I have been chasing different front end noises most of the summer and fall. First it was the track bar, then I started getting a creaking noise in the front end when turning to full lock right. I noticed the steering spacer was cracked and made a new spacer, but the noise remained. Finally I discovered that it was actually my steering damper that was making the noise and once it was replaced I was able to detect a clunking noise from the drivers side front.

It seems to be coming from just behind the firewall or under the drivers seat. The noise comes when the front end is flexed while driving, when braking, and when going from reverse to drive or drive to reverse.

I am thinking that the culprit is the upper control arm rear bushing, but I can not reproduce the noise while I have it in the driveway. Well i can make it happen when I am by myself, but as soon as I get a helper to stand on the brake and cycle the gears with the brake on and me observing there is no noise

Does it sound like I am on the right track to fixing this one, and is there any other way to test control arm bushings other than actually dropping the arms and inspecting them? Problem is that I live in one of Canada's salt belts and dropping the control arms will be a full day job with the added need to chase down parts and I never get 2 days off in a row

If I could diagnose the problem before turning a wrench and braking bolts I could get all the parts I need ahead of time. What I would really like to do is buy a set of TMR upper and lower adjustable control arms and be done with it, but I wont have the $800+ to do that till spring unless I win the lottery and since I don't buy tickets that isn't going to happen any time soon

A little about my XJ. It has a Zone 3" AAL lift with 3/4" spring spacers in the front and DIY shackle relocation brackets in the rear. I am running no sway bar in the rear and JKS discos in the front. The clunking is there with the front sway bar disconnected and connected so it is not the sway bar. All u joints were replaced over the summer and are all still good. I haven't done any real wheeling with it because i am trying to sort out all the little things before I do. New hubs as well and all bolts are properly torqued. I checked them today while greasing everything. The bushings for the control arms look like the originals and show signs of cracking but appear to still hold the control arms in their proper position at least while sitting still.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated and I will look into them as son as I I have time if I haven't already tried them.

Thanks, George

 

Mine used to make a clunking noise when it would flex, I torqued my control arms and the noise went away

 

I will give that a try on Monday, my next day off. Before I check the torque I will have to break the bolts free to get a true reading. i have never touched the control arms and I suspect that no one else has either since the day it left the factory