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Hey guys I’ve been getting a weird noise on driver side so I tried ruling out some stuff. Looked at the tie rods and there’s a sort of sleeve on it and the screws on it are not facing the same way. I tried hand tighenting them and loosening to see if they were just super loose . Does this look normal to you guys ?
The screws / holders simply stop the pipe with the slit from turning.
If you turn it,after loosening the circled things, you adjust the length of it.
May both longer (more exposed thread) and your tires will look like this from above: \ /
If you make it shorter (less exposed thread) it pull the front of the tires together and it will look like this: / \
Is it a klunck when you turn over bumps? (lower ball joints, test)
Or a klunk with any sort of bump? (Idler arm)
Is it a horrid screeching noise that "randomly" appears? (4wd shaft "bearings")
Describe the weird noise.
Edit: and what exact truck are you driving? Weird front setup in that pic. 2wd?
The part you are looking at is a Tie Rod End Adjusting Sleeve. It connects your inner & outer tie rods and allows the length to be adjusted for front wheel alignment purposes, usually for toe in/toe out adjustment. This mean how much the wheel tilts in or out. It doesn't matter which way the Bolt & Nut are on the clamps, as long as the clamp can be tightened down to keep the sleeve from rotating on it's own. Were the Bolts & Nuts loose or not? You didn't say. You also didn't describe the "weird noise" in any detail, which would be a help. Thunk, clunk, grinding noise, what exactly? Is it constant or only when something happens like going over a bump or making a turn? It could be any number of things but you've got to be very specific in your descriptions to give us a clue.
The noise is a single pop kind of sound or a snap. It is not constant is a one time noise on stops , not every time but enough to make me want to figure it out . Also on some turns again not every turn but some . I lifted the truck and shook the tire to check for ball joint looseness . It was tight in the 12-6 direction. When I moved the tire side to side 9-3 direction it was somewhat easy to move but I didn’t hear any noise . I was able to rotate the outter tie rod by hand somewhat easily it did not feel crazy loose..
The screws on the sleeve were not loose. And lastly it’s a 91 pickup 2wd 3.0 engine
Sounds like its your turn stops making noise when the wheel is turned and the suspension is moving. They make replacement plastic caps (yours may be farther gone than that. I just see the adjuster nut, not the cap it self) or you can just grease them from time to time.
The noise is a single pop kind of sound or a snap. It is not constant is a one time noise on stops , not every time but enough to make me want to figure it out . Also on some turns again not every turn but some . I lifted the truck and shook the tire to check for ball joint looseness . It was tight in the 12-6 direction. When I moved the tire side to side 9-3 direction it was somewhat easy to move but I didn’t hear any noise . I was able to rotate the outter tie rod by hand somewhat easily it did not feel crazy loose..
The screws on the sleeve were not loose. And lastly it’s a 91 pickup 2wd 3.0 engine
thanks for the replies this noise is bugging.
This may or may not be your problem, but I'll offer this from my experience. I had a persistent loud "clunk" from the right front when turning in reverse. I struggled for a year to find it. The ball joints and tie rods appeared tight, and I couldn't reproduce the noise with the front end on jacks no matter how hard or which direction I pried, even with an 8 foot 2x4.
Then for unrelated reasons, I decided to tweak the camber slightly. To my surprise, the alignment bolts on the lower control arm, which are supposed to be torqued to about 120 ft-lbs, were barely more than hand tight. I finished my alignment, torqued the bolts properly, and the noise has been gone for a year. My theory is that the loose bolts allowed the LCA to slip slightly under load, causing the clunk.
Bottom line, get under there and torque every bolt on the suspension to spec.
Sounds like its your turn stops making noise when the wheel is turned and the suspension is moving. They make replacement plastic caps (yours may be farther gone than that. I just see the adjuster nut, not the cap it self) or you can just grease them from time to time.
Originally Posted by El_gut
Rattlewagon, would that happen on brakes though ?
who mentioned brakes?
Do you only hear the noise when you are turning?
If you are turned hard over and the suspension moves up and down at all you will get all sorts of noises, popping, screeching etc.
your steering stops (as noted by rattlewagon) are ground off to nothing.
PLEASE describe your issue as completely as possible, like "when I hit a bump at more than 10 mph I heard a thump" or "when I corner on the highway at over 45 mph I hear a pop"
does it happen when you let out the clutch, when you hit the brakes, when you drop your taco?
the tie rod adjuster you mentioned earlier doesn't make any difference, the last person to do an alignment left the clamps at odd angles. you can move them to wherever you want if you have OCD, just DO NOT move the adjuster, only the clamps and one at a time is best.
Akwheeler, yes sorry didn’t put it in my original post . In my second comment, I described the sound as a loud pop or snap. It is not a constant noise it happens when I brake , but not every single time . And it happens on turns again not on every single turn, just very intermittently. Only turns and braking though. So yea I wasn’t sure the wheel stops would make that sound while braking .
Something ev13wt touched on and I think was passed over.
If you loosen and move the tie rod sleeves your going to mess up the "toe" and that's just going to create a new problem.
Something ev13wt touched on and I think was passed over.
If you loosen and move the tie rod sleeves your going to mess up the "toe" and that's just going to create a new problem.
Akwheeler, yes sorry didn’t put it in my original post . In my second comment, I described the sound as a loud pop or snap. It is not a constant noise it happens when I brake , but not every single time . And it happens on turns again not on every single turn, just very intermittently. Only turns and braking though. So yea I wasn’t sure the wheel stops would make that sound while braking .
The steering stops will make noise if you are turned hard over and hit the brakes (when the steering stop contacts the lower control arm). The brakes cause the suspension to move when the front end dives under braking.
A single pop or snap noise when you hit the brakes (in a straight line) could be several things.
What you should check are loose suspension components, control arm alignment cams were already mentioned, loose brake caliper mounting bolts, brake pads fitting loosely in the calipers, loose lug nuts.
You mentioned that the noise is from the driver's side but not front or back, I am assuming that since you are focusing on front end parts that you hear it from the front.
Does it sound like it's from under your feet or farther forward?
Do you feel anything in the steering wheel?
Does this happen both with hard braking and soft?
If you are turning slightly when braking does it happen more or less often? Louder/softer?
Does this happen at low speed as well as higher speeds?
If you check for play in your ball joints keep this in mind: most of the Toyota trucks have a torsion spring connected to the upper control arm and it is pushing down on the suspension, if you jack the wheel up under the lower control arm you are pushing up so you won't ever find play in the ball joints because they are under compression.
The best check I have found is to put a piece of a 2x4 or similar in between the upper control arm and the suspension stop on the frame then jack the truck up by the frame. This will leave the ball joints in a position very close to normal ride height and under no load, so if there is any play you will be able to find it by wiggling the tire/wheel in and out at 12 and 6 o'clock.
I jacked it up on the frame away from the spots I was inspecting and still had no play in 12-6...
The pop sound when braking usually comes when I’m at the end of the stop . Makes me think it’s some sort of joint problem . I’ll get back under there and just search for loose bolts . Thanks again
So I just got back under there and checked out the end link on the sway bar. Anyone know if this could cause the noise? On the driver side where I’m hearing the noise , the end links bushing looks shot. The washer that’s on top of it is loose on the passenger side it’s tight . So I guess it’d be worth a shot to replace .
I jacked it up on the frame away from the spots I was inspecting and still had no play in 12-6...
The pop sound when braking usually comes when I’m at the end of the stop . Makes me think it’s some sort of joint problem . I’ll get back under there and just search for loose bolts . Thanks again
But did you put a block between the upper control arm and the frame?
Good information about "at the end of the stop" very helpful clue. Is this right at the point where you come to a full stop and the truck transitions from "nose dive" back to sitting level?
Originally Posted by El_gut
So I just got back under there and checked out the end link on the sway bar. Anyone know if this could cause the noise? On the driver side where I’m hearing the noise , the end links bushing looks shot. The washer that’s on top of it is loose on the passenger side it’s tight . So I guess it’d be worth a shot to replace .
This could very well be your issue, it couldn't hurt to replace the bushings.
I am somewhat skeptical that this is what you are hearing just because the sway bar is isolated from the frame and suspension by rubber bushings so unless it is hitting metal to metal on the link I don't think it would make much noise. Maybe your hearing is better than mine or your stereo is broke.
Aha yes my stereo is broke, but no you could hear it if I drove by you.
And yea I would say it’s right at the nose dive.
Here's my list of possible causes:
brake caliber bolts loose, shifting position when the truck "rebounds" at the end of a hard stop.
ball joints worn out and shifting position, check with the upper control arm blocked up and jack up from the frame.
control arm bushings
shock absorber bushings (or the shock itself)
loose lug nuts
sway bar bushings, just occurred to me you could wrap cord or twine around under the loose washer to temporarily take up that space and see if the noise is gone.
cracked frame
10-22-2019, 06:03 AM
