Alright so here goes.....

Basically, I got an 800$ xj in December. Engine and trans were basically perfect, only a tiny bit of rust on the floor boards, but everything else (paint, suspension, brakes, steering, interior, vac lines, etc) was basically shot. I have spent the last 7 months slowly rebuilding it and getting it road worthy, and as of last week it has passed inspection and is registered! but here is the issue...

I have replaced everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in the steering and suspension on this thing. all 4 control arms w/ bushings, track bar, all the tie rods and drag links and whatnot, brakes and calipers, stabilizer, ball joints on the driver side(pass is rock solid), engine and trans mount, sway bar bushings, rear leafs and shackles with poly bushings,alignment, shocks and bushings, new rubber above the coil springs, etc. The only things that were not replaced due to them being in pretty decent shape (surprisingly) were the sway bar bushings, pass side ball joints, bearings, and u-joints.

and for further reference, I am running about 2.5" in the front, and 2" in the rear on Jeep jk wheels on 1.25" spacer adapters. 33" tires with trimmed fenders. 1994 4.0 4x4 aw4 auto 178xxx miles

I have been chasing this... creaking noise? like when I put it from park into gear it kind of groans, and if I hit a bump at low speeds and it causes the jeep to rock from side to side itll kinda clunk/pop/creak once or twice, and if I give it the beans a little from a stop, it'll creak as the weight shifts back, and itll make the same noise when I brake a little suddenly as the weight shifts forward. It will also sometimes do it when sitting still and I turn the steering wheel back and forth.

If I acclerate/brake softly, it doesnt do it, and if I go slow over speed bumps and other bumps it doesn't do it. It's getting to the point where I will probably just start ignoring it until it leaves me stranded haha

does anyone have any pointers or anything? could it be the steering box? a brace or bracket that I dont know about? could it be the U joints? there was minimal play in the shaft and from my reasearch that should be fine, or at least no the cause of this. I have double/triple/quadruple checked every bolt I have touched and made sure that it was kosher and tight. I did find earlier that the control arm was a little loose, but when I tightened the bolt it made either no difference, or may have made it worse but I could be crazy. thanks in advance

 

I had a noise like that , what I did with it sitting on the ground I loosed the suspension bolts and relighted them and it was gone .

 

Like you mean all of the bolts for the control arms, tire rods, track bar, etc?

 

That's the way it's supposed to be done. On the ground.

Also, tighten the trackbar MOUNTING BRACKET to driver's side frame rail. Just do it.

 

Maybe not the tie rods . but every thing else .

 

Poly bushings like Teflon lube. Quieted my "old man groan". Easy fix maybe. R

 

Drench one thing at a time with wd40 to pin point it
Itl go away or change if the wd finds it. Welp sometimes I've had that work. Sometimes I just run it till it real starts screaming im here fix me now.

 

I guess that one way to find it .