Popping sound during U-turn

[ScubaSteve]

Went to Circuit City last nite and ended up having to do a U-turn... wasn't going fast at all - the space I turned in was only two lanes wide, but I had to cut the wheel all the way left. Almost all the way through the turn I hear a pretty loud POP (loud enough to concern me a little) from underneath the car. Any ideas? Should I be worried? The nearest Isuzu dealership is about 45 minutes up the road... not a trip I can take on my lunch break. Sounded like it came from the center of the car -- maybe the transfer case? :sigho2:

[ScubaSteve]

just a note - i've got less than 15k miles on it

[SoilDoc]

ScubaSteve,

Mine does the same thing. I was making a u-turn after asking a pedestrian for directions (I wouldn't have asked but my girlfriend was in the car). He walked past. I tried the u-turn and didn't want to ride up on the curb. I put it in reverse and "POP." The noise happens when I turn the wheels all the way left and stop.

Drives me nuts.

Any comments, suggestions, insights?

Jed

[ameetw]

Try greasing under the truck. It worked for my other truck. But lasted only for a month :( Maybe should have used lithium based....:naughty:

[technocoy]

only mine comes from the front and it sounds like the power steerting binding or something coming into contact with each other.

It only happens on really sharp turns were the steering is turned fully to one side, and i am at lower speed.

i can't seem to reproduce it all the time though.

technocoy

[Amack76]

mine does that too, i have no clue?

[gruven]

Yeah- I get the same thing but I usually notice it when backing in reverse (such as out of a driveway onto a street). It does not appear to need a radical turn to make this happen- mine though is a mellow single thump as compared to a pop.

hmmmmmm

-gruven:supercool

[chumone]

Mine has been doing the same thing on tight turns for the last two months. Is it something to worry about and get fixed while the VX is still under warranty? If it's just a noise and not something mechanically wrong, then I can live with it.

[Joe_Black]

Welcome to owning a short-wheelbase vehicle with a differential. Normal noise, you're just slightly inside the gear curve of the front diff for the turn radius. My Trooper RS did this and a friend's Land Rover Lightweight (88" wheelbase to our 90") does too.

[Panther_Black_VX]

Mine does that as well. I now know how far not to turn the wheel....

[paultvx]

Yup... it's normal. Jeeps do it it. Just about any 4wd does it. Wouldn't hurt to avoid it though.

[Anita]

Thanks Joe for explaining what that noise is.. mine does that too.

[Heraclid]

I don't recall getting a noticeable popping noise during tight turning, but I sometimes do get a squeal like I'm spinning a wheel. Must be normal... Joe, I remember yours doing it as I followed you around the turns in that parking garage in Daytona and then mine was right behind echoing it. :-)

[paultvx]

Squeal=tire spin... get it all the time. Neighbors think I hot rod it all the time.

[Pens]

Mine does this also, if you pay close attention it happens when the TOD clicks in at about five miles per hour. I think it is just the extra traction being put the the front wheels. When you turn on pavement it doesn't give and you get the popping in the front drivetrain. (just my educated guess since I am not to mechanically inclined)

[Heraclid]

Sounds about right to me, though I am similarly not too mechanically inclined. Yet. :-) Mine always does it in a very tight turn at low speed (then again I don't turn that tight at high speed for obvious reasons). The 5 mph TOD engagement is probably definitely it.

[Navigator]

My Cherokee did it, my Trooper did it, and my VX did it. I think the all do it. Normal :D

[Joe_Black]

Well the squeal Heraclid is mentioning on mine is during slow speed. VERY noticeable in parking garages! I recently had the VX on a lift running in gear (don't try at home!) with all the wheels off to locate the sound. Yes, it's THAT annoying! Come to find out it was emanating from the left rear hub. It would go away if I applied pressure to the outside brake pad but would continue if applying brake pedal. Strange, huh? I can imagine some of the light-bulbs coming on over some heads now! So I get all the wheels back on and get the VX to about 15 MPH and apply about a click or two of emergency brake. I do this in reverse and then repeat going forward again. Viola'! No more squeak! Apparently one of the e-brake system shoes had something on it or wasn't fully seated. I'm just glad it's gone! Very hard to look cool in a VX when cruising while going "squeak squeak squeak squeak".;pg;

[Joe_Black]

ARRGH!!! Just as I declare my triumph over the squeak it returneth! *grumble* *grumble* :madg:

[omegavx]

Sounds like I have the same little squeak joe_black. It started about 24 hours after I got mine and it comes and goes. I can be driving along and not hear it for hours and then all of a sudden it comes back and is loader then ever. I've tried almost everything to get it to go away with nothing working. It originally started on the back passenger side and now its migrated to both back's and the driver front.

I'm guessing it might be one of the following, shocks, springs, bushing or even the bolts on the rims.

Another thing I've noticed is that I can reproduce the issue by "pushing" the car at an angle. (ie: just jumping up and down on it does nothing, but if I push/pull from the front corner at an angle I can somtimes get it to squeak)

Maybe its just our dragons trying to get their wings spread. The funny thing is its the most annoying sound I've ever heard, I've gotten used to blasting the radio so I can't hear it.

[valenki]

Mine was doing this since I got it from the dealer whenit had 14k miles. My uncle Alex the mechanic told me that it's just a beety tranny and not the front end. If must have something to do with power transfer to the front in low gear ???

[Joe_Black]

I like the winged dragon theory! LOL!

It's definitely not the tranny. Like I mentioned earlier I had mine on a lift while running and in gear. Definitely coming from left rear hub/caliper area. I originally thought it was the CV boot until I did this. Now just to figure out WHAT in that area is making the noise. I'll probably pull the caliper apart and see what's going on in there. Stay tuned...

[omegavx]

Yeah, its definatly not the tranny. It normally occurs on uneven pavement, but like I said it can be reproduced in most cases by pushing/pulling at an angle. (ie: care turned off in park, or turned on doesn't mater) Definatly some kind a part squeak.

I'm waiting for it to migrate to all 4 wheels and maybe I'll see her wings :)

[omegavx]

Hey Joe_Black do you have the upgraded bushings that Moncha offered a few months back? I'm wondering if that's not my problem. (havn't had time to actually get under there and check it, but was wondering if you had changed yours out and still had the squeak)

[Joe_Black]

I've got 'em, but they're in the "box of mods to be installed" waiting in the garage. LOL! It's definitely coming from the rear-left caliper area. After this next weekend I'll finally have some time to pull it all apart and see what's going on. There are some shim plates in the caliper and I suspect one of those may be hanging which in turn would inhibit the pad from clearing the rotor completely. I'll post pics and info when I do it, so hang in there!