Squeak/popping while turning into parking spot

Hey all, hopefully you can save me a few dimes on solving this issue:

when making a slow turn (usually into a parking spot), my front end will make several popping sounds. This has been happening for about a week. I thought I had maybe bent the brush plate and it was catching the wheel, but I wasn't at full wheel lock and I couldn't make it happen when I tried to creep slower.

It happens less in reverse, and does not occur above 15mph or so, only when trying to park at home, the store, etc.

Today it's gotten a bit worse, I get the popping OR a squealing noise - it sounds the same as if you were to try chirping the tires.

the only other thing I can say is that I will sometimes get a single 'pop' if I put the passenger side under some sudden, decent flex - I can't jump up and down on the passenger side to do it, it has to be more substantial... though it doesn't happen all the time either, so I'm kind of dismissing that.


From what little I can see, the CVs aren't leaking or torn looking.
It doesn't happen while going straight, so there's nothing I assume with the brakes
I have hit some potholes like an average person, but my alignment is OK from what I can see.
I can admit that it's probably the abuse of offroading, and that's understandable, but what is going on?

about the only thing the search found was a guy with a pitman arm that needed greasing, but I don't know what/where that is, and his probs were loosely related to my issue

Help please!

 

R U driving around with 4WD engaged?

 

only on the trails, which have been muddy.

 

Well, I'm sorry I don't know what is causing it. The only thing I can say is for you to check underneath in the front to see if anything looks bad. Check the front axle areas, take the wheel off and check the steering, everything in that area.

Hopefully someone else will help you better than me.

 

Sounds like it could be a worn out CV joint. How many miles are you at now? Have you reached down and played with them at all to see if there is any added play?



Item 8 can get worn out much faster then usual with the larger tire diameter and force applied to it while in 4WD. If you have your wheels turned it puts even more stress on those bearings. The more stress that is added will wear that joint down and give you a little more play when moving forward or backwards. This could sound like a clicking noise.

Also my sway bar occasionally hits my strut every now and then when I am moving forward and backwards at full lock.

Check the torque on your LR UCA bolt.

Check the torque on your top plates. Maybe something is loose from the last time you changed out your springs.

Check the torque on your Lower control arms also. Maybe your last alignment shop screwed up.

I'd do all that first before going to the dealership

 

This too!

 

I'm unfortunately still learning about trucks so I'm not sure what normal play would feel like. I had a dude check out my tie rod and he said that was good (in case I got the wrong word, it's the rod that isn't the CV that goes to each tire in the front... lol)

I'm just over 43k

I'm somewhat thinking it could be this...

Sway bars? We don't need no stinking sway bars!

I left that in Salem

 

Did you try this yet?

 

To avoid cross posting my whole response, nope, and not sure how I can do that with the damned little tools I have in this apartment.

 

jack up one front wheel and see if it spins freely. Just spin it with your hands. If it spins your front diff is not locked. Listen to the noise it makes too.

 

Check BOTH sides.

 

Be right back, sir...

 

The tie rod is your steering. The joint of it that connects to your spindle is the tie rod end. If you grab the tie rod and try and wiggle it, the tie rod end shouldn't move around inside the hole it goes into in the spindle. If it does, they need to be replaced. You can also check these by having someone inside your truck moving the steering wheel back and forth and seeing if the tie rod end is moving a little before it starts to move the spindle. If it does, they need to be replaced.

 

I can take a look at it for you. You'd have a come up north to Auburn though. You said it makes a squealing noise which would indicate a rotational part. I would guess your wheel bearing might be shot. Does it make more noise taking a left turn or right?

 

i have the same problem on mine but only when i back up from my drive way and not all the time it does that but i think it mite be the bushings on the arms

 

Just got back in the house and here's the scoop:

Jacked up one side at a time with the hi-lift (via the slider). Both do the same thing, all testing was with tires pointed straight:

-Spinning slowly yields a a rubbery squishing sound from the CV. Imagine walking around in brand new dress shoes. That's the only description that comes to mind

-I can't visually see any splits in the boot or grease

-if I spin the wheel like I'm going for big money on the Price is Right, I will get a "TANG" sound. I can reliably make it do this, but I don't have the strength to make it sound more than once before I have to give it the next big spin.

 

Its hard to imagine a scenario where both CVs go bad at the same time.

Does anything change in what you just described if you engage 4hi?

 

Somethings f'd up in your front diff sounds like.

 

This is what I was thinking could be going on as well.

 

The squishy is normal. That's just the fins rubbing each other on the cv boot.

Is the the tangy noise only on one side or both? If it's just one side, do you hear the sound more when you turn the steering wheel the opposite direction, while driving?