I have a 2004 GC 4x4. I'm hearing a problem in the front end specifically when I'm in 4WD and turning. There is a loud popping sound that can be felt as well. It sounds like it could be gear teeth are slipping or jumping but I'm not as familiar with the details of the front end drive train but I'm working on looking it up. At first I was thinking it was possibly a bad tie rod but I've seen somethings regarding a possible axle-CV joint issue.

Any comments/advise is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Chances are good it's a CV joint, but I just had a similar issue the turned out to be something simple. Get it up in the air on a lift and inspect it. If there is ANY play in the CV joints, that's the problem. rockauto.com has the whole shaft for around $40 to $50.

 

Dave, thanks for the info. I'll check it out and post what I find. Thanks again

 

With mine, the steering dampener came loose from the tierod. It's mounted with a barrel clamp and slid off the sleeve. It was hitting the tire on left turns and limiting right turns. It was catching on the wheel balance weight when backing up and causing a loud clicking sound. Lucky I got to it before it did damage to my wheel. Just a few deep scratches.