Front End 'POP'-why?

[mmtphoto]

While I have it up on jackstands, where it will stay for a few days, I need some direction on why is causing a 'popping' noise-it seems to happen if I go up a small driveway 'ramp' and one wheel is higher than the other-when the lead wheel is at the crest of the incline and the trailing wheel is at the base and beginning to ascend, there is always a 'pop', either side can be in the lead-I generally go up and down in such a way so that I don't boog the front Air dam on my 88 daytona shelby z-I have checked ball joints, bushings, control arms and wheel bearings, they all seem to be tight-the wheels, when off the ground, and you push.pull, @ 3 o'clock/9 o'clock and 12/6 have no wobble at all. I checked the mounting bolts at the K frame and they are tight and there doesn't seem to be any flaws in the K frame itself that I can see-it does not seem to be related to motor mounts (usually just gently going into the driveway) so I don't know where I need to look closer. Any ideas at all appreciated-thanks

[turbopac]

did you check you sway bar bushings? the guy who had my car intalled the wrong ones and the car would pop and creak over small bumps and stop and going

[mmtphoto]

bushings look ok-not soft, missing, I have tried jacking one wheel while off the ground to see if there is anything obvious-probably time for another opinion...

[gclough388]

Did you check your cv axels?
i have dislodged several of them and ripped them clear out at times on this drivway at my work. Its just a suggestion but it migt be what your not findinging. my car pops also and i think mine is the sway bar bushings. good luck.

[ShelbyZ]

I had exactly the same thing happen in my 88 ShelbyZ. It turned out to be the upper strut mount on the passenger side. I changed my sway bar bushings and new drive shafts as well as struts. I did not think the bushings were bad until I looked closely at the bearing. The passenger bearing had a hairline crack in it and it would flex when backing out of my drive way or pulling in (with out much load on it). It sounded almost like a snapping sound. I hope this helps.
Darren

[mmtphoto]

good suggestions, and both are things I have repaired/replaced in the past, so I need to look at them again

-I did the passenger side axle after having done the motor mounts, and I think I am soon going to have to remove it to replace the starter-occasionally I turn the key now and nothing, no click, but I have plenty of battery-If I do it a few times, it'll crank, but yesterday, after the car had sat for about 5 or 6 days, I thought it was not going to start and I considered rolling it down the driveway and popping the clutch, but it cranked and started -I am beginning to think I am going to have to do the starter/solinoid soon and I believe you have to remove the axle on the passenger side to have enough room to do the starter.

I also replaced the struts just before I ended up parking it when the turbo started smoking (4 years ago) and I do not remember replacing the strut bearings up top, so I am going to do these also.

I really think it has something to do with the sway bar though, because it does not matter if I turn into the driveway from the left or right, I get the 'pop'-when one wheel/strut goes 'up' before the other, it 'pops'-how hard is it to do the sway bar bushings? I recently added a strut tower brace, and it front feels better, but the popping is making me a little crazy..

[ShelbyZ]

Anti sway bar bushings are quite easy. Make sure you get lots of penetrating fluid in to the bolt ends that are in the frame. I live in a place that gets more than it's share of road salt, so corrosion is a problem and a bolt snapped off in the frame. I had to drill it out and re-tap the hole. I was not thinking and didn't use WD40 or the like. It is your starter on the way out. If I recall you don't have to pull your CV shaft. It is pretty straight forward. Like I mentioned before, I have all new polyurethane sway bar bushings installed six month previous to the noise. That didn't seem to clear up my popping sound. Maybe it will for you...good luck!
Darren

[mmtphoto]

To do the sway bar bushings, do I have to have no weight on the wheels (front up in the air), or do I jack it up and then the wheels on blocks...never removed a sway bar before.

I can hardly see the starter and I looked in a repair manual (3 book mopar set) and it says that I have to either remove the passenger side axle or the support bracket to the turbo (probably easier) for access to the starter-anyone out there removed a starter from a 2.2 turbo 88 daytona shelby?

[ShelbyZ]

Sway bar requires just the chassis jacked up not the wheels so there is no tension on the sway bar. The Turbo support bracket is just two bolts. I think that is easier than pulling the drive shaft.
Darren

[EvilcowRoland]

I just did the swaybar bushings on an '89 Shelby Daytona. It's cake. Just jack it up by the chassis as was said and the bar has a bracket under each bushing (4 total) that unbolts and drops down. Definately hit it with penetrating lube first. The easiest thing to do is drop both on 1 side at a time. Do both bushings, then put the side back up and do the other side. If you order from Poly Bushings then they send you some urethane lube to put on the new bushings too.

And I've pulled a starter on an '88 Shelby Z before. You should be able to remove the turbo support bracket and take it out without dropping the axle. Just soak the bolts in lube first and remember to disconnect the battery. I actually saw a seasoned mechanic forget the battery on a Subaru before trying to remove the starter. Caught the engine bay on fire doing it. Oops.

[turbo1168]

Make sure the sway bar is centered left to right. Even if the bushings are good, if it isn't centered it may hit the control arms. Look for a shiny area above the sway bar end on the control arms.

Taking the 3 bolts that hold the equal length axle support out (without removing the axle), will give you a little more clearance for the starter removal.

[xtrempickup]

say said you did motor mounts? did you center the motor, that could cause a pop if its not perfectly centered in the car

[EvilcowRoland]

^ Good point.

[mmtphoto]

The motor mounts were done about 4 years ago (right before I parked it because the turbo started smoking through the tailpipe) and I was real careful when I did them-they are centered in the slots, and I did all four, so I do not think that is the problem-after I did them, I replaced the passenger side drive shaft.

I was under it again all day today replacing the starter (what a joke)-I removed the turbo support bracket, but it is a real tight fit getting to the electrical connection and the bottom flange bolt-the one I bought at advance auto was a bosch like the original, but it has a metal shield around it instead of the blanket (the blanket that was on the old starter was almost non-existent) so I couldn't even see the studs for the starter and soliniod connections, and I ended up having to drill out the solinoid eyelet since it was too small for the stud on the new starter...what a miserable job.

I looked at the bushings for the sway bar and they have to go-they are there but are mushy looking and look like they have been oil-soaked, so where is a good place to get them?

I am also going to replace the strut bearings, since I did not do them when I did the struts (4 years ago)-it's getting there...

[turbo1168]

fwdperformance carries the bushings in polyurethane.

FWDPerformance.com