So today on my way home from work, nothing was out of the ordinary, until I got frustrated and gunned it from a stop. As soon as I gunned it, I got 2 or 3 "pops" that felt like they were under my feet or under the center console. It only happened that one time, and I didn't hear anything else.

Over the weekend, I did my diff fluid (both front and rear). While doing so I gave a good inspection and didn't see any issues (no abnormal wear, or missing teeth).

I currently have my front DS out, so that rules out that. Any ideas? Rear DS ujoints? I checked those a couple weeks back, and although there wasn't any play, they flapped around pretty freely.

Specs in my sig, and I'm currently just under 73,000 miles.

 

18 year old grease usually resembles dried clay, you should replace all the u-joints just because.

 

I was thinking that too. I did go out and tried shacking the DS around, and it's solid.

You know what I did think about... is that this actually happened to me last summer. It doesn't happen much and only seems to happen when it's hot and I get on it hard from a complete stop.

Trans mount, and control arms are all nice and tight. It's weird! I don't think it's the diff since it's not constant. It literally only happened that one time today when I got on it hard.

Any other ideas? I gotta drive up north about 180 miles this weekend, and I don't want to be constantly worrying.

 

Anybody? I've found people with the same issue in my searches, but no one ever posts their findings.

 

Did you replace both motor mounts when tranny mount was done?

 

Haven't replaced the trans mount or motor mounts. The trans mount just has the tiniest bit of play, which I think is normal since it's rubber. As far as I can tell the motor mounts look good, but I'm not really sure how I can test those.

BTW, in my OP, when I say the rear DS ujoints flap around... It's when I took it out to grease the slip yoke. They don't have any play, but they rotate around real easy! Just wanted to clarify that.

 

Did it sound like a mechanical "pop" or backfire?

 

control arm bushing ? or motor mounts..pop the hood and have a friend watch the motor mounts while you hold the brake and give it some throttle .

 

How long ago did you grease the slip yoke? This sounds exactly what my 99 would do. Went away once I greased the yoke.

 

It was more a mechanical pop. I wasn't a backfire.

I'll have to look into the motor mounts, but as far as I can tell, they look tight.

I greased the slip yoke like a month ago. That's more of a "clunk" and I know how that one feels. Been down that road a few times and it's not that.

It was like 3 real quick "pop, pop, pop" when I hit it hard at a complete stop. Hasn't done it any other time, and has only seemed to do it when it's been hot out. This was the first time it's done that since last summer. I think I posted about it before, but it only happened so often that I didn't worry about it.

Can ujoint's have no play, but still be bad?