trouble light with a lot of backlight. You need good light to see it visually, and I'm stressing that because it's important. Now, if you still think it's cracked and didn't see anything, get the paint stripper out... Then either visually check it again (nah) or use a LPI on it. Which can be a whole new world trying to interpret your results then. If it's cracked underneath a lap joint, it won't show up this way until the crack propagates from under the joint.

So, if I was you I'd look at more things first. UCA bushings? When they go bad the front end will 'pop' back and forth. Any looseness in the TREs? Is the coil spring moving around any? Track bar mount studs pulling out?

Actually, if I was you I'd drive it. If it gets bad I'd look again.
 
DirtyMJ said:
Actually, if I was you I'd drive it. If it gets bad I'd look again.
Click to expand...
LMAO!! Frank is just not that kind of guy.

Have you tried loosening/removing parts one at a time to see if there is any change?
 
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be the output shaft in the PS pump due to a bad bearing. It radiated out through the frame. It took a long time to track down.
 
You need a little more lead in your ass if you are going to try that:gee:
 
frank, i had the same exact problem, and it ended up being the TRE at the pitman arm. it didnt look bad till i got it out, it pivoted around nice and smooth, but when i took it off i could move the shaft up and down about a 16th of an inch, it was binding up and popping. replaced it and havent had a problem since. as long as there is not alot of play in the steering wheel i dont think it would be your steering box, or the steering shaft. its a PITA but pull all the TREs and see if any of them are have too much play in them.

hope this helps
-mike
 
I'm sure he's running some ,not old, chevy 1tons tre's. let us know if you find it.
 
Borescope, wow!:photo: Are we getting pictures of this? LOL
 
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