OK, well first how about if we check the ball joints in the manner that they are supposed to be checked on this vehicle. With the tire facing straight, lift the tire up about an inch off the ground and put a pry bar under the tire and either you or someone else move the tire up and down while watching the ball joints for movement.

One often clue about a ball joint being bad is to look for rusty dust around the BJ seal.

 

Oh, I certainly have THAT! Crusty flaky rust around the top ball joint seal

 

 

To all who participated (and those who haven't yet)...

The popping noise is no longer happening, just a general "flapping" noise when going over bumps.

And I pulled the front driveshaft just for the heck of it and it's still doing it.

So, sounds like balljoints.

I am going to try to get a GoPro camera mounted on the axle tube to watch the balljoints in action and see if they really are moving. I'll be sure to post the video

 

I'll be interested to see what the video shows. I don't know why I didn't see this thread when you first started it, but my truck was doing the same thing. I would get a thump when I hit the brakes, but no other time. It keeps coming and going and right now I don't get any noise at all. But once in a while, for about a week or two, the thump will come back.

 

That's EXACTLY what mine was doing. And ONLY when hitting the brakes, and ONLY ONCE. Drive a while, it comes back.

Does it happen every time you hit the brakes, or only once, wait a while it does it again?

I would do this: Hit the brakes going forward, get the pop. Do it again, no pop. Drive a while, it would pop again, but only once. Then, trying it in a parking lot or empty road, hit the brakes going forward, get the pop. Once. Go into reverse, hit the brakes, get the pop. Once. Go into drive, does it again when first hitting the brakes. Once. Go into reverse, get it once when hitting the brakes. Repeat.

It was quite obvious it was the brakes doing something, and it was also obvious it was something moving one way, and then staying that way until going the other way, or driving over enough bumps that it would reset itself and then do it again.

 

Yep, exactly the same. I could get it once when going forward and then only get it again when I hit the brakes in reverse. The only time I heard it when not hitting the brakes was when I drove into a parking lot with a large grade difference (The same parking lot makes the hitch on the my Nissan hit the concrete) from the street at a fairly high rate of speed at a 45 degree angle. However, I think that was my sway bar bushings, which are going bad.

It originally starting after I did some unintentional off roading in some mud last fall. Nothing too harsh, I just coated the undercarriage in an inch of mud. It lasted for a while then went away and then has come back twice. I have gone offroading several times in the last few months though and it hasn't come back recently. I know my ball joints need replaced soon, but I don’t think they are bad enough to cause this problem. I was hoping it was my sway bar bushings since they are inexpensive, but that still doesn’t quite explain it. In fact, I was going to disconnect my sway bar end links temporarily to see if that was it, but since it isn’t doing it right now that wouldn’t really help.

 

So, almost two months have passed since your original post. Have you checked the ball joints yet?

 

No, he's on his way to 32,000 posts. Probably 100 will be related to how to install and hook up the video camera. Then another 50 about what happens to a camera when a rear tire rolls over it and the warranty aspects of such an event.

Me, when I had the "pop" I looked under and saw the rust debris, put a floor jack under that side of the axle, lifted the truck and used the pry-bar to lift the tire to check the play. I don't know, maybe 2 minutes, and not worth to video it. But I only have 104 posts, although I was here 9 months before him.

 

Maybe you should read too.. I already did check them that way. No movement. They aren't loose enough to notice movement that way.

I can HEAR them. I can FEEL something is loose. But nothing is obviously loose. And I do mean nothing.

Now, go ahead and answer me, and throw off your 10-posts a year average

 

Sorry Art. I went back and re-read the entire thread, but I didn't see where you said you checked the ball joints with a pry bar. Maybe I missed it?

Anyway, it seems like it could only be a few things causing your symptoms. Ball joints, of course. Loose brake parts (calipers, pads). Spring perch or eye bushings. Maybe the sway bar end links. All these things have been mentioned somewhere in this thread and you said you've checked them all.

After staring at my front end for a few minutes and thinking about how everything works, I wouldn't rule out the track bar. During hard braking, as the front end moves up or down, the track bar holds everything straight. But, I would think a TB bushing would have to actually be missing to get it to clunk like what you're describing. And then I figure you would know about it over every little bump. So...?

Are you sure there's not just something rolling around in the bed?

 

It sounds like you know what it is but for the next time you have a noise you don't know pick up a set of these. http://www.denlorstools.com/shop/images/JSP97202_l.jpg They are the same type of sensors a tech at a shop would use and a must have for the person that would rather pay for the tools to do the job then pay a shop to do it for you. They just clip to the chassis and will narrow the location quick. Once you know where it is you know where to check and what to fix.

 

linky no worky

 

Try this: on ebay:

STEELMAN PRODUCTS 97202 Wireless Chassis Ear | eBay

 

Definitely not

I did check with a pry bar, and thought I did mention it - but hey, I'm a stoopid post padder