Clank, pop front drivers side

[junedrive]

I just bought a 97 sport 4x4. It has very loud Clank/pop from the front drivers side. It does it at very slow rolling speeds and also faster. The clank corresponds to wheel revolutions not engine speed. Problem it is intermittent!. It will go for maybe 10 miles w/o noise then without warning it will start. It will do it in reverse. It is not activated by turns either right or left. Vehicle makes no sound when going over large bumbs. I have only driven it about 40 miles, the distance from where I bought it and I have no info on repair history. I have searched this great! site and read one thread that was a bad inner cv joint but he was able to rotate the wheel and easily hear the sound.

I have raised the wheel and turned it and of course it doesn't make the sound for me so I can identify the exact location but there is a squeak/ resistance spot from the brake or outer cv, as I turn it. I don't detect any wobble in wheel . From other threads common problems seem to be, CV joint, hub bearings, Caliper bolts and I will check those out better today. What I am writing this now for is if anybody has any other possibilities of the cause or a better way to locate the problem while its on jack stands.

 

[hoss_hanna]

i always suspect the wheel bearings first when dealing with explorer wheel noise, id replace them first, couldn't hurt anyway. the wheel bearings on explorers are notorious, id like to have a talk with the guy who thought a 4x4 should have so little space between the inner an outer bearing...

 

[junedrive]

Thanks hoss hanna, from what I have read on this site, I can't just replace the wheel bearing I must replace entire hub assembly. guess that's why I wanted to sort it out ahead of time. Wheel bearings about 20 bucks, hub assembly 200!...just an observation rubber boots on CV's look good