Help. Popping noise when turning

Hey guys,
I hope somebody can help me out. My 2001 2wd started making an odd popping sound a couple days ago. It occurs mostly when I'm turning and going up hill, but has become more frequent over the last few days.

I have been working on diesel gens out in the very steep hills in NC, I don't work on trucks often.

Truck has been extremely well maintained since 2001. Runs great, repainted, new leather etc. Great truck. 225k and has no vibration.

What is that weird popping noise? It sounds like it's coming from the left side up front, doesn't occur unless it's under a load and I'm running.

 

Welcome.

Check your sway bar end links. Disconnect them and see if it makes a difference.

 

Check the lower ball joints. Seriously, ASAP. They fail, and should proactively be replaced every 100-150k miles.

If you haven’t already heard, ONLY USE OEM LOWER BALLJOINTS AND REPLACE THE FOUR BOLTS PER SIDE AT EVERY LBJ CHANGE. Use thread lock (blue is fine), and torque to your specific bolts’ OE spec. This is no bullshit. It is not a joke. DO NOT USE AFTERMARKET LOWER BALL JOINTS. Not trying to be an asshole. There is a thread on this forum full of the dumbasses who chose to ignore this advice. Aftermarket LBJs fail, and some have had failures in less than a a couple thousand miles. There are active recalls on LBJs for our trucks, and NAPA, Moog, and AC Delco have had recent recalls for LBJs due to catastrophic failure. If you use a shop DO NOT let the shop install aftermarket, and fuck their opinion if they try to convince you otherwise, we have the proof on this forum.

If you need help with part numbers, holler.

And this is one thread of failures, and why you should probably not drive the truck til you know for sure this isn’t your lower ball joints popping (there’s an easy test, you need a jack, two hands, and prybar).

Here is more of what you need to know about LBJs and part numbers.

 

Could it be tie rod ends? Turning and going uphill makes me think TREs.
Definitely don’t mess around with your LBJs though, you’re overdue.

 

^^THIS^^. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Since your truck is 2WD, there is not much else that would cause the symptoms you describe.