Mysterious Sound, multiple Jeep techs are stumped.

[Mtb'er38]

Need help!

I have a 2018 Wrangler JL Sahara Unlimited. It’s got a 3.6L and a 6-spd stick shift. I have 66,000-ish miles. About 3x weeks ago it started to make this sound out of the drivers side left front. I’ve attached a video.
I took it to my Jeep specialist shop where I get all of my maintenance done. (All-Roads repair in PSL Florida). They found a worn out track bar and several bushings. Which they replaced immediately. 5 miles after I pick it up the sound was still there. I took right back and they took it for a drive and heard it for themselves too. They dived underneath to look and lifted it up in the air. Then they tightened every single bolt in the entire front chassis and suspension (several were loose). They also checked Crown nuts, ball joints, and cotter pins. I received the Jeep back after a full day (no charge). The noise reappeared in just 10 mins. I took it back immediately, now they checked the U-joints, CV joint, and wheel bearings. They replaced the CV joint. As soon as I left the noise was still there!!! This time they were stumped and have no clue.
Next I went to the Jeep dealer and spent a few hundred dollars and they said my Ball joint was bad, so I replaced it. I picked it up and the noise was still there! Now the Jeep techs are stumped too.
The noise happens in 2wd & 4wd, only under 15mph and under 1500rpm. What Gear I’m in doesn’t matter. It happens when going in a straight line or turning. The only thing everyone seems to agree with is that it’s not a good noise.
Please help! Thank you!

j

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[thecritter]

Make sure lower track bar is tight mine made a similar sound. Was tight but not torqued.

 

[Mtb'er38]

Make sure lower track bar is tight mine made a similar sound. Was tight but not torqued.

Yes it is. They even replaced it. They also retorqued the entire front end.

 

[Plan d]

… control arm bushing?

 

[Mudduck]

Can you feel it in the steering or in the floorboard? Body mounts? Thats an odd sound.... Does it only happen over bumps, or on smooth surface as well?

 

[Tpom]

It's a bit difficult to fully hear in the video, but it almost sounds more like a plastic panel sound, like you would hear with tire rub on fender liner or a interior panel clip coming undone. If you park, stand on the side of the Jeep (on rails or sill) and jump lightly, can you replicate the sound?

 

[John VonJeep]

Can you feel it in the steering or in the floorboard? Body mounts? Thats an odd sound.... Does it only happen over bumps, or on smooth surface as well?

Yeah, check your body mounts.

 

[BigDaddy71]

I had a similar sound which was caused by the drivers side front sway bar link. The bottom was tight but the top was not and it was tapping against the sway bar.

 

[Mtb'er38]

Can you feel it in the steering or in the floorboard? Body mounts? Thats an odd sound.... Does it only happen over bumps, or on smooth surface as well?

It only happens over bumps.
I can’t feel it in the steering wheel or on the floor. It’s just an audible sound.

 

[Mtb'er38]

It's a bit difficult to fully hear in the video, but it almost sounds more like a plastic panel sound, like you would hear with tire rub on fender liner or a interior panel clip coming undone. If you park, stand on the side of the Jeep (on rails or sill) and jump lightly, can you replicate the sound?

That was something the techs tried doing too. To the point of having two or three of them jumping and pulling on the side to try to make it happen. They couldn’t replicate the sound using that method.

 

[Mtb'er38]

Yeah, check your body mounts.

Will have them check the body/ engine mounts. That hadn’t been tried yet.

 

[Mtb'er38]

I had a similar sound which was caused by the drivers side front sway bar link. The bottom was tight but the top was not and it was tapping against the sway bar.

That was the first thing they looked at, both top and bottom were tight and torqued correctly.

 

[Anonymous]

Did they a check the shock/shock bolts? It sounds like they looked at all steering linkage but nothing mentioned about shocks.

 

[linuxos77]

Sounds a bit like an exaggerated version of the sounds you get when off roading and flexing the suspension a lot more than it does during normal use, kind of like something is sticking a bit after moving beyond a certain point.

Noticed you appeared to be in 4H, does it do the same in 2H?

 

[Mtb'er38]

Sounds a bit like an exaggerated version of the sounds you get when off roading and flexing the suspension a lot more than it does during normal use, kind of like something is sticking a bit after moving beyond a certain point.

Noticed you appeared to be in 4H, does it do the same in 2H?

It happens in 2wd and in 4wd. It happens when turning or going straight.

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