Sway bar links!

 

Same issue here but no luck identifying the issue, almost 100% sure it's my new rack again.

 

check this. stomp the brakes while in D and gas it. As the engine tries to pull the jeep, without moving the wheel, does it still creek? mine does this-- so it's not steering. I haven't found the culprit.

 

I can create the noise when braking by hitting the brakes sharply when coming to a stop. I can also get the noise when turning across say a gutter or uneven driveway entrance.

Basically, its a "crack" noise and I feel it in my feet, not the steering wheel. I have checked everything including the swaybar links and I cannot seem to locate the noise. Dealer of course blames the OME lift which is most definitely not since everything is tight.

 

I can create the noise when braking by hitting the brakes sharply when coming to a stop. I can also get the noise when turning across say a gutter or uneven driveway entrance.

Basically, its a "crack" noise and I feel it in my feet, not the steering wheel. I have checked everything including the swaybar links and I cannot seem to locate the noise. Dealer of course blames the OME lift which is most definitely not since everything is tight.

Well after having a new rack put in and then that one blowing up......then a new one under warranty and I still have the above clunk you are talking about in the right near my feet as well, notice most going into my driveway. It's driving me nuts!!!:brickwall HELP!!!!!

 

I have the same clunk, and my suspension is stock on the XK. I get it on braking and turns when coasting slowly.

I have been unable to locate the issue. If you get anywhere, then I would be interested in what you find.

 

Well... somebody apparently needs to figure it out LOL.

 

Guys, check your sway bar links. I had the same clunk in my front and thought it was the steering rack until I switched out my sway bar links. If you need to unbolt one side and take a drive, or I could push back and forth on my front wheel (rocking the vehicle side to side) and hear and feel it in the link ends.

 

I've gone over these links and they are tight... I cannot physically move them and the bolts are torqued down. I suppose I can disconnect them from the control arm and take a drive to rule them out but frankly, I do not think they are the cause.

I have also marked my ball joints and they do not appear to be moving either. I think I may give in this afternoon and see the dealer again as the noise is worse and I can pretty much re-create it at will.

 

I am currently having my Commander repaired at the stealership right now for a couple issues. One of those included the front end clunk us WK and XK suffer from. I was told it was more than likely the sway bar end links. However I literally heard the "crack" as you described a couple days ago after braking suddenly then hitting the gas, it scared the **** out of me because it sounded like something broke.

Between ****ty sway bar links and my rear spring isolators my XK was driving me insane with noises!!!

 

To my complete surprise the dealership called to inform me that my sway bar end links were just fine. My passenger side wheel bearing was completely shot!!! Those bastards at EasyCare covered that part but refused to pay for my spring isolators to be repaired!!! I am dropping my service contract from them after I get my car back.

 

Well... I now get to have a dealer experience.

To make sure it was not the sway bar links....I ordered a set ($103) and installed them over the holiday and experienced no change in behavior so the truck went to the dealer for diagnosis. I'll post up what they tell me... should be interesting with the OME on it as they have already commented on the aftermarket parts.

One point to note for those recommending sway bar links as a source for this problem... I had the dealer do a national search and the reality is that there are plenty of parts in the supply line and not alot of ordering going on so its not seen by the delaers as much of a problem area. My stockers were fine but I replaced them anyways to make sure I ruled them out.

 

Well... I now get to have a dealer experience.

To make sure it was not the sway bar links....I ordered a set ($103) and installed them over the holiday and experienced no change in behavior so the truck went to the dealer for diagnosis. I'll post up what they tell me... should be interesting with the OME on it as they have already commented on the aftermarket parts.

One point to note for those recommending sway bar links as a source for this problem... I had the dealer do a national search and the reality is that there are plenty of parts in the supply line and not alot of ordering going on so its not seen by the delaers as much of a problem area. My stockers were fine but I replaced them anyways to make sure I ruled them out.

Are you experiencing your steering wobbly? those are my symptoms along with the cracking sound wile making a turn on a uneven driveway which also seems like i have something lose and i feel something shifting even tho all my bolts are nice and tight.

 

my unibody flexes enuf that I've wondered if the whole engine cradle might creak at mount points to the frame. there really isn't much sheet metal in these front ends. That strut brace wasn't put there for "sporty" reasons ya know... I'd sure certain if we pulled the brace the steering would become undefined. Methinks it may be a solid mount point somewhere between large members.

 

2 things... they replaced the drivers side lower control arm assembly and they also told me that my control arm bolts were loose which led to the failure. These 2 fixes have cured my problem. No idea how the bolts got loose and I in fact had a wrench on them at one point trying to track down the noise and they did not seem loose to me. Then again, then the size of the nuts and bolts on my WK are quite a bit bigger than anything I run in my TJ so I might not be used to the correct torque settings.

 

they replaced the drivers side lower control arm assembly

That could not be cheap with labor. The part alone looks like $702 MSRP (could be had for $456.30 at moparpartz.com [$142.79 at rockauto.com for aftermarket]).

I guess that you just take the wheel off and the shock out. Then you unbolt all the stuff connected and reverse the procedure to get it back on. I bet that the dealer would charge $1K or more for this procedure for parts and labor.

Report back in a few months to see if they really fixed your issue or not once things loosen back up over time.

 

I'm also wondering about this as I'm experiencing a similar issue. I just ordered new bushings and links, which will hopefully cure my issues. How much did you end up paying out for that repair?

 

Couple things to check. The actual sway bar bushings, not the links. There was a poor design that had the opening in the rubber towards the inside that would cause the sway bar to hit the body under breaking/accelerating, bumps. Another thing to look at is the upper diff pinion isolator bushing on the top of the front diff. Mine is torn, you can watch the diff move a good 3" up or down when put in gear, I can only imagine that when put under load it causes the isolator bolt and inner bushing to make contact. There is a bunch of threads on thus issue. Even my gf's '07 XK that she babies has a torn diff bushing.

 

I guess I'll find out, as I put the order this morning. I'll likely just replace the link ends AND the bushings/brackets because they're already bought. I was reading another thread about 'clicking sounds' and am also going to hit the bolts on the upper/lower control arms with the air wrench to tighten them up just in case. I'm really hoping it's not my ball joints as they seem to be quite expensive for some reason on this vehicle...

 

Ordered the sway bar bushings too and hope that can do the trick to kill the clunk noise. I guess I will have to go to the links next if the new bushings won't do it.

 

I'm just glad that this should be a relatively cheap fix...*fingers crossed*