XJ - Creaking and popping in rear

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
So my jeep is driving me nuts as of lately. Whenever I go to turn at slow speeds...there is this creaking and popping from the rear....im guessing it can only be the shocks or the bushing in the leaf springs....but I can't tell which it is. I have some RC 2.2 shocks that I had to mount by drilling out the stock upper shock mount (snapped all 4 bolts) and using washer on each side and a new bolt. not sure if it possibly is not secure enough and it actually bending the floor pan or what? I have sprayed down the bushing with some silicone spray but it doesn't seem to help much....I know I could just re grease the bushing, but living in a strict apartment complex, they don't like people working on their cars at all...
I can get out and rock the jeep back and forth from the back and hear it creak and pop from the outside, but when inside driving, it sounds as if it is indeed coming from the inside.
 
I was gonna ask if you have a limited slip rear end, but then you mention you can hear it while rocking the vehicle form the outside, presumalby while its stopped. When a limited slip rear end gets serviced with straight gear lube (no friction modifier), it can sound terrible in low speed turns.

Polyurethane doenst isolate vibrations/sounds as well as rubber. Throw some poly on a uniframe vehicle, exterior vibrations/sounds transmit very well to the interior.
 
I'd start with the shocks as that sounds most concerning based on what's described. Someone to rock the vehicle while you listen close from inside and outside should help. Popping noises would worry me more than the creaking.
 
I have rubber bushings in my leaf springs. I am going to try and take a video when I get home and post it. I mean the shocks are practically new....less than 1 year old.
 
check your u-bolts while you're under there.
 
I'm 95% sure its your upper shock mounting thats doing it, I broke all four bolts on mine and used JKS BPE's but mine still creak and would pop from time to time. It eventually stopped doing it, my XJ is a rusted POS so its expected I guess. When I used an airhammer to knock the weld nuts off some of them broke weird and made a bigger hole than the normal bolt hole size. I used washers and lock washers supplied with the BPE's but overall its such a shitty design for shock mounts. I still don't feel comfortable with knowing my rear shocks are held on to my vehicle with thin ass little bolts that fit through the BPE's, some washers, and nuts. Not very sufficient to me, but I dont weld so it beat having to make a new mount. Sorry to get sidetracked, but yeah, thats what it sounds like it is to me. Make sure your bolts are tight, I retightened my twice after driving it about a week or two just to make sure they were on there sufficiently, you don't have much room to work with inside the frame to really torque them down much.

-Mike
 
I tightened them down not too long ago. but it seems there is a bit of a gap it feels...but because it such a tight space I can't hardly get any sockets or wrenches over the bolt in the first place...I would really like to have some BPE welded up or get one of those JKS cross over shock bars...
 
I've been thinking about welding my JKS BPE's in once I get my new leafs put on. Only downfall is if you blow your rear shocks you're kinda screwed on replacing them if the BPEs are welded in there, then you can't get the shock out. Oh well. I'm about to say screw it and weld them anyways. I feel alot safer knowing my upper shock mounts (the BPEs) are welded to the body, not holding on with bolts and washers through a hole I knocked out with an airhammer. I still fucking HATE Chrysler for such a horrible design, though.
 
Tell us how you really feel Mike :)
My XJ is rusty too and that is one nasty spot to have an issue or break.
 
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