Front Sway Bar Adjustment????

honeykeeper · 01-01-2005, 07:29 AM

I hear a knock or pop on the drivers side wheel well area in the morning before I get my Titan on the pavement.....on the gravel road on small pot holes it is like a loud popping noise. I looked at the sway bar. It has a small vertical connecting rod on each side with small like ball joints on it. On the passenger side end of the sway bar the little rod is vertical and on the drivers end of the rod it is not vertical???? Is this ok or does the sway bar get adjusted so both connecting rods are the same???? What else might be making the pop noise??? After I get it on paved roads it goes away.
Thanks Tom

**loufish** · 01-01-2005, 11:00 AM

Both links should be the same on flat ground....good time for a few pics. There is no adjustment for the links. Check the sway bar mounts at the frame, make sure nothing is lose, or shifted.

honeykeeper · 01-01-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loufish

Both links should be the same on flat ground....good time for a few pics. There is no adjustment for the links. Check the sway bar mounts at the frame, make sure nothing is lose, or shifted.

Thanks loufish....
Visually all mounts and nuts look good..the tilted link looks better today. Knocking on both sides with a rubber hammer does nothing. However I notice when I tap on the torsion bars with the rubber hammer on the passenger side it makes a loud knock in the green cylinder housing in the middle where the torsion bars connect. If I knock on the driver side torsion bar there is no sound in the green housing....Any more ideas??? Maybe I'm getting closer to the pop noise in the morning????? Thanks.Tom

I looked again..looks like these rods are the steering system rods.and the cylinder that controls them is where the knocking sound comes from on hitting the passenger side rod.

PrerunnerGreg · 01-01-2005, 11:50 AM

Sounds like the steering rack and NOT the sway bar. Maybe some pics to help you diagnose the problem. The sway bar itself is not directly connected to the frame at all, it is mounted to the a-arm through links then isolated by rubber bushings through clamps on the frame. The tie rods are connected to the cast upright on one end and to the steering rack on the other end. Crawl underneath and check the bolts that connect the rack to the frame. There are 2 joints on each tie rod, grab the rod and tug on it, there should be no movement. Then, have your significant other start the truck and rock the steering wheel back and forth while you examine the front suspension components for anything that may pop or bind. There are no torsion bars on Titans.

honeykeeper · 01-01-2005, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Sounds like the steering rack and NOT the sway bar. Maybe some pics to help you diagnose the problem. The sway bar itself is not directly connected to the frame at all, it is mounted to the a-arm through links then isolated by rubber bushings through clamps on the frame. The tie rods are connected to the cast upright on one end and to the steering rack on the other end. Crawl underneath and check the bolts that connect the rack to the frame. There are 2 joints on each tie rod, grab the rod and tug on it, there should be no movement. Then, have your significant other start the truck and rock the steering wheel back and forth while you examine the front suspension components for anything that may pop or bind. There are no torsion bars on Titans.

Hi Greg......
It happens when the steering wheel is dead ahead or to the right.not the left.....sounds like it is in the green steering hydraulic cylinder when I knock on the passenger side steering rod....so in the morning when I go down the bumpy road driving straight...I hear the pop/rattle/knock sound.....should there be any noise like that in the steering control cylinder??? Don't know why I seem to hear and feel it on the drivers side though????? Sway bar looks fine. Thanks Tom

PrerunnerGreg · 01-01-2005, 12:28 PM

A couple things to look at, the bushings for the upperand lower a-arms, and, most likely, the steering rack itself. It is actaully a pretty simple design, and there should be no clunck or noise form the rack or the inner joint that is inside the rubber boot, that sits just outside the rack. You might want to have the dealer look at it (oh man, did I just say that). maybe a pic of where the noise is coming from will help isolate it too.

honeykeeper · 01-01-2005, 12:40 PM

Hey Greg.Thanks....Here is some more info....if I pull down on the middle of the rubber boot and tap on the top end of that steering rod the sound goes completely away.....seems to be coming from the middle of the rubber boot on the passenger side???? Any ideas there??
And yes the dealer will look at it on Tuesday. Now I'm wondering if the transmission shudder my Titan still has may have caused this in the steering system???? They are going to look at that issue also on Tuesday.
I will take pics tomorrow morning of all.......soon to find out about the pop/rattle/knock sound!!! Thanks again...Tom

PrerunnerGreg · 01-01-2005, 12:54 PM

Ok tom, were getting somewhere now. Inside that boot is one of the joints on the tie-rods. I personally have not taken the boots off, so im not privey to the joint design, but im sure its very similar to all the other r&p trucks out there. Those joints get wasted really quick on rangers, you may just have a bad one. The only other thing may be a bushing in the steering rack itself. If there is any play on the inside of that joint, between the joint and the steering rack itself, the bushing is most likely toast. Keep us posted on what they say, im sure its under warrantee. Im gonna guess the tranny thing is not related at all to the steering, gawd i hope not.

honeykeeper · 01-01-2005, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrerunnerGreg

Ok tom, were getting somewhere now. Inside that boot is one of the joints on the tie-rods. I personally have not taken the boots off, so im not privey to the joint design, but im sure its very similar to all the other r&p trucks out there. Those joints get wasted really quick on rangers, you may just have a bad one. The only other thing may be a bushing in the steering rack itself. If there is any play on the inside of that joint, between the joint and the steering rack itself, the bushing is most likely toast. Keep us posted on what they say, im sure its under warrantee. Im gonna guess the tranny thing is not related at all to the steering, gawd i hope not.

Hey Greg...Thanks......I know it is under warranty......sounds like a bushing or bearing on the tie rod to cylinder connection.....I guess they will remove the boot on tuesday.....and we will see what it is. I'll certainly let everyone know what they find..Anyone else ever have this happen?????Thanks again..Tom

honeykeeper · 01-04-2005, 05:57 PM

Update..1-04-05 tuesday......had my Titan in the shop as scheduled.....technician found both ends of the passenger side steering tie rod are worn-out???!!!! Thus making metal popping noise....4,400 miles and no offroading just the usual 4 x 4 up down steep driveway twice daily and usual mix of town/city/hiway driving. Glad I crawled under and checked things out recently. Now parts are on order. Anyone else had a tie rod go yet????

sirlance · 01-04-2005, 06:36 PM

hope you have time to wait. it will take some time to get the rack. they are or were on back order. it is very easy to install. I put one on today that was leaking. it was orderd on 10-29-04.

honeykeeper · 01-04-2005, 06:42 PM

Hey sirlance...maybe now they have plenty in stock....somewhere.....The Titan isn't even limping so no sweat here.....I think it's just the tie rod ends....not rack....but I'll have to ask one more time since you mentioned it..so can you change the rod ends, whole rod or rack or what???..thanks Tom

sirlance · 01-04-2005, 06:48 PM

you can change the outer, but I don't think it's outer

honeykeeper · 01-04-2005, 07:00 PM

hey sirlance.workorder says "ordered front right inner and outer."....it seemed to be coming from in the rubber boot...or cylinder end next to it......then the last time I tapped it sounded a little like the outer was making a little knock also so probably better to change both ends....like axle boots?????? GetirDone!!!lol

sirlance · 01-04-2005, 07:22 PM

To replace the inner, it means a rack I believe.