Frankenlift question

Jeepin'WNC · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 191

I just had the Frankenlift installed on my '05 Renegade. I installed OME 948's and Rancho RS5000's in the rear and some homemade mallet bumpstops in the rear myself (no extra iso's yet), and paid a shop to install the front springs and shocks. I immediately had an alignment done after the lift was installed. When turning I get one loud pop coming from the front; it doesn't matter if I'm sitting still or moving. I've checked torque on all fasteners, and loosened and re-torqued the sway bar links with the weight of the vehicle on the wheels. With the wheels turned to full lock in either direction I don't see that I'm getting any contact betwen the sway bar and tire or wheel, they don't even seem close. I do seem to have had some contact between the sway bar and the lower control arm. Also, I have the MOOG lower ball joints with just a couple thousand miles on them, and the tire that I'm running is a Falken High Country 245/70/16. Should I loosen and re-torque the tie rod ends with the weight of the Jeep on them? How about the ball joints? Uppers? Lowers?
I've only put about 250 miles on my Liberty since I had the lift installed, and I understand that there are gonna be pops and squeeks as the new springs break in and settle, and that it takes quite some time but the loud pop when I turn has me rather nervous.. Really hoping it isn't the CV's.... This is, like most of you, my daily driver, and I don't want to do any damage by overlooking something. Any insight that anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated...

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2011 6:25 am

There should be no contact between the LCA and the sway bar links if there is they were installed upside down, heard of that being done a couple of times before, you may check that for starters

M&P40 · **Posted:** Sat May 14, 2011 1:24 pm

i had a similar pop and thought for the longest time it was the sway bar contacting the control arm or something like that, but all it took to fix it was putting a bit more torque on the A arm mounting bolts, they were torqued to the proper spec and still making noise, so i put about a 16th of a turn on it after and the noise went away.

Jeepin'WNC · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 191

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

Jeepin'WNC · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 191

Loosened the re-tightened A-arms, sway bar end links (again) and the steering rack bushings (need to be replaced) and had another alignment done. Mystery popping seems to be gone. Keepin' my fingers crossed that it STAYS gone. Thanks for the advice.

Jeepin'WNC · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 191

The mystery pop mysteriously returned... I found that the cam bolt at the front of the lower A-arm on the passenger's side was loose. I tightened it and made a slow drive to the alignment shop, just in case I threw it out of alignment in the process; I paid for a 12 month/12,000 mile alignment, and I'm gonna get my money's worth! A few days later the "mystery" popping returned. It started as a popping only when turning, but seemed to get worse, progressing into a pop that also happened when braking in a straight line. I checked the ball joints; I didn't suspect the lowers because they were reaplaced less than 2000 miles ago with greasable Moog's, and they were given a shot of grease on my last oil change. I thought the uppers might possibly be bad (kinda hoped to give myself an excuse to buy Al's arms). I removed the brake calipers, pads, caliper brackets, rotors, and guide pins/bolts,anti- rattle clips and checked them for signs of wear; everything seemed to be in good working order. The rotors are just a a month or so over a year old. I checked the torque on the upper A-arm bolts, making sure that the torque spec was right, and that they weren't pre-loaded. I re-checked the torque on the upper shock mounting bolts, the sway bar end links, and made sure the end links were installed correctly, I also checked the torque on the shock clevis, and the clevis-to-lower A-arm bolts. At one point I got underneath the Libby while I had my father in the drivers seat turning the steering wheel back and forth. The pop seemed to be coming from the drivers side of the Jeep, and I thought it was coming from the steering rack, and/or the tie rod on the driver's side. I could put my hand on the tie rod and feel the popping as it occured. I was thinking either my steering rack, or tie rod is shot or the bushings are toast. The bushing on the drivers side has had a bit of rubber poking out from under the washer at the top for a while....I thought I would try the steering rack bushing band-aid... I bought some rubber washers and a tube of Permatex RTV gasket maker. I took the front skid plate off and removed the bolt from the drivers side steering rack bushing; the steel sleeve inside of the bushing was still pefectly centered, and very little of the top flange of the bushing was missing. I went ahead and put a couple of rubber washers between the steel washer and the bushing, with no effect. I was afraid that I was going to have to replace my steering rack. Again, I got my dad to turn the steering wheel back and forth as I watched for play in the steering rack. I didn't see any play; then we switched places. He couldn't see any play in the steering rack either. About to give up hope and accept that I was going to have to pay someone an exhorbant amount in labor rates to diagnose this popping coming from my front suspension, I straightend the steering wheel and was about to shut my Jeep off when my dad said "Wait!, turn the wheel back to the right then back to the left again!" Then he told me to watch the lower A-arm at the front cam bolt while he turned the steering wheel. There was about a quarter of an inch of movement, left to right and vice-versa, at the front cam bolt on the lower A-arm, on the driver's side, right when the pop would occur. I grabbed my 24mm deep well socket, on my 24" breaker bar, and a large cresent wrench. I put the cresent wrench on the cam bolt head, and the 24 mm socket on the cam bolt nut, about vertical with the front crossmember; as soon as I put the slightest pressure on the breaker bar it turned! After tightening the cam bolt/nut; the popping was gone. I can now make lock to lock turns, and the only noise I hear are my tires slightly rubbing if I do a full-lock turn, in reverse!
I know this post was long, but I wanted to be as descriptive as possible; I couldn't have accomplished what I did without the help of the members of this forum....P.S I discovered a torn CV joint boot on the front driveshaft, while trying to diagnose this popping, and replaced the CV joint for $85 dollars; thanks to the posts of the members of this forum. Now I can move on to bigger and better improvements to my Liberty!!!

Jeepin'WNC · **Joined:** Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:48 am **Posts:** 191

As much as I hate to go diggin' up an old post again; I'm hoping that my experiences might help someone else; 'cause I sure have got alot of help here...After solving a pop in the front suspension when turning, due to a loose Lower Control arm bolt, I discovered a much quiter poping when braking; right before the Jeep came to complete stop. After hearing a co-worker's lifted Cherokee sport pop exactly like my Liberty when stopping; I did a little net research, and decided that I should try cleaning and greasing all the slide points for the front brake pads. I jacked up the Liberty and removed the front wheel from the left side (where the pop seemed to be coming from). I removed the brake caliper and pads from that side, cleaned the rotor and hardware with a non-clorinated cleaner and applied a liberal coat of Permatex brake part grease to all the slide points for the pads; ie: the caliper pin bolts, "ears" on the pads, and also on the BACK of the pads. Afer a week or so of driving my Liberty, everything seems to be in good working order.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:57 am

it's a pretty common deal with these type calipers, slider bolts get dry, dirty and sticky and the caliper doesn't move like it needs to and causes pad and caliper chatter

mines doing it at the moment and i know dang well that's what it is

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