Help With Popping Sound

[Offroad19]

Ok Ive got a 93 4x4 with 35s.. My front left tire when I drive but mostly when I turn or put it in 4wd is makein like a clickin/popping noise. Does this mean my hub is busted? Its sounds like somethin is broke, I took a look at my bearings etc and its all fine...Can't figure out what it is. I remember i was wheeling in the sand a lil while back and my front left tire kept popping like it was locking in and out..Guess it broke the hub not sure.. Its really annoying though..What yall think?

 

[jeisbell]

popping noise

Have you checked the ball joints, radius arms, bearings, etc.? Any of these could be loose/worn in a 94.
-Justin

 

[Offroad19]

How do I tell if the ball joints are wore out? The radius arm bushing look to be fine. It sounds like its come directly from that hub though.

 

[jeisbell]

If you jack the front end up and try and move the wheel foward/back and up/down you will be able to see if there is any play.
Don't discount the RAB's though. They may look fine from the outside, but there is a sleve that runs through the bracket (the bushing looks like a mushroom), and if you have never changed them, it is usually the part that wears out. If your front end makes a clunking sound when taking speed bumps, that is a good indicator.
Probably the best thing to do would be to take it to a Les Schwab or other front end shop and have them check it out. They looked at mine for free.
Cheers!
-Justin

 

[DeRocha]

The sound you describe is the classic noise autohubs make when they are on their way out. When on-road the sharper the turn the more likely it is for the hub to make noise. If this is the case just engage 4x4 and if the sound goes away the hub is definitely your problem.

 

[Offroad19]

The weird thing is it doesn't make it all the time. And usually only at slow speeds. Like when acceleratin from dead stop or something. Is radius arm bushings hard to change? Do you just take that nut off and slide new one on?

 

[nascar_intimid]

Just a thought...it could be your caliper piston. If yhe piston is sticky once in a while it will clunk as it is releasing by force...pay closer attention and try to narrow it down further for us.

 

[fordby4]

Can you feel it through the steering wheel? Because a couple months ago I had a poping noise coming from the front drivers side and it turns out that it was the steering gear. The teeth on the gear were worn down and that what was making the popping noise for me.

 

[DeRocha]

When Radius arm bushings go bad they will thunk directly under your feet when you hit bumps in the road. Radius Arm bushings are on the difficult side. There are actually 2 bushings per radius arm (one on each side of the radius arm Frame bracket). The one under the nut is easy to replace, but the other is a PITA and requires you to either remove the brackets (torch or grind of rivets) or use a hand winch to pull the TTB forward. In either case it will be several hours + of hard work. Check under the Suspension heading in my Explorer maint sig link for a detailed write up.

I am still betting it is your autohub(s). Have you ever serviced them and if so have you packed them with grease? A common failure point is related to the hubs being packed with grease. Autohubs are a dry assembly and only require a thin film of grease to prevent rust. If you pack the hub with grease you will hydrolock the mechanism causing problems with engagement.

 

[Offroad19]

Yea they are fine with grease. Checked them out. I just think I might of broke something in one of them or something. Cause of it was slipping that one night. So on the radius arms what rivets are you talking about grinding? Looks like I can just break that big nut lose on the back and then take the radius arm bracket down and then just slide the bracket off and change it.

 

[Rhett]

Yea they are fine with grease. Checked them out. I just think I might of broke something in one of them or something. Cause of it was slipping that one night. So on the radius arms what rivets are you talking about grinding? Looks like I can just break that big nut lose on the back and then take the radius arm bracket down and then just slide the bracket off and change it.

I think you oughta check the front u-joints while you're at it. They can pop and you can feel it through the steering wheel if they are binding. Hubs sticking can also do that. Low speed is pretty common. Radius arm bushing do popping too, but in my experience as DeRocha said usually that kind of popping feels like it's under my feet and not thru the steering wheel.

Regarding the radius arm bushings, there's a lot more to it than just removing the big radius arm nut. On a stock Explorer, the bracket that attaches to the radius arm is riveted on. So you'd either have to grind/drill out the rivets, and replace with bolts, OR you'd have to loosen the axle pivot, shock, etc. and pull the whole beam forward to change the RAB's.

 

[Offroad19]

Oh well mine isn't stock. Ive got the 5.5superlift and 3inch body with 35x12.50s..