Front End thud

wildrussian · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:45 pm

I have been getting a weird thud from drivers front side when I go over pot holes on the road and have no idea what it is. I went wheeling this weekend and on the way back I noticed the thud even more beacuse of the rough roads. Just got back from tightening all the suspension bolts, everything looked good and everything was tight. One thing I noticed is that the lower clevis bolt was facing the opposite side from the other side but I don't think that should really matter. Any ideas what it could be? Its not sway bar hitting the lower control arm because I checked and didn't see any contact places on either.
Thanks

Edit: I feel it in the steering wheel when I go over pot holes - it feels squirly and all over the place.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:33 pm

Did you check the lower balljoints?

Bodz123 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:36 pm

If I remember right the clevis had a machined thread on one side, there fore the bolt could only go one way. I'd double check!

SILVERJEEPKJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:48 pm

struts or lower ball joints???? :shock:

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:02 pm

Hope it's not the struts he just put that lift on. Could be ball joints. How bout the tie rods or the rack bushings?

wildrussian · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:57 am

myjeepwalks wrote:

Hope it's not the struts he just put that lift on. Could be ball joints. How bout the tie rods or the rack bushings?

Yeah the lift is new so I don't think its the struts and I checked the recalls on the jeep website and it said I had none. Tie Rods look good but I really don't know what a bad tie rod would look like. Rack bushings? where are they located?

wildrussian · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:14 am

I think I found the problem. When I go over the potholes it sounds like the drivers side is rattling like crazy. From what I read in below post it sounds like what I have.
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=19201&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I know for sure that the shop that did my struts did not torque them because I watched them getting compressed and I know that one strut nut had a little more threads on the top of the strut plate. You guys have any other ideas before I take the whole thing apart this weekend?

Johnboy · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:56 am

Took me forever to find, but when my suspension unloads (ie a big bump) my coil spring hits the UBJ. On some KJs it it the UCA or maybe the knuckle. I would lift the front and look for coil contact. That is what my problem was after a lift. Als UCA are on order now, if that does not fix it I will have to drop the clevis lift a bit to gain clearance and full downward travel (and so I do not continue to ruin UBJs).

Just something else to check I guess.....

JR

wildrussian · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:39 pm

Johnboy wrote:

Took me forever to find, but when my suspension unloads (ie a big bump) my coil spring hits the UBJ. On some KJs it it the UCA or maybe the knuckle. I would lift the front and look for coil contact. That is what my problem was after a lift. Als UCA are on order now, if that does not fix it I will have to drop the clevis lift a bit to gain clearance and full downward travel (and so I do not continue to ruin UBJs).

Just something else to check I guess.....

JR

I'll be sure to check that also, thanks.

How do I make sure that the nut that holds the strut plate and strut is tight? Anybody?

USPLibby · **Joined:** Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am **Posts:** 377

One way to test it while on the Jeep is to lift up that wheel off the ground with a jack on the frame so that the strut is fully extended and poke the "dust boot" with a stick or something. It should be tight and not flop around. If it wobbles around freely like a "cup on a stick" then the nut is loose.

The torque for the strut retaining nut is pretty light, 35 ft lbs, but it can only be tightened while the spring is in a strut compressor.

wildrussian · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:12 pm

USPLibby wrote:

One way to test it while on the Jeep is to lift up that wheel off the ground with a jack on the frame so that the strut is fully extended and poke the "dust boot" with a stick or something. It should be tight and not flop around. If it wobbles around freely like a "cup on a stick" then the nut is loose.

The torque for the strut retaining nut is pretty light, 35 ft lbs, but it can only be tightened while the spring is in a strut compressor.

Yeah its loose its moving around everywhere and makes all kinds of sqeaky noises. I checked the Service Manual and it said the torque should be 30 ft lbs. I took it to the shop and told them to take the dust boots off and tighten that nut to 30 ft lbs, I hope that fixes it. Thanks

Edit: You all think front struts will be ok without dust boots?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:22 pm

wildrussian wrote:

Edit: You all think front struts will be ok without dust boots?

Alot of people leave them off with no ill problems. I like mine.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:43 pm

i don't have the jimmy cap on my strut rod. No problems so far, but I don't have to deal with road salt and all that. Like Jeepjeepster said, a lot of people leave them off, and I haven't heard of any problems.

wildrussian · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2007 6:56 am

That works, thanks. I should hear from the shop today so I'll let you all know if its fixed or not. Seems like here in TN all the mechanics are crooked, they either don't want to do anything or when they do they screw everything up. I wouldn't of taken it to the shop but it was raining yesterday and I didn't feel like taking the strtuts off and I would have to take them to the shop to get compressed anyways. Thank you all for the help.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:05 am

any update???

wildrussian · **Posted:** Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:22 am

Jeep4me99 wrote:

any update???

Sorry I haven't posted back. Yeah its fixed, i took the sturts off and I could tell that one strut plate nut was tighter than the other one (the nut that holds the strutplate to the strut). I took it to the shop and told him to tighghten it up. I thought he would have to compress the spring to tighten it but he tightened it with a wrench. He said since the nut has threads he can pull it down. So i put it all back and double nutted that bolt. I used that locktite nut from the OEM stuts on top of the Rustys locktite nut. Surely it won't come loose now. That fixed my squeak and my clunking and thumping in the front. After this got fixed Im trying to fix my humming noise that only comes on at 45-50 mhp. Thanks for all your help.

Front End thud

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