Popping in front suspension while turning

[iplagolf]

Did a search and didn't really get an answer to my problem. In the last couple of days while backing up and turning the wheel to the left, I get a popping noise from the right front of the suspension. This happened in my drive way which is on an incline up to the street, also in the parking lot at the CVS (also an incline). I put the car up on a floor jack, pulled the right front wheel and took a look. The strut looked good (also did a bounce test, ok) bushings looked ok, tie rod ends the same. I know looking ok doesn't mean every thing's ok. I went through Clark's and didn't see anything addressing this problem, including trouble shooting. There is no play, shimmy, pull in the steering. The car tracks like it's on a string. Any thoughts? Thanks, Fritz

[Jrboulder]

Sounds like the ball joint.
IIRC (I'm on my phone) you've got an 85.5 so that's an integral part of the control arm. You can rebuild it yourself, get a rebuilt one, or buy a new one.

Jackson

[Cocacolakidd]

Second the thought on a ball joint. Also there have been many reports of upper strut mounts going out, then they stick and all of a sudden they shift in the mount. This is usually with cheap adjustable upper mounts though (Adjustable camber mounts).

[flash968]

likely a sway bar bushing. they tend to go away if there is any kind of leak under there that gets them wet with oil or power steering fluid.

could also be a caster block.

could still be a strut though. lift the front end in the air, then grab the tire top and bottom and move the tire/wheel in and out (i.e. top in- bottom out, and visa versa) and see if the shaft wiggles relative to the housing. there should be no play there whatsoever.

a possibility of wheel bearings too.

hope that helps.

[iplagolf]

Thanks all for the come back. I checked the upper strut mount. Nice and tight. I did have a small oil leak from the filter, but nothing got that far. When I had it up on the jack, I tried the tire for any "looseness", side to side, top to bottom, nothing. I could move the tire (steering rack) moving it side to side like steering. I remember reading somewhere a popping was a ball joint. Just wanted someone else's thoughts on this. Doesn't do it on bumps or RR tracks just under the stress of turning back wards. Going on a 2500 mile trip in Dec. and want everything to be right. Thanks for your input. Fritz

[iplagolf]

Left this out. How do you check a ball joint to see if it's bad? Fritz

[Arizona_928]

front & rear control arm bushing. you prolly have a leaking rack too.

[marko]

Rotate the ball joint stud in a circle. It should be snug and move smoothly, if it's choppy then the nylon bushing is bad. Take off the rubber boot, you'll probably see the nylon bushing all fuddered up.

[phoenix_iii]

Voting balljoint too.

[rick13]

Leakey rack.

[looneybin]

put the car on jack stands, remove the wheel and use a floor jack to slowly move the front suspension up & down. you may be able to see what is making the popping sound doing that process.

I had the same popping noise going up drive approaches and it was a loose sway bar bracket, the only way i found it was with the above method

[Tricky69]

jack the front up.

Use a two by four as a lever and a brick as a pivot, and lever under the tyre while looking at all the joints and bushings to see what's moving that shouldn't. Sometimes, with a finger across a joint you can feel movement you cant see.

[Tricky69]

, oh - my guess would be ball joint too

Just replaced mine, and it's like a new car !

I replaced the joints only. - drilled out the rivets and bolts the new joint in.

[mhr]

I had popping while turning the wheel and it was the strut top mounts.

[mytrplseven]

I'm curious about this matter. When I replaced the sway bar, it wasn't cooperating and was off to one side. Do you replace it while the front suspension is unloaded or down on the wheels? It didn't go on easy. I replaced the sway bar bushings, lower ball joint boots and the lower ball joints felt solid and no junk; new tie rods and re-assembled the front end (oil pan gasket repair started all this). I believe all the bolts were torqued and I didn't forget any but I'm going to re-check tomorrow. I still get a clunk going over the driveway entry.

[iplagolf]

Hello, Does the "clunk" happen pulling in or backing out? I pulled my front wheels yesterday and every thing seems ok. The boots on the ball joints were intact and all bushings looked like new. I see no way to inspect the ball joints without disassembling the suspension. Am I just not seeing something right? I tried the "levering" of the suspension but didn't hear or feel anything. The tie rod ends have bright yellow paint marks on the locking nut on the arms that someone applied when new ones were installed. I don't know it they come this way from the factory and after 26 years I don't think the paint would last that long. Thanks, Fritz

[looneybin]

Grab the front tire at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and try to move it in and out.
If there is any play, the ball joint is shot.
Do the same test at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock to test the tie rod end

[flash968]

actually, for a ball joint, you really need to move it up and down.

in and out could easily also indicate either a wheel bearing or an upper strut bearing (the bearing at the top of the strut cartridge, not the upper strut mount)

in either case, the ball joint should also make some noise going over bumps in a straight line, and not just in a corner. there could also tend to be some vagueness in steering.

[iplagolf]

Flash968...Tried the pull, push, with the car on and off the ground. Very solid. Like I said the car tracks like it's on a string. No slop or play in the steering. I'm going to leave it alone and see what happens. I did notice it only happens in a hard over, back wards turn, and just to the left. Thanks, Fritz

[mytrplseven]

Is your battery secured?? If not, it'll bonk around the box.