Disconcerting "POP" in frontend?

[Dirtleg]

O.K. this morning I'm driving in to work on the highway and I get a very significant "POP" from the drivers side front. I was going in a straight line with no obvious steering input at the time. The truck didn't handle any differently and I cautiously checked to make sure nothing had come loose with small braking and steering inputs.(Very nerve wracking in traffic at 70+ mph fast lane)

Everything was normal and I kept driving. As I merged right and slowed down to exit a few miles later upon application of the brakes it did it again. I am certain something significant moved but a visual inpection showed nothing out of place. I didn't even see any ares that looked cleaned off like they had had something slide on them.

I did have the tires and wheels rotated and balanced saturday and have only driven maybe 5 miles before this morning. Perhaps the wheel was seating itself but the truck was smooth before and after on both instances. I'll check this out.

D60 axle with all new balljoints <3000 miles ago. New tie rods in steering at that time as well.

I am nervous to drive it but don't have a choice right now. And I have to pull this trailer often so I cannot afford to have an accident due to faulty steering/suspension parts.

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Any ideas on where to start looking for the problem?

Thanks.

 

[pat_da_man]

maybe cv axle? had one go on my dads chev and made some bad noises, real bad when turning real sharp

 

[gnathv]

Good chance it is ball joint.

 

[suv7734]

I think I'd start with the wheels and lug nuts since that's what was worked on last. The wheels are hub centric so if they didn't get one 'seated' properly that could cause a "pop" if it moved.

 

[RLDSL]

I think I'd start with the wheels and lug nuts since that's what was worked on last. The wheels are hub centric so if they didn't get one 'seated' properly that could cause a "pop" if it moved.

Another vote for the wheels.
Hopefully, they just left a few lugs loose and didn't crank one side of the wheel down too hard with the rattle gun and crack anything

---------Robert

 

[subway]

wasent an auto hub was it?

 

[Dirtleg]

wasent an auto hub was it?

Yes it's an auto hub.. No I haven't had it in 4 wheel drive in the last 2,000 miles. Doesn't mean anything I know.

So what are you getting at? I have heard plenty of negative comments on auto hubs but have yet to hear anything specific. Always just that they suck and I need to get rid of them. Never they suck because of......

I guess I better go check these before it gets any later. Been working all day.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

 

[subway]

i cant claim to know a ton about them either but something unloads when i am in 4 wheel and under load sometimes and it is a big pop. still not sure if its my tranfercase or auto hubs.

i know my buddy had them and they would be locked in the morning and unload on him about 15 mins or so into the drive. i think we eventually found some water had gotten in and was frezing it on, then when it warmed up some it poped out.

i have heard complaints of them failing under hard use or not engaging quick enough. just something else to check.

 

[yARIC008]

I've had tire weights fly off my wheels. I guess the guy who balanced the tire didn't put them on very good and i was just driving at about 40mph and it sounded like a gunshot when the weight flew off.

 

[Dirtleg]

Well I pulled the tire off and the lugs were not terribly tight. All the other wheels are torqued properly I did find something unusual however.

The flange face of the hub where the wheel contacts had a large dent on one spot that was certainly keeping the wheel from sitting flat. I don't know how long it's been there but I don't remember it being there when I did the balljoints 3 months ago. Something would have had to hit it hard to bend it like it was. 20 seconds with an angle grinder had it back down flat.

I guess I'll go ahead and do my spring and track bar bushings since I already have them and hope that if anything else is wrong it shows up then.

And yaric, it could have been wheel weights. I noticed one that looks like it's ready to launch soon so why not some that have already.

 

[snatchal]

I've had tire weights fly off my wheels. I guess the guy who balanced the tire didn't put them on very good and i was just driving at about 40mph and it sounded like a gunshot when the weight flew off.

I had my tires balanced and rotated about a year ago. Drove about 3 miles and had one fly off one of my driver side wheels. Watched it bounce off of the rear fender of a state police cruiser just as it was passing me.
You are right, it sounded like a gun shot going off.

 

[Agnem]

Frame rivet? They have been known to start making noise from time to time. There is a TSB on it.

 

[Dirtleg]

Well it's official. It was the tire weights flying off. After 2 more days of driving I now have almost no weights left on any of my wheels. The monkey who balanced them must not know the difference between an aluminum wheel and a steel one. It's comical at this point. I'll be going back to get them rebalanced with some "proper" weights real soon. Tires are still essentially new (bought in August) so I don't want them to cup out on me due to something foolish like a balance issue. Especially since they came with lifetime balancing.

It was a good thing it happened in a way. I wouldn't have noticed the issue with the hub so soon otherwise and that could have presented it's own issues if not dealt with.

 

[suv7734]

It's nice when you can find a specific cause even when it is someone elses ignorance. You might want to point out the hub deal to the manager of the shop since it may eventually cost him some money if his guys keep doing things that way. Most likely cause is running the first nut up tight when the rim is not properly positioned on the hub.

 

[RLDSL]

If you've got aluminum wheels, might want to push for the stick on weights, although it's amazing how many tire shops don't even carry the things, even though that's what all alloy /aluminum wheels should use. Those bang on the rim steel wheel weights can cause some nasty air leaks on non steel wheels, among other problems.