2006 Wrangler Rubicon has an intermittent clunking\popping in the front end...... sounds like the front diff. but not positive. It only happens at slow speeds.. I disconnected the front drive shaft but noise still there. I have new wheel bearing assemblies and new sway bar link ends.... The mechanic said everything in the front end checks out, he cannot locate the noise. Can someone please help me with some insight into this problem?
Front end clunking / popping at slow speeds
- Thread starter TJ Stone
- Start date
track bar bolt at the frame may be loose. climb on the bumper and bounce it and also turn the wheel back and forth to see if you can reproduce it.
can't go wrong putting a torque wrench on all of your suspension fasteners periodically.
can't go wrong putting a torque wrench on all of your suspension fasteners periodically.
Thank you for the previous tips.....I just checked the track bar at the frame ....... everything is tight and secure.... The sway bar bushings are good. The noise is still there, it sounds like heavier gauge metal against metal. The noise is getting worse and is driving me absolutely crazy!!
check your exhaust manifold to downtube bolts. those were the source of a fucked metal on metal clunk noise i had a few months back.
Not sure if this is the best way but I would put it in 4wd, lift one wheel and look for any play in that U-joint when you try to rotate the tire. Then do the other side. You will of course get some movement of the axle shafts due to the play in the differential, transfer case, etc., but you are just looking just for play in the U-joints themselves. There should be none at all.
chasing down noises can be a pain. Get in your Jeep out on the neighborhood street. Have someone lay your phone down with the camera pointed up into the sky and press the slow-mo video. Then drive over (not on
) the phone. You might do this 3-4 times to make sure you get a video that captures the sound. This will give you the general vicinity of where the sound is coming from. This is the only way I’ve identified the location of some sounds. Usually when I thought it was coming from somewhere I was wrong.
chasing down noises can be a pain. Get in your Jeep out on the neighborhood street. Have someone lay your phone down with the camera pointed up into the sky and press the slow-mo video. Then drive over (not on
That's a good idea! I never thought to take a video of the noise. Seems odd too, because I use my phone for everything else... why not?
The sound gets louder as the phone gets nearer to the sound. It was unmistakable where it was coming from last time. Rear DC shaft at the DC joint. Replaced both ujoints and the centering ball. Walla!
LONGJP2
TJ Expert