When I make a steep climb in 4LO, I get a clicking sound from the left front. I don't hear the sound any other time.

Am I looking a U-joints or something else?

 

You are looking at a new CV joint replacement. My 97 clicked until I had left and right CV joint replaced. Do both sides while you're at it and look at the front U joints as well. I replaced the 3 front u's and all my noise and vibration went away. Well worth the money.

The more you put into 4WD the faster these joints will wear out and break due to the extra strain on the CV joints.

 

Driver side front correct? Does it pop when your are turning...straight line... It'll be hard for us to tell you what's wrong with it. Time for some noggin pokin. Jack your front end up and wiggle your tire at 12 and 6 and see if you have any play. Check your front bushings out as well and make sure they aren't broken and falling apart.

 

Yes, driver side. Going straight. Will check for slop Saturday.


Don't get CV joints, I only saw u-joints at the wheel.

 

U joints is what you have. Could possibly be a u joint (actually probably is) they aren't too hard to replace. Pull the brakes off and then pull the hubs out. Pull the axle and change away. I used a brass hammer, old rotor, and a 18 mm impact socket.

 

Yesterday, I jacked the front and tested everything. It was rock solid when I did the 6 and 12 stress test. The axle u-joints had the tiniest amount of movement, less that 1/8" and only on one axis. When I rotated the tire, everything was smooth and quiet. The driveshaft u-joint had zero play.

I tried to duplicate the sound by going up my driveway in 4LO (it is quite steep but not like an off road climb) and had no luck.

Is the consensus that I should do the u-joints anyway? The noise could have come from a driveshaft u-joint rather than an axle u-joint.

 

There should be zero movement in front axle ujoint. See if there is any movement with tires on ground.

 

Is the clicking rhythmic or sporadic? If it's rhythmic is it tire speed or driveshaft speed?--that should answer which joints to replace. As for the joint with 1/8" play, it's dead. They should have no play and 1/8" in any direction is very excessive.