Hi all,

My 99 Cherokee has a loud clank/pop noise coming from the front end. I only notice it after I've changed directions. i can't reproduce the sound by turning the wheels alone and it's mostly only occurred on uneven ground (backing out of driveway, etc).

My wheel u-joints are getting replaced regardless (passenger side appears to have a small amount of slack). I didn't notice any slack in the steering. My best guess is control arms or ball bearings?

Thoughts or comments?

 

Did you mean control arms or ball joints? Yes, those are good things to check regarding the symptoms you mentioned.

Here are some others:
1. Tie rod ends to ensure that they aren't sloppy (though that would probably present itself in the steering feel)
2. Track bar on each end for any type of slop
3. Sway bar to frame brackets/bushings (loose brackets, failed bushing)
4. Sway bar end link bushings (they sometimes get old hard, break and fall right off)