Hi Guys,

My 93 FD (with all stock suspension) has recently been making a 'popping' noise from the front suspension. It typically happens when i backing out of my driveway and i'm transitioning to an unequal surface (ex: Driveway to road) or when i transistion from one level surface to another higher level surface....at very low speeds.

Is it this a ball joint?

What are my replacement options?

Thanks!

 

Does it only do it in 4wd?

 

Hardee har har. And my Titan is only 2wd

Anyone have any useful input?

 

Are you certain it is coming from the front? What you are describing is classic worn rear pillowball symptoms.

 

Pretty sure it's coming from the front. Are ball joints on FD's a common wear/failure item?

 

Not particularly, and unfortunately they are non-replaceable. Have to buy an entire A-arm. Close to $500 each from the dealer last time I checked.

 

Get the car up in the air (safely) and then start checking to see if you have unusual play in the suspension components. If everything is stock, at some point you are going to have to refresh bushings so this might be the time. Don't overlook easy things like loose subframe/powersteering bolts.

 

Roger that..thanks guys.

Whew....1K to replace the pair....pretty steep. I hope its something else at this point.

 

I'm very interested to hear your findings once you get this worked out. I'm having a similar noise and haven't been able to figure it out. The front bushings are the only ones I haven't replaced yet.

 

That sounds familiar but my memory is fading... Try searching as this has definitely come up before.

 

Possible culprits that I have personally experienced and fixed:
1. UCA bushings. Try prying them back and forth in their mounts along their axis with a screwdriver (lengthwise with the car). These should be a hard metal bushing with no play, axial or radial.
2. Inner tie rod end worn
3. Loose LCA bushing to subframe bolts. Alignment shop did not tighten fully.

BTW, I have done rear pillowballs (all of them) and wish I had done them on a case by case basis. Some of them wear much more rapidly than others. I ended up saving a few originals as future spares.