Front end popping sound ????
 

Okay, so... I recently removed a Rusty 2" (poor mans) lift kit (2" spacers, add-a-leaf with 4 longer shocks), and dropped height to factory. I replaced rear leaf springs with new ones and installed 4 new Bilstein 4600HD shocks. Installed new Michelin LTX MS Defenders (235's) about 1000 miles ago. The ride is really nice!

Prior to all of this I had an intermittent popping sound in the steering, it happened about once a month, and it would stay that way for about 1/2 day then stop, just disappear. Weird! The steering would feel wobbly when this occurred, but not unstable. It would run true, maintain a straight and steady path even when it did pop and wobble.

Now that its been lowered and new shock, tires and springs are in, it's doing this popping thing every day it seems. I can run the engine, sitting still and rock the steering wheel back and forth a few inches and hear the "pop, pop" sound. I can hear it while driving and turning most of the time, and it also wobbles some too. It stills runs straight and true, at 5 mph or 80 mph, doesn't matter.

142k. What should I replace, needs to be replaced?

Thanks!

My money goes on the track bar. Lay under the jeep and have a helper turn the wheel, put your hand on both sides of the bar and see if you feel the popping in either end. If it feels good just take a good look and feel of the rest of the steering parts till you locate the popping. Keep us posted on what you find.

Tighten the track bar bracket to frame bolts first.

When I first bought my 99 it had spacers and blocks on it for a 3" lift and had the same problem when I test drove it, was good for an extra $400 off. Loaded it on my trailer and brought it home unloaded it and that was the problem. The stock track bar was loose was all it was.

So I can feel it but can't hear from the outside. Inside I hear it and feel it through the steering wheel.

Thanks!

Ok, I'll try this, but just feeling them has proven that they are not loose. I'm guessing "wrench it"!

Would be nice if this is all I find wrong too! Wish I had some pictures of all this, just to have a good reference.

If its not the trac bar...it might be your sway bar mount bolts . They are pressed in thru the arms on the axle but over time they come loose and allows the sway bar to shift . You need 2 people to do the check but its obvious when you look at them when they moving in a direction they should not. They should only pivot back and forth around the bottom mount bolt if they move up and down or left to right they usually make a popping noise...A track bar with a worn lower mount bushing or bolt hole will allow the axle to shift when the wheel is turned causing the sway bars to shift and pop either of these two symptoms will be easy to find but you need 2 people

Those track bar bracket bolts need to be tight. They may be loose, but just feeling by hand won't tell you that. Put a wrench on em, and see if you can't get them tight.

Could also be sway bar like mentioned, or even the steering box bolts are loose, the box itself is bad, or the spacer has corroded enough to create slop. Or even could be that the frame is cracked right there.

I just fixed a similar problem, when I turned the wheel. it would pop and I could feel it under my feet. Turns out, where the track bar bolts to the axle, the bolt hole was oblong. I welded the washer to the bolt hole in the correct spot and now it drives like a champ.

Wheeeeew! Man, lots to check and temps dropping fast. Gonna run it over to a friends tomorrow and get a second hand for the check over. And, right before xmas too!

Hope I don't get over there and have too many beers. LOL!

Is that right? too many? hope I don't, REALLY...no such thing, right? LOL! :lol:

Okay, well I will check all said and put a wrench on every freeekin bolt I can find to make sure at the very least things are tight, tighteeeer. Unless I find something too loose, in which case, well I'm sacreeeewweed! till after X-mas anyway!

Many thanks!

If he had a 2 inch lift...did he keep the original stock sway bar end links or did he have extended ones...if they were longer then you need to put stock ones back in....the correct geometry should be end links basically vertical and the sway bar arm should be horizontal where it bolts to the end link

I've had multiple vehicles with worn ball joints that pop. Also on one of my cherokee's now, it pops when turning hard and it's the control arm bushings.

x2 on control arm bushing, especially if it wasn't replaced for the lift

i couldn't feel it myself, had to get my mechanic to take a look at it and once he popped it out you could see the bushing was shot. felt it at my feet too

Mine was making a popping noise also for a couple days when it was really cold (in the negative degrees). I didn't have much of a chance to check it out but I could hear the noise the loudest when I had my head up under the dash. I was thinking it was something in the steering column or shaft. It's stopped doing it now that's it has warmed up so I can't look into it more.

Always tighten the track bar bracket to frame bolts just cuz.

Yeah, mine was more pronounced when it was really cold, and then gradually lessened as temps warmed up some too. It started raining hard so I haven't had a chance to check everything yet; too cold and too wet…garage too full of s___ to get in!

I was told someone made a compete front end rebuild kit, has everything I need to just rebuild the whole front end. I think rather than mess around with this and that, here and there, I'd be better off just rebuilding the whole think.

Thoughts on this????

Compare price of kit versus price per piece. Check a couple sources. Advanced Auto (use coupon codes and Speed Perks), Amazon, Rock Auto. While you are replacing is a good time to upgrade. V8 ZJ tie rod swaps in on any lift height. Double shear track bar if you plan to go higher. Adjustable control arms. So on. I hate swapping stock parts for stock parts just to change them for beefier parts down the road.

As a rule, I try not to throw parts at a problem. My front end was making a similar popping noise, AFTER replacing everything. Didn't pop before. I replaced everything as part of lifting the Jeep and putting 33s on it. Turns out my steering box was moving around on the frame rail. The bolts on the box were loose, tightened them, didn't stop. Could see evidence of washers rubbing paint on frame rail. My answer was to plate the frame rails, punch out the stock bolt sleeves, and weld in 1" thick bar stock (with 1/2" hole bored through it) for box/frame spacers. Box aint moving now. Probably overkill, but I weld for fun. Not saying you have the same issue. If you do, there are bolt in kits available. I made mine because I had the material on hand.

Have either of you put a socket/wrench on the trackbar to frame bracket bolts yet?

Yes I did. When I installed the double sheer track bar with drop bracket. When the popping sound started (some time after I installed the lift kit), I rechecked torque on all suspension components. With torque wrench to proper specs.

Well, tighten the bolts tighter. The spec is too low.

You're telling me to over torque a fastener? That leads to the fastener being over stretched which can cause the fastener to fatigue when stressed. If it is a concern of the track bar mount moving around, then I will tack weld it to the frame rail if it starts popping again.

Geez. The SPEC is wrong!!!!!

This was such a problem when the Jeeps were new that we tightened the piss out of those bolts during Pre Delivery Inspection just so we would have no customer complaints down the road.

Carry on.