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why are my arms and springs popping?

X

xjhm

NAXJA Forum User
Location
pikeville,ky
i have a '99 with 31's, 4 1/2" rusty's with his lca's and adjustable uca's, jks disconects, no rear sway,caster set around 6`,woods sye and shaft...i am getting a popping noise whenever i hit a little off-camber feels like the mounting brackets for the arms(like when pulling off the road into a parking lot, with pavement that is a bit lower than the road) i think it is from the arms mounting points, i checked and all bolts are tight...unless they need more than a country boy with a half inch ratchet can put on 'em ...
the front rear spring mount bolt is tight, however i can see a small gap between the bushing sleeve and the frame...i actually see about one thread on the bolt, but it is tight...i am worried about this, should i be? or is this just one of the jeep things, the stickers say i wouldn't understand...
thanks...
 
Try shortening your lower control arms (they are adjustable...right?) The problem may be the caster, causing your front driveshaft to bind whenever the suspension cycles up or down. I went through this a while ago. Drove me nuts trying to figure it out. I swear I tightened every nut and bolt fifty times.
 
I doubt it is the control arms. That noise is almost always the trackbar if you have it mounted in the stock position. That little bolt likes to work loose. It usually makes the noise when you are compressing only one side of the suspension at a time.

You'll need to check it while a helper turns the steering wheel (chock the wheels :D ). Look for movement. The tierod end on the trackbar could be bad as well. Heims work far better for this purpose.

Nay
 
I have 6.5" of Rusty's lift on my 87 and I get some popping in there as well. I thought it was a track bar issue bit it is all tight. Mine is deffinatly the CA's. I think it is a worn out bushing issue but no matter, I will live with it for now then later this summer I am switching to RE and doing the long arm thing.
 
Chuck,
That is when mine does it now that I think about it....on corners too if you are on the brakes.
 
Yup, I've had to replace the upper control arm bushings twice now (RE arms). About $7 at the local parts store. Just look at the upper control arm bushing and see if it's blown out to one side or the other. HTH...

Aaron
 
Nay said:
I doubt it is the control arms. That noise is almost always the trackbar if you have it mounted in the stock position. That little bolt likes to work loose. It usually makes the noise when you are compressing only one side of the suspension at a time.

You'll need to check it while a helper turns the steering wheel (chock the wheels :D ). Look for movement. The tierod end on the trackbar could be bad as well. Heims work far better for this purpose.

Nay
Click to expand...
oops i forgot to list , i have the rusty's adj. trackbar, two months old... and btw the lca's are two months old and the uca's are less than a month, i installed the springs early jan, and did the spacers a month later to level the ride...and the jam nut is tight on the trackbar...and i doublechecked all bolts...i seems like i can feel the "pop" under my feet when i does it on the drivers side...what size bolts should i use with the arms? i have the factory hardware except the axle end of the uca's which i replaced with a 10mm bolt...
 
Do you have aftermarket towhooks? My front swaybar hits the head of the large bolt that goes through the rear most part of of the bracket on the drivers side. Check the head of the bolt if you have the brackets.
 
Had the same problem but I am using the RE drop brackets.
I torqued them done tight and still didn't go away on the drivers side. I saw the same gap almost like the control arm pocket was too wide for the CA. I torqued it tighter 1/2" ratchect and breaker bar and it hasn't made a sound since.
 
i'll bet you a dollar its rustys trac bar mine does it drives me crazy ive cranked and cranked on it and it wont go away. Does it do it when you turn if so have someone turn the wheel while your sitting still and feel the trac bar bracket it should pop
 
Do you still have the stock track bar bracket? I just installed the Pro-Comp adjustable track bar still using my stock bracket and the thing drove me nuts with the popping sound in Moab this last week. At one point we had 10 guys under my XJ trying to trace down the sound. Turns out the track bar bracket bolts had loosened up and were making the popping sound , coming from right under my feet. Tightened those up and sound is gone. :thumbup:
 
snow drifter said:
Do you still have the stock track bar bracket? I just installed the Pro-Comp adjustable track bar still using my stock bracket and the thing drove me nuts with the popping sound in Moab this last week. At one point we had 10 guys under my XJ trying to trace down the sound. Turns out the track bar bracket bolts had loosened up and were making the popping sound , coming from right under my feet. Tightened those up and sound is gone. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
nope...i got the trackbar/hd bracket...thanks anyway
 
back before the lA kit, i had the frame bolts on the upper control arms come a bit loose and unfortunately they were driven that way for quite some time. THe holes on the frame mounts stretched and plastically deformed a bit. No matter how much I tightened them, the bolts would still move and make a loud pop when flexing. but i bet its the track bar>

-J
 
Remove your front driveshaft, drive around to see if it's gone. From how you describe it, sounds like the driveshaft is getting bound up. To fix it you need a longer driveshaft or you need to add some castor. You can go up to eight degrees and still be within specs. If that does not fix it, I will buy the beer.
 
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