Coolant and popping issues

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Pat Blank 22 years ago

I'm no automotive brain here, so please bear with me.

Photos:

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I have a 93 Cherokee 2WD, with the 4.0L engine, which has begun to lose coolant. While it seems that there could be more than one place it could be leaking, I think I have found the major point. The most evidence I have found is some wetness and discoloration in the area where I think the significant leak is. I've never actually seen it drip, but I have found wet areas on the pavement (on occasion) and I notice the smell of coolant when I raise the hood. Above is the link to the photos. I think the leak is coming from the heater hoses (real name?) at the top running along the engine back to the firewall. Though there appears to be some slight wetness around the thermostat. Basically, the hoses need to be replaced. Just want to make sure that I'm on the right track for the leak.

The other problem I've had is a popping coming from the front end. Seems to happen when driving on uneven pavement or while turning. I read that it could be the track bar? But I am leaning toward the shocks since I found that the bushings (correct term?) on the nut end of the mounts are either rotted (driver side) or missing altogether (passenger side). See the photos. If I bounce the fender, I get a lot of movement, which I don't think is normal (but I could be wrong). So will replacing the shocks be the solution? They need to be replaced anyway. What else might it be?

I checked the front end, as best I could today, and I didn't see anything broke, cracked or hanging. I didn't get a hand on anything to try to move it around though.

Thanks for any help you can give. If I didn't explain myself well enough or you need more info just let me know.

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L.W.(ßill) Hughes III 22 years ago

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Jeepster 22 years ago

It's hard to tell from the pictures about the coolant leak but from what I can see it wouldn't hurt to change out your heater hoses and your upper and lower rad hoses. The leak I saw looked like a leaking valve cover gasket.

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Your shocks look like they are about due also.... as you pointed out the rubber bushings appear to be rotted out.

The clunk/pop when you turn corners sounds like it is probably the sway bar bushings or one of the sway bar link arms, I changed them out on my wifes GC last fall because she complained about this noise when she turned left hand corners. The bad one looked fine but when I grabbed the link and gave it a few tugs it was evident that the ball joint at the end of the sway bar had come apart.

This is an example of a sway bar ...check top end ball joint.

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Nick N 22 years ago

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Pat Blank 22 years ago

Jeepster wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Yeah, that should be changed soon too. No noticable oil loss though, but that could change. My main area of concern is where you see the highest level of discoloration on the heater hose. I'm going to change all the hoses, so hopefully the leak will end.

I checked everything I could possibly grab hold of and shake today. Everything seems solid enough. Only thing abnormal is the shocks.

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Pat Blank 22 years ago

"Nick N" wrote in news:Eh7Ec.1293$876.257@fed1read07:

Well the popping seems to come from the left side. I checked my battery to be sure and its tight.

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Pat Blank 22 years ago

L.W.(ßill) Hughes III wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@cox.net:

Sure hope so, thanks.

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Jeepster 22 years ago

Shocks are not a pricey hit on the pocket book so changing them out would be well worth it, if you still have the noise it could be a ball joint it going.

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Pat Blank 22 years ago

Jeepster wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Thanks, I'll keep listening after I get the shocks installed.

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Coolant and popping issues

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