Banging noise coming from front LH wheel.

[blackbetty]

Hi,

New to this forum stuff, so be gentle with me.

I have a 98XJ and while out 4WDing, I noticed that there was a loud intermittant banging coming from the front left hand wheel. I only noticed it when I was in low range and crawling up a steep hill. I made it up, but I was quite worried. Didn't seem to loose traction or anything when it banged. Had a look and couldn't see any obvious damage.

Any ideas?

[Jimmyb]

hmm i have these types of things a lot. sometimes they go away other times things break, i tend not to worry to much until something breaks or continues very loudly.

could be brake calipers, could be steering arm hitting something, was it a cyclic bang?

[Buddha]

Have a look at your uni joint near the wheel.
Happened to me a few weeks ago and went away after about 10 minutes.Two weeks later after going away it happened again and wouldnt stop this time.
Ended up being the uni joint.

[brizXJ]

Blackbetty, suggest you jack the front end up and shake, rattle and roll everything...it is not a normal noise for sure....take a close look in particular at the universal joint at the end of the axle, reef on the brake caliper, grab the LF wheel top and bottom and rock it. grab the shocker body and the steering stabiliser body, shake the heck out of them...check that your bump stops are intact...check your coil spring, grab it and reef on it, do the same with all suspension arms...you have to find what it is M8...let us all know.

[blackbetty]

Thanks everyone, your all a great help.

I replaced the uni on the other side a few months back, so it could be that. The uni on the other side just rattled a lot, where as this noise sounds like something actually breaking or hitting hard underneath somewhere. I'll get it up on the hoist and have a good look.

Instead of blackbetty, I should call her the black hole - I get my pay every week and just throw the lot into the hole!!.

I'll let you know all know - Thanks again.

Al.

[Gildo]

Yeah, could be that big bad of cash that keeps banging round under the bonnet....
Just need to keep re-filling it, all your loose change, all cheques that you can get hold of and any credit card that you have access too...

[Okie Terry]

If you don't have coil spring spacers, check and see if the top coil is banging against one of the engine mount (frame side of course) mounting bolts/rivets. It'll be hard to see but while you looking up there, bang on the spring with your hand and it should pinpoint the problem area.