Looking for some thoughts

[dylans]

I've got a 2013 Trail with Dobinsons IMS shocks, springs and upper control arms. I'm having a concerning pop sound from the front while turning and under articulation. It's really loud. I've replaced the LCA's with oem ones recently. No change but the old ones were going out.

Inner and outer tie rods seem ok still. I'm at a loss and I'd like to fix it asap, it's driving me mad.

Any thoughts?

 

[SC2388]

If you have already eliminated the tie rods and LCAs, I would check the CVs next. The bearings can get worn out and bind and the binding and unbinding can cause a pop or click.

 

[dylans]

If you have already eliminated the tie rods and LCAs, I would check the CVs next. The bearings can get worn out and bind and the binding and unbinding can cause a pop or click.

Ah ok. Is there any certain procedure I need to do to check them?

 

[SC2388]

Ah ok. Is there any certain procedure I need to do to check them?

You can pull them and go through their range of motion (joint closest to the wheel) and see if it is smooth or if it catches, but at that point I would just replace them with the NAPA CVs with the lifetime warranty. Pretty cheap and if it’s something else (I assume you have checked to make sure it isn’t rubbing on something) then you have spare CVs

 

[dylans]

Got it. I’ll check them. Today it seemed intermittent. Nothing all day while driving around. Last night it sounded like things were breaking in just a parking lot!

 

[Jeremy556]

, but at that point I would just replace them with the NAPA CVs with the lifetime warranty.

Don't do this. All of the aftermarket CVs (except maybe CVJ, which cost about as much as OEM) are garbage and will break with even moderate off-road use.

The stock CVs don't really go bad unless you have a leak and lose all of the grease or snap them from wheel spin.

I would look to your UCA, the upper balljoint or uniball, bushings and UCA long bolt. Also see if there are any signs of the spring moving around on its perches on your coilover. Maybe swap back to stock UCAs and coilovers one at a time as process of elimination.

Also double check your LCA bolts are tight, IIRC spec is somewhere in 100-150ft lb range and alignment techs are pretty notorious for not torqueing these correctly.

 

[SC2388]

Don't do this. All of the aftermarket CVs (except maybe CVJ, which cost about as much as OEM) are garbage and will break with even moderate off-road use.

The stock CVs don't really go bad unless you have a leak and lose all of the grease or snap them from wheel spin.

I would look to your UCA, the upper balljoint or uniball, bushings and UCA long bolt. Also see if there are any signs of the spring moving around on its perches on your coilover. Maybe swap back to stock UCAs and coilovers one at a time as process of elimination.

Also double check your LCA bolts are tight, IIRC spec is somewhere in 100-150ft lb range and alignment techs are pretty notorious for not torqueing these correctly.

Mehhhh.... you do you. If you don't go with OEM, the NAPA premium CVs work just fine. I've seen them used and that is what both toyota techs I know recommended for spares. OEMs can absolutely go bad without spilling grease or snapping from shock loading them (probably not going to happen unless you are locked up front). Even if they aren't necessarily necessary, there is still a reason diff drops exist.

Alignment techs do suck at torque specs but with loose cam bolts you will also hear that pop/thud when you are braking or accelerating in a straight line. Could be something with the UCA ball joint.

Making sure everything is torqued to spec is always worthwhile. Is it a single pop or does it pop throughout the turn?

 

[MStudt]

I'm betting on the outer TRE's.

Mike

 

[dylans]

Its usually a single pop. Sometimes multiple. Sometimes it doesn't happen all day. I replaced the LCA's because there was a loud pop/bang stopping hard and I witnessed the passenger side LCA shift forward while the sound happened. But this pop is while turning especially under articulation. Tomorrow I'm gonna do a deep look. I thought about just buying inner and outer tie rod ends but them I might get into throwing parts at it too easily... its driving me nuts!

I've got a heavy front end and a lift, and I can't help but wonder if the modifications I've made have hastened some failures or wear. I'm really wishing I had left it stock and enjoyed it for the beauty Toyota designed!

 

[dylans]

I went into a back alley in my neighborhood where there is a pretty sharp up hill turn in dirt today. I tested turning up hill and down hill slow speed in 2wd and 4hi and heard no pops. I was even able to articulate the suspension to wheels off the ground. Nothing. I had my girlfriend turn the wheel slowly at different amounts of articulation as I watched from outside.... Nothing.

Strange.

 

[dylans]

Update. I'm still chasing the pops and squeaks. I just replaced the brakes OEM all around rotors and all, they needed it. The noise seems to be worse now that it's cold out, and seemingly only in reverse. It can be pretty loud! Like scary loud pop. Only low speed turns in parking lots or into driveways, backing out of spots... never while driving straight at speed.

When I jacked the driver side up to do the brakes something in the front end creaked each pump of the jack. Not on the passenger side though.

Again it's KDSS, new OEM LCA's, new IMS shocks, Dobinsons UCA's are a couple of years old as are the springs. New OEM sway bar end bushings and lower sway bar link bushings. 83k miles on the truck.

It's driving me insane!

 

[MStudt]

Your UCA's and LCA's have nothing to do with this issue since they don't rotate when turning your vehicle.

Replace your out TRE's as mentioned above! This is a very common sound across multiple generations of 4runner's and Tacoma's. There are only a couple of things this can be, and it's most likely a worn joint like a UBJ, LBJ, Inner TRE or Outer TRE.

Mike

 

[blksubykid]

Check the KDSS swaybar hard link to the frame on the passenger side. That bolt can come loose and allow play.

Don't feel bad, I've been getting the same noise but just not as loud. I literally just replaced my LCAs, inner and outer tie rods, and ball joints on my UCAs but for preventative maintaince. I did notice the pop isn't as loud now, but I'll be checking hard link this weekend.

 

[Captain Planet]

Your UCA's and LCA's have nothing to do with this issue since they don't rotate when turning your vehicle.

Replace your out TRE's as mentioned above! This is a very common sound across multiple generations of 4runner's and Tacoma's. There are only a couple of things this can be, and it's most likely a worn joint like a UBJ, LBJ, Inner TRE or Outer TRE.

Mike

LCA's will make a loud popping noise when the inner bolts are not tightened to spec. The spec is higher than most people would think.

I've had mine popping like that right out of the dealership after an alignment. Tightened them right up to spec and it instantly went away.

They can be tight, but they need to be really tight.

EDIT: It's 129 ftlb. Dealer had them somewhere around 90-100. They extra 30 makes a huge difference.

 

[MStudt]

LCA's will make a loud popping noise when the inner bolts are not tightened to spec. The spec is higher than most people would think.

I've had mine popping like that right out of the dealership after an alignment. Tightened them right up to spec and it instantly went away.

They can be tight, but they need to be really tight.

EDIT: It's 129 ftlb. Dealer had them somewhere around 90-100. They extra 30 makes a huge difference.

Not a reason to have them replaced thinking that was the issue. I'm still banking on the outer TRE's like I mentioned over 2 months ago. This is a very common issue, and even more common when not using OEM.

Mike

 

[4'running'26]

LCA's will make a loud popping noise when the inner bolts are not tightened to spec. The spec is higher than most people would think.

I've had mine popping like that right out of the dealership after an alignment. Tightened them right up to spec and it instantly went away.

They can be tight, but they need to be really tight.

EDIT: It's 129 ftlb. Dealer had them somewhere around 90-100. They extra 30 makes a huge difference.

I just had new tires put on and described a similar pop as the OP to the shop. They checked it out when they were putting the tires on and this is what it was. Pop is gone.

 

[dylans]

I just ordered OEM outer tie rods. I also checked the torque of the LCA bolts and they’re to spec. I went around and. Checked other values too, shock bolts, UCA, all good.

 

[Captain Planet]

Not a reason to have them replaced thinking that was the issue. I'm still banking on the outer TRE's like I mentioned over 2 months ago. This is a very common issue, and even more common when not using OEM.

Mike

I wasn't saying it was a reason to get them replaced. It's a relatively common issue. There are quite a few threads about it on here, that's how I figured out what was wrong with mine.

Yeah they aren't supposed to be able to move when turning, but they do when not torqued correctly or have the bushings fried. Saying there is no way it's possible that's the problem is a little presumptive.

 

[dylans]

A couple of days ago when I was checking the tightness of nuts and bolts, I took all of the skid plates off as well and haven't replaced them yet. Since them being off I've heard no pops at all.

I'm not sure if they could be related somehow... but until I get the new outer tre's on and get it aligned again, I'm gonna leave them off and just listen.

 

[mbm112]

A couple of days ago when I was checking the tightness of nuts and bolts, I took all of the skid plates off as well and haven't replaced them yet. Since them being off I've heard no pops at all.

I'm not sure if they could be related somehow... but until I get the new outer tre's on and get it aligned again, I'm gonna leave them off and just listen.

It probably isn’t related, but juuuuuuust in case, I remember shortly after I installed my skid plates I ended up getting a loud pop under articulation while wheeling.

Took me forever to pinpoint it, but while it sounded like coming from the front, the issue was in the rear.

Somehow I was missing the bolt for the bracket holding the rear sway bar down to the rear axle. So under articulation the rear sway bar was hitting my rear diff skid.

It didn’t happen before because without the rear diff skid, there was just enough clearance for the sway bar to miss the rear diff.

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