Popping sound when driving at low speed
 

So I recently replaced the ball joints and tie rods on my 1995 Chevy K1500. After taking it for a road test later in the evening while out driving I was driving through a parking lot at a slow speed when I noticed a popping sound in my vehicle, I could feel it like I had a bad tire. The pop was just about every tire rotation. After leaving my pickup parked I went to move it an it ran fine, now everyonce in awhile to popping will come back and then go away once I leave it parked. I took it to a shop and they told me I had bad U-Joints. I took it to another shop and they told me there is nothing wrong with my U-Joints and were kind enough to talk me through a walk through of the bottom of my truck. Since the popping doesn't always happen it is difficult to pinpoint the problem. However, while on the lift with everything free hanging my driver side tire will not spin. Once it is positioned at travel height then it spins no problem. Could my CV axle be what is causing me the problem?

That or a cracked wheel maybe?

Allan

Aftermarket ball joints? How did you replace them? It's ball joints stud popping in hub knuckle.

Just basic ball joints from Autozone, used a ball press to get them in place. I keep checking them and they appear to be seated fine. Like I said it doesn't happen all the time so it is difficult to pin point the problem.

So today while pulling into a shopping center popping sound started again and definitely coming from the driver side tire area. If it is the new ball joints are they bad? Do I need to replace them or perhaps did I overlook something?

You should have asked me how I know. I had all 4 control arms with Bjs installed replaced. Though they do LOOK fine and seated well, I have, at shart turns when taking off, exactly that - pop in the driver side.
I almost guarantee you they are not seated right and pop. Autozone is not known for the best quality product. I care less, I am selling mine.

im banking on cv axle just for the fact you said it wont spin when fully flexed, balljoints would have nothing to do with the tire/hub itself spinning

I took it to another shop and they told me there is nothing wrong with my U-Joints and were kind enough to talk me through a walk through of the bottom of my truck.

cv axle isnt a ujoint

balljoints/controls arms WOULD NOT keep the wheel from spinning, wheel not spinning=binding and binding=popping when the force lets loose

balljoints not seating would be installation error not a part error unless they are falling out of the control arm which would be noticeable, personally i have never heard of balljoints causing a noise concern of any kind unless they were super loose or about to come apart

on another note even though I doubt they're related at all how did they check the ujoints? Its hard to tell if a joint is actually bad or not without removing the driveshaft.

my vote is the CV axle shaft