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popping from driver side front springs???

72 Blaze

72 Blaze

1/2 ton status
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Aug 20, 2006
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gainesville ga
OK I have just installed ball joints, bearings, seals, and everything I can think of under the front of my 72 blazer. 4" lift 35 BFGs. Thanks to this forum. I have looked over the steering box, no cracks in the frame!! But when I work the wheel left to right I hear a creeking from the springs I think.. And every other time I hear a pop maybe coming from the rear shackel? I can feel it in my feet. Only when I turn the wheel. Not when I hit a bump or anything like that. Steering box is also new. I cant find the problem and its driving me crazy!! Any ideas? I just hate to pull the wheel and hub off again. It drives great after the new parts. I just cant stand the noise! O yeah I have replaced the body mount bushings!

Thanks for your help!
 
I have the exact same phenomenon and have not been able to isolate it.
 
Check the torque on the ubolts. You might want to take a look at the center pin in the spring and make sure it is in good condition.
 
Yep, I've been selectively eliminating all points
Drag links
Spring bushings
shackle bushings
 
Ck drGLINk Mine moves up and down or rather it rotates up and down and dampner goes up and down. It pops in both directions when it does this. The Tie rod sorry I meant the Tie Rod. The tie rod pops.
 
I had that on the stock K5 years ago , went away after my lift . Only new components at that time were springs and u bolts . So I chalk it up to old wavy springs with dried out bushings and perhaps loose ubolts .

The noise was worst parked turning the wheel when backing up .

Spray some spray lube on things and keep trying to you isolate it .
 
Shackle bushings on the frame mount fixed mine. They looked ok until I pulled them out!
 
Thanks for the help guys!! I'm going to pick up new set of shackels. And cross my fingers!! Everything is tight and clean the only thing that has not been changed (NEW) is the rear shackel... If I order the ones from the site here @ colorado k5 will it raise the front!? It will not fit in the garage if it any higher!!:(
 
Thanks for the help! What do you mean by slotted and how did you fix it. I have already ordered the greaseable shackles and steering box brace from ORD! Any one know how high the new shackles will raise the front of the blazer? With the hard top on it already sits a little low in the rear. I just hate for it to be way high when I run the hard top! Thanks guys this site is great!
 
PavementPounder said:
x2. I had this problem and the hole in the spring perch for the leaf pack's center pin had gotten slotted. The noise was the axle shifting on the leaf.
Click to expand...

Ding ding ding, yep that's probably it on mine. The D60 drivers side perch center pin hole is slotted.
 
72 Blaze said:
Thanks for the help! What do you mean by slotted and how did you fix it.
Click to expand...

The center pin beat up the hole in the spring perch over time, enlarging it. This allowed the axle to shift fore/aft on the leaf, continuing to wear the hole since it could now build up momentum. We're only talking fractions of an inch or even millimeters, but small amounts of slack like that are just like having beat-up/worn steering components. They will still change the vehicle's direction depending on where the axle shifts or cause deathwobble in more extrame situations.

The fix was to cut off and replace the spring perch so that a line-to-line relationship between the perch hole and center pin head was restored. The pain in the ass about doing this is that the driver's side D60 front perch is an odd height (taller than most). Had to weld a plate to the top of the perch and then drill the hole all the way through in order to restore the original perch height. Otherwise, the truck would lean slightly. I don't happen to know who sells a "correct" perch for the Chevy D60 front, but I'm sure they are out there. Someday when the axle comes out for something else, I may replace it with the correct one.
 
ok I installed the new greaseable shackles! I love them! The steering box brace is a different story. Looks like I am going to have to move some brake lines! No worries I will tackel that this weekend. The poping was still there. So I went back to the drawing board. I loosened the u bolts and turned the wheel. NO NOISE! So I tightened the bolts back slowly. Turning the wheel left and right. Still no noise! So I tightened the bolts back tight and NO NOISE or POPING! I can't really tell ya why but the poping is gone and it drives great. I had the bolts really tight ( cheater bar tight). Maybe too tight!? Any one ever installed a steering box brace on a pre 73?? Thanks again guys this site is the great!!
 
I used to/ possibly still have this problem with my drivers front...

I had a friend whip the wheel side to side while I got out to look...
Looked like the shackle was "popping"
Then when I cut and turned the knuckles and reaimed the diff, I noticed the slotted driver side perch... big slot. At least twice the size of the the center pin head, but the slot was side to side, and it kind of looked too clean to be worn away(like it was that way from the factory). The cast Iron on the pass side was fine - Nice clean hole. I slapped on some degree shims and welded them to the axle (turning the slot back to a hole)...

Now that I see this thread, I think I have not heard the popping for a while... I know my u-bolts were tight, but I wonder if the spring pack was moving anyways? I still have not replaced the upper shackle bushings on the frame. Wonder what they look like?
 
I see this popping sound is a common problem. I've been told that lots of older semi-tractors with leaf spring front axles make this same popping sound when the steering wheel is turned. The center pin is apparently the problem with those big trucks also.

When my truck first started making that aggravating sound, I thought for sure it was the steering box trying to crack the frame because I've read on this forum that this is a common problem. After reading this thread and hearing about the big trucks' making the same popping, I've changed my mind. One day I'll check the center pin.
 
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