A couple of problems

My newly purchased '91 XJ Limited is all stock, no lift, and as I've been trying to mend her wounds from a careless previous owner, I'm come across some sticky problems.

1) I believe someone was driving it around town in P/T 4x4 for a while as that's what gear it was in when I test drove it both times. It's giving me a light popping sound from the front tires (primarily the driver's side) when I'm doing slow turns or sometimes just driving. Basic suspension parts will be replaced soon, but what should I look for? NOTE: The poor suspension is completely shot, as it's the original setup and the car is at 169k.

2) The overhead display is non functioning. All the dome lights work, just not the display. Any ideas?

If I could get help with these two, that'd be great! There are many many many more issues with the poor girl, but most of them are pretty simple and will be fixed in the next 2 weeks. Hopefully, by month's end, she'll be feeling like 20k miles again!

For the light popping sound, check the front axle universal joints. You can reach right into the knuckle and wiggle them. No play or rattle acceptable. You can also jack up each wheel by the axle tube, and try rotating the wheel with the steering at full lock. A bad joint will tend to bind and make noise. If you have any questions about replacing these, there should be a lot of stuff in archives here regarding the finer points of removing rusted-on hubs, etc.

On the overhead display, no clue. Who needs that stuff? You should keep your eyes on the road anyway, right? :laugh3:

I agree with the U-Joints. I've got the same problem and I know for a fact I've got bad U-joints up front. Luckily for me it is not a daily driver. As far as the overhead console goes, I would pull it apart and check the wiring. Also check fuses.