Popping noise fixed-ish (not suspension related)

[Fn_CM77]

Long time lurker. Sorry to make yet another gladiator popping/noise post, but I haven't seen anyone find this one yet as best I can tell and I hope it helps someone. Maybe just missed it in all of the posts. I've had all of the normal popping noises everyone has since about 10k. I torqued ball joints, cross members and control arms and eventually gave up on the end links (noise just reminds me they're still there). The newest noise started at about 30k, was in the dead center of the chassis and very loud/repeatable. It has driven me absolutely nuts. Any time there was a change in torsional rotation on the frame you could hear it, usually at very low speeds where powertrain torsion isn't dominant. You could feel it by hand centered around the trans cross member.

I started removing and replacing bolts on the skid plates one at a time until the noise stopped. (It can be repeated in park with foot hard on brakes and steering lock to lock) It finally stopped when I removed the small nut on the transfer case skid plate to the fuel tank skid (passenger aft mount arm). It's a small nut with a 15ft-lb torque. I haven't dropped the tank skid, but I'm assuming the stud weld or press fit fatigued given the amount of frame flex. I figured it's only there to limit relative motion and contact between the skids so I left it off for right now...no popping at least!

Hope this helps someone if it's happening to you.

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[RodRecket]

hmm interesting find. Thanks for posting