So, my jeep sounds a little funny

[miljeep]

I left my jeep for a week while I was in school and yesterday when i was pulling out of the parking spot at work and turned to the left, I heard something that sounded like creaking and grinding metal. after a few miles, it stopped. I drove it this morning and it did not seem to be a problem, but then again when i left work tonight, it sounded like creaking metal coming from the front right.

I got home and hosed it off and tried to see if anything looked loose or broken, but I could not see anything really noticeable.

Steering feels a little sloppy, so I am going to go measure my tires and see if one of them is pointing out more than the other, because although my eyes are probably deceiving me, it sure does look like the right tire is point out more than the left tire.

any ideas? It actually sounded bad enough when I left work today that I was just hoping I would make it home and drove in the right lane incase my tire went flying off.

[TexCJ7]

sounds like a jeep to me, i don't think you have hit anything hard enough to make it too bad, but then agian i have a cj so i'm used to it

[treefrog]

Could be axle u-joints. Look at the edges of the caps where they meet the cross. See anything that looks like rusty dust?
When you do have to change them, here's a time saving tip: Don't bother taking the axle nut off. Pull the axle with uni-bearing and change the u-joint with the uni-bearing still on the stub shaft.

[miljeep]

Thanks. I will try to look tomorrow at shop night.

[trailsnail]

Have you tried turning the tire with it off of the ground to try and pinpoint the problem? You weren't running 4WD on dry pavement and didn't notice were you?

[Hitechredneck]

x2 on u-joint make sure the caps did not spin and the needles are not loose/ messed up. Could also just call it a jeep thing mine makes funny noises sometime to and goes away. Also check your trackbar bolt make sure it did not come loose and cause sloppy steering. also jack it up and pull your tires and take a look at the unit bearing making sure there are no cracks or excessive play. But first thought is u-joint

[miljeep]

Think I found the problem. When I went to start it up, i noticed that I would hear some knocking as soon as the engine started up. I drove around the pentagon parking lot until it started to make the noise and then I parked it keeping the same angle for the jeep. I crawled underneath and listened and think that I narrowed it down to the exhaust pipe being loose and rattling from near the engine area.

Each day it gets worse, and I am guessing more loose or something.

[treefrog]

Think I found the problem. When I went to start it up, i noticed that I would hear some knocking as soon as the engine started up. I drove around the pentagon parking lot until it started to make the noise and then I parked it keeping the same angle for the jeep. I crawled underneath and listened and think that I narrowed it down to the exhaust pipe being loose and rattling from near the engine area.

Each day it gets worse, and I am guessing more loose or something.

Mine does that. I bent the exhaust upwards on a rock right at the right front control arm mount. Sometimes it rattles bad enough that you can get everyone in a Wal-Mart parking lot to look your way.