Popping up front

mjferencak · Mar 10, 2019

So I get a popping from the front right during hard braking and when I reverse while turning. I just put new CV axles in about 10k ago but maybe I got a bad one. I also checked for play in my ball joints and wheel hubs. Everything seems to be ok. What are the symptoms of a bad steering rack? I do have a stupid amount of steering slack and when I hit a bump in the road I get bump steer. Any suggestions would be great.

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MilamJR · Mar 10, 2019

mjferencak said:
So I get a popping from the front right during hard braking and when I reverse while turning. I just put new CV axles in about 10k ago but maybe I got a bad one. I also checked for play in my ball joints and wheel hubs. Everything seems to be ok. What are the symptoms of a bad steering rack? I do have a stupid amount of steering slack and when I hit a bump in the road I get bump steer. Any suggestions would be great.

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The front end in my H2 started popping when making a tight turn at slow speed. Had to replace idler arm and other parts at 155,500 miles.

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4Lo-Tank · Mar 10, 2019

Id say your drivers cv is bad. Dont matter the miles, they can fail at anytime

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alrock · Mar 10, 2019

You may not have a bad rack but simply a worn out steering rack mount. If you can get the front tires off the ground, you can move the tires like you are turning and watch the rack move.

The popping could be a different issue - maybe worn control arm bushings? Or when it's happening with the turning and reverse it could be the CV like you said.

mjferencak · Mar 10, 2019

Yeah I’m thinking a bad CV axle I just didn’t want to hear it because they are fairly new. The upper control arms have even less miles on them. I did get underneath again today and tighten the steering rack bolts up. They were a little loose. I thought I got them pretty snug when I did the bushing rack upgrade. I’ll see if that fixed my bump steer in the morning. I also noticed power steering fluid leaking from the PS pump. There were no loose lines so I might be replacing the pump soon too.

Anyone replace the front diff pinion seal? My front diff is leaking and I’m wondering if it’s a going to be a PITA or is it straight forward?

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Traxx · Mar 11, 2019

Also look at the upper ball joints. If the cvs were replaced with those cheap cardone ones they don't last long.

alrock · Mar 11, 2019

PM Reloader about the seal.

Glad you've eliminated some issues.

Since you have the bracket, you can check for a worn out rack by jacking up the front end, moving the tires left/right and seeing if the inner tie rod flexes where it meets the rack. That's where it wears out when the torsion bars are cranked up too high. I don't think that's necessarily your bump steer issue right now but it could be.

Look at the lower control arm bushings. Are they worn or squirting out of their metal sleeves?

I may have been luckier than Traxx but I did not have any premature wear of ball joints with Cardone CVs.

mjferencak · Mar 11, 2019

New polyurethanes from Siberian Bushing on the lower control arms.

But I did find this on the passenger side...

Upper front control arm nut backed off. I feel dumb. I must have not used thread lock on that side. That’s my culprit.

This is the drivers side for comparison...

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atvspeed4 · Mar 11, 2019

The white plastic inserts should be removed when you do an alignment and only reinstalled if you drill a new hole for the alignment pin in the right spot. Who knows if it is true but I was told GM installed the white inserts to keep everything in place during shipment of the trucks from factory. Also make sure that the alignment pin still exists for that cam washer. They often pop out or break off and need to be replaced. The nuts are top lock tension nuts 14mm and do wear out and need to be replaced. They are easy to find at a hardware supply house

alrock · Mar 12, 2019

Good find! It's not entirely uncommon for those nuts to back off. I ended up replacing the UCA hardware after about 9 years due to the number of times they've been loosened and tightened. atvspeed is correct about those inserts - dump 'em!

ABENTON89 · Mar 12, 2019

I was getting some popping/clunking noises from the RF tire area. It was most noticeable when I was making a left from a stopped position. It completely went away after I got an alignment. It's been almost 4 months since and the noises are back. I'm not an expert in the front end area. I'm about to get it re-aligned and see if it helps any.

Does anyone know what that might be and what I need to do?

mjferencak · Mar 12, 2019

Well I tightened that nut on the upper control arm as well as checked all other nuts/bolts and removed the white plastic insert. Popping noise is gone. Thanks guys for the suggestions and help.

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Popping up front

mjferencak

Well-Known Member

MilamJR

Well-Known Member

4Lo-Tank

Well-Known Member

alrock

El Diablo

mjferencak

Well-Known Member

Traxx

Well-Known Member

alrock

El Diablo

mjferencak

Well-Known Member

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member

alrock

El Diablo

ABENTON89

Member

mjferencak

Well-Known Member