Well I knew it was too good to be true. I havent had to fix anything this winter and sure enough, it's 15 degrees outside and I've got a very strange noise coming from the front (and PROBABLY driver side) of my car.

It started after I took a big delivery a few days ago, my truck was filled to the top with boxes of paper. 30 minutes of work for $100, I'm puttin my jeep to work haha. I drove it less than 10 miles loaded up and later that day I noticed a strange knocking sound coming from the front end.

It is a very predictable sound, it sounds like something in the wheel or brake system. It will go away when I turn the wheel to the right, it doesnt take much but it completely goes away while the wheel is turned and it comes back as soon as the wheel is straightened out. I took off the drivers side wheel and caliper and checked out the brakes but everything looked fine. It also goes away when I *touch* the brakes. As soon as they grab, the sound stops which is what directed me to look at the brakes, but the pads looked fine and there wernt any cracks in the rotors or anything crazy like that.

I'm really hoping that it doesnt have anything to do with the front axles because I dont really know how to diagnose or service 4wd parts. I dont think that it's anything with the suspension because bumps dont really affect it. I guess it could be a loose tie rod end or something just because it goes away when I turn the wheel, but it's driving me nuts because it is really loud and all I can think about when I'm driving is trying to diagnose and fix this stupid problem. Thanks in advance!!

One other thing, it has always driven very well on the highway with no death wobble at all, but I was on the highway when I first noticed it. When I get around 50 mph it is knocking so badly that it starts to shake the car :/. It also seems like it gets worse the longer I drive it, so it might have something to do with the brake pads heating up after being used and gripping the rotor more? I'm usually pretty good fixing my vehicles, but I dont really have a place to really tear into it because it's so cold here.

 

For anyone else having similar problems, please check your lugs and wheel studs. I have no idea how this happened, but I only had three and the ones I did have were loose. I put some new ones in and tightened everything up and it's good as gold.

If you are experiencing problems like this, please get it checked out. I was genuinely scared when I saw what had happened. I have also noticed a LOT of threads about peoples wheels falling off. Stay safe, and I know I will take this much more seriously if I ever have this issue again.

 

Did you tighten them to tork speck?or just tight?

 

is the caliper bouncing on the mounting bolts?