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Continuous Popping After Lift Install

C

Cherokeekid88

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Carolina
Just put a 3" lift on my girl's XJ. We had to tow it over to the shop to get those upper rear shock bolts out. Got it back today and she drove it about 5 miles with no problems. Stop to get some gas and then shortly there after that, she called me complaining over continuous popping from the front end. I heard it a couple of times, but it gets louder with speed and basically feels like its coming from underneath the floorboard on the left side which makes me think that her u joints are bad....I unbolted the front part of the DS but couldn't get the rear unbolted as I can't fit a socket wrench up there because of the flange in the way...box wrench are not catching it...so I am wondering, before I go through the trouble of messing with it further...Does this sound like what is it?
 
If you have a 242, you can hang the front shaft and drive it; I think you can do the same with the 231. My guess is the shock bushing is toast or the BIG bushing seat (washer) didn't get included in the install. Could also be something that didn't get tightened, like a control arm bolt or the trackbar isn't tight enough.

You put the lift on yourself? Think about what you touched - you'll find it.
 
White Knuckle said:
If you have a 242, you can hang the front shaft and drive it; I think you can do the same with the 231. My guess is the shock bushing is toast or the BIG bushing seat (washer) didn't get included in the install. Could also be something that didn't get tightened, like a control arm bolt or the trackbar isn't tight enough.

You put the lift on yourself? Think about what you touched - you'll find it.
Click to expand...

its the 231. Well she is riding on stock control arms. We never touched them. Shock bushings and everything are brand new. And the popping increases with speed and slows with speed.
 
A 5/16 gearwrench should be in your toolbox for that CV joint - makes it easy. Park it, spin the shaft till a bolt is in a comfortable spot (this is quite relative as I am sure you discovered), throw it in 4wd, break loctite seal, shift to 2wd, turn shaft, repeat as needed.

As for what's making the noise... sounds like a U-joint or maybe you forgot to put the isolator on the bumpstop tower before installing the new spring? Maybe you tightened some bolts with the suspension not at ride height and they're creaking?
 
muddeprived said:
Sounds like u-joint or hub assembly. Does it worsen when you turn?
Click to expand...

It doesn't worsen when you turn.
and there were no bolts removed except for the shock bolts and trac bar bolt and they were both installed after the new springs and tires were on the jeep and sitting on the ground.
I am just gonna go and buy a 5/16" gearwrench and tackle tonight.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
It doesn't worsen when you turn.
and there were no bolts removed except for the shock bolts and trac bar bolt and they were both installed after the new springs and tires were on the jeep and sitting on the ground.
I am just gonna go and buy a 5/16" gearwrench and tackle tonight.
Click to expand...

Ding ding ding!!! Track bar bolt at the unibody end. Give that a tighten. If it's a stock TB with any miles on it the joint at the unibody end could be toast. Climb under the front end, grab the TB and have the young lady turn the wheel. If you feel ANYTHING move when she turns it you have your culprit. This comes up fairly often after a lift is installed.
 
asatxj said:
Ding ding ding!!! Track bar bolt at the unibody end. Give that a tighten. If it's a stock TB with any miles on it the joint at the unibody end could be toast. Climb under the front end, grab the TB and have the young lady turn the wheel. If you feel ANYTHING move when she turns it you have your culprit. This comes up fairly often after a lift is installed.
Click to expand...

But would the trac bar at the uni body end pop like that when just coasting down the street with no turning or anything? and why would the popping noise increase with speed?
but I will check it out.

I went out and bought a 5/16" gear wrench and its just slipping off those rear bolts ont he front driveshaft... Gotta figure something else out.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
and there were no bolts removed except for the shock bolts and trac bar bolt and they were both installed after the new springs and tires were on the jeep and sitting on the ground.
Click to expand...
You might want to loosen and re-tighten all of the control arm bolts. With the lift, all the rubber control arm bushings are loaded(twisted) down at ride height. Loosen/re-torquing the bolts will allow the bushing to "center", and they'll last longer.

(That won't affect whatever's popping, it's just a tip.)
 
Front drive shaft u Joints are possible but they would have made some noise prior to the lift also, clicking occasionally is usually the symptom.
As you go faster the bumps etc in the road are more and more frequent. Here in MI they are more common than smooth road. The tb has to do more to keep it centered. Since I'm the only one saying TB, ignore it and check every thing else. If you have 100k or more on it you need to rebuild the front driveshaft anyway. Make sure you get spicer ujoints. Also if you have stock swaybar links on there they are too short, might hit the spring. You haven't told us what 3" lift with what parts you have on it. Please drive it very little until you solve it. If it is the tb and it breaks while you are driving it the results may not be good. Regardless of the problem the noise is telling you something is wrong. Keep us posted and for goodness sake attach pictures.
 
Well luckily the jeep has been parked since we noticed the noise. I will take some pics as soon as I can get over to it.
The 3" lift consisted of new 3" springs, trac bar relocation bracket, shocks, and rear leaf springs.
I guess I am gonna try to check the trac bar tomorrow and take some pics and then try to get that damn driveshaft off. I think those rear driveshaft bolts are rounding......
 
TB relocation brackets are a horrible idea. they do not stay tight. Get an adjustable one. There are many but Iron Rock off road makes a good one that's very reasonable. Do some searching on the TB brackets here. They can be down right scary!
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
But would the trac bar at the uni body end pop like that when just coasting down the street with no turning or anything? and why would the popping noise increase with speed?
but I will check it out.

I went out and bought a 5/16" gear wrench and its just slipping off those rear bolts ont he front driveshaft... Gotta figure something else out.
Click to expand...


Try using metric wrenches...almost everything on the jeep is metric from my experience.

I think the driveshaft bolts are 8mm...or maybe that's just the rear. Anyways try metric n see if you get a better grip.
 
Those bolts are 5/16". If you have put any real force into them with an 8mm they may now be too rounded off to get out easily. Don't ask how I know :anon:

Try putting some heat into the part the bolts screw into with a butane torch, right where the bolts point towards. They have blue loctite on the threads from the factory, while you're supposed to be able to break this with hand tools, rounding the bolt off will not have helped you and neither will a decade of rust and grit. Also try spraying a little penetrating lube into the bolt holes from the back, they are through-drilled and are reachable from just inside the double cardan section.
 
My driveshaft bolts were 8mm too. I kept trying a 5/16 and it didnt work it jut so little space back there that you cant get the wrench on there with the socket so i went and brought a 8mm wrench the double one and it was small enough to get all around the driveshaft and with a little power they popped right loose
 
they're 5/16ths... at least the ones at the CV yoke up near the transfer case. Use an 8mm on those and you are nearly guaranteeing a lot of cursing and some non removable (easily, anyways) bolts. They are why I have a 5/16" gearwrench in the jeep-specific box-o-tools.
 
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