Front end

[drobes]

There is a loud knock when i turn left, also the steering is a little stiff to one side.
Can anyone let me know what this might be?

First jeep and ill never go back.
79 chero 4dr
360,TH400,quad-t,
performer carb and intake.
much more to come.

[porkchop]

I would suspect the u-joints or you caould have a siezed tierod bearing. Clark Griswald is an expert on the u-joint issue. You can also look in the tech section on the way to change them. Clark will be on here in to give you his thoughts.

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'67/'79 Wagoneer mix
"Old Timer"
Body of a 33 year old
Heart and legs of a 21 year old.
Spirit of a 1 year old.
360,TH400,QT,D44's F&R
SOA 32X11.50's

"I regret that I have but only one paycheck to give to my Jeep."

[River Beast]

Also... check your steering dampener... my friend Jesse's went out on a trail and "locked"(couldn't turn at all) the steering! http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~zeimet/ubb/eek.gif Not a good feeling on a trail. U-joint in shaft or maybe a seized ball-joint in the knuckle.

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Todd
78 Wagoneer "River Beast"
360/TH400/QT
Dana 44's locked w/ 4.88's
soon to be 38x14.50 TSL- SX Swampers
7" SOA in front-7" Rear Shackle Inversion Mods
4" Skyjacker Softride
3" Trailmaster Bodylift
My FSJ site: http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life (http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life)
My E-mail: spazz4life@yahoo.com
"If you can't stop...SMILE as you go under!"

[scotty]

also check sway bar bushings. if you had a track bar id say check that,too,since it alot of times will produce a knock when turning when the bushings go bad,but in 79 you dont have one o them...




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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

possible small block chevy "test" swap in near future

[ClarkGriswald]

Hmm if the clunking is related to the stiffness in the steering to one side.. I would do this as a test.. Jack up the front end and support it well at the axle not the body)this way your suspension is still loaded pretty much the same as normal. Might help to have a friend help. And turn the steering all the way both directions, and especially the way in which it is binding. Meanwhile you get under the rig and look closely at each part of the steering, start from the wheels in or from the steering box out and watch carefully as the steering is worked to both extremes on each part. Put one front tire back on the ground and turn the other tire by hand to both extremes and observe the U-joints in the steering knuckles, any movement in these is real bad. Could cause clunking and will cause premature wearing of the needle bearing in the spindle. Also it might not be so hard to unhook one end of the steering dampener and pull and push it to its extremes with nothing hooked to it.. see if it is three shades of whack! Look close at those tierod ends if the rubber is squashed out one side that could be bad. Basically the process of elimination works from an observational and analytical standpoint as well as just a swap out parts till it works standpoint.. and a lot cheaper that way..
Im currently still trying to figure out my loud clunk when I turn left. But I belive mine to be my completly wasted springs.. especially the right rear spring which is badly worn with no spring keepers and the bottom leaf askew. When I turn left under good accel I belive my rear axle turns up so much that the U-joint(new) binds a bit at the extreme angle and clunks..Thats not written in stone yet though hehehe.
Hope this long winded answer helps..

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88 Grand Wagoneer
D44's front\rear
Warn 20990 Lockouts
AMC 360
TF 727
NP 229 (Funky)
Custom Hacking Via S.P.A. (Standard Polish Archetecture)

[scotty]

that was pretty cool-good use of the word "askew" in your response. http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~zeimet/ubb/biggrin.gif



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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

possible small block chevy "test" swap in near future