Popping from front end.....97 XJ

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
97 XJ
IRO Long Arm kit
IRO double shear trac bar
IRO HD Tie Rod (newish TRE's)
Bilstein 5100 shocks

Installed my IRO long arm kit back in Feb. got in aligned, and everything was good. about amonth ago, I noticed some popping in the front end whenever I would turn while turning at slower speeds....I have checked out a couple things....Trac bar seems to be nice and tight, joints on the IRO long arms are only 6 months old....Ball joints have not been changed since I had the jeep, (3 years) and I just can't figure it out. I have had my girl get in and turn the wheel while I listen and feel, but nothing.....

Anyone near High point that could take a look at it sometime?
I could take it to the shop that I go to and they can tell me but Ill have to drop it off, they will have it for 3 days and then they will let me know....but would like to avoid that if at all possible
 
Never does it unless im going slow. Usually when I back up and turn my wheel like backing out of a parking space or whenever I make a sharp turn to pull in a parking space. I have also noticed that when someone gets in on the passenger side and hops up and sits down, I can hear it pop before the jeep is even started.
 
Common on later cherokees. Retighten all the bolts that hold the track bar bracket on the unibody. Dont miss the two that go up into the motor mount bracket. I have to retighten them on my wifes 98 about every 6 months lifting it.
 
ok....drove it about 15 miles...WOW its way worse than it has ever been. Popping like every 5-6 seconds even while driving. Its def something. Trac bar is tight on both ends. Taking it to the shop in the morning...its really scary to drive...I am thinking it might be an axle u joint.
 
You wont be able to feel the track bar move. Its actually the bracket that mounts it to the unibody that loosens up. With weight on the jeep you wont feel it. You have to torque those bolts to 145 ft lbs. They may feel tight with a wrench but if you put an impact on them id almost bet they turn at least one full turn.
 
Check the nuts on the top of the shock stems. When you say it pops as someone jumps in that sounds like the bushings in the top of the shocks are wore out or even the lower shock mounts.
Is it the critical path long arm setup? Check the bolts that hold the crossmember to the to the frame brackets too....
 
MarsFab said:
Check the nuts on the top of the shock stems. When you say it pops as someone jumps in that sounds like the bushings in the top of the shocks are wore out or even the lower shock mounts.
Is it the critical path long arm setup? Check the bolts that hold the crossmember to the to the frame brackets too....
Click to expand...
I checked the bolts on the stems of the shocks...the shocks are less than a month old (bilsteins) I checked the bolts to the subframe as well on the long arm kit....puzzled!

Shop called me and told me they couldn't find anything wrong....he did say that the adjustment sleeve on the draglink was loose and that he greased all my fittings on everything....but other than that....he didn't see anything wrong. So I go pick it up, pull out of the parking lot and start driving....no popping....well about 4 miles down the road...its starts popping....not as bad as yesterday but still present and still irritating me!!!!!
 
The puzzle still remains unsolved. Brent was kind enough to come by and take a look at it and confirmed that I am not crazy and just hearing things. Only thing that I can think of is to unbolt the trac bar at the axle end to see if the hole has been wallowed out any......
 
I've checked them with a socket, and I can't get it to move.....thinking about getting someone to run a bead on one side of it. It hasn't been popping lately...but the other night, my girl and I went to the store and when she got in on the passenger side, it popped. and when she got out something popped....not really sure what is going on. Haven't had a chance to drop the trac bar yet so check the axle mounting hole....maybe Ill get to that this weekend.....
 
whats your front sway bar setup? can the end of the swaybar be hitting the coils under certain steering angle and articulation conditions? Maybe there's some play in the endlinks causing clunking.
 
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