yogurtfree

I have a click or pop in my steering that used to be intermittent but now it's almost every turn. Had a friend turn the wheel and the pop is coming from the piece in the picture, either the greased knuckle or where the large nut is on top.

What should I do just tighten away at the nut maybe remove the cotter pin and tighten the other?

Lowrange2

The large nut is holding the pitman arm on the sector shaft. They can gather some slop over time but they don't usually 'click'.

If it's coming from that area I'd almost have to guess that the frame side track bar bracket is is moving a little bit under the varying side load. Mine does that from time to time. It's more of a pop than a click though. I guess I could see being described as a click.

Have you friend put their hand on the parts as you turn the wheel this time. FEEL for the movement.

Here's a picture so you can put some terms with some parts.

yogurtfree

It's definitely more of a pop than a click, I'll check again and feel for it thanks for the tip.

Lowrange2

Man, I need some coffee. My post is full of typos. Oh well.

There's 4 bolts that hold the bracket to the unibody. The ones on the bottom have to be super tight to keep it in place. It's a poor design if you ask me. The top bolts are on the side and way up at the top. The bottom holes are slotted so if they aren't tight they can move.

I usually run a small weld down either side of the bracket to hold it in place.

Keep in mind it could be about 20 other things but both ends of the trac bar is the first thing I check when you get a pop while turning the wheel.

You could also check to make sure the inside of the unibody isn't cracked behind the steering box or the plastic spacer behind the box isn't broken.

Put your hand on the unibody and steering gear box while someone turns the wheel back and forth. If the box is moving independently from the unibody then you have an issue.

Either way, a constant pop should be easy to find.

yogurtfree

Nobody was around so I just tightened the drag link - pitman arm bolt 1 turn, and the frame side trackbar bolt more than 3 turns, it wasn't super tight.

I've only driven 8 miles or so but it looks like one of those was the issue no more popping

Lowrange2

Awesome.

centuryhouse

Newbie question: where in that diagram is the 'bracket', the 'unibody', and the 'steering box'?

I have a loud pop/clunk when turning the wheel at a stop or low speed (like parking lot speed), it sounds like it is in the driver's side front end. I don't see anything that looks loose under there, but if I can identify those three parts you mentioned I'll check there, too.

Lowrange2

The steering box is what the pitman arm is bolted to. (The box on the frame that does the steering.)

The unibody is the "Frame". We call it a unibody because it's made into the body. Not separate like a frame.

The bracket that I was referring to is what the frame end of the track bar bolts to.

Like so. (Excuse my 30 second paint doodle.)

centuryhouse

Excellent, thanks!


Also to the OP - glad your problem was solved, hopefully it will fix mine too ;-)