What'd I break this time...?

96 Cherokee Sport, 4WD, Auto, 110K

I am experiencing a wonderful cracking/popping/grind noise when I turn the wheel in either direction at low speeds (such as entering a parking spot or driving around the lot). When the wheel is straight, its smooth. When I'm up to speed I only get a slight vibration when turning left. Aside from the noise it isn't steering poorly, but this is the kind of thing I'd like to catch before it gets worse. My thought is its time to replace the front axle U-Joints, but I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks?

Thanks!

P.S. I'd be curious to see what you all think parts/labor for the job might cost too!

If its hapening when you turn, then its tie rods or ball joints, or any part of linkage between the steering and the connection points at the tires. You can carefully put your jeep on stands and physically try to put lateral movement on the tires to see if the ball joints are bad. You can also have someone slowly turn the wheels on the ground or in the air to carefully look for slop and play in each part and tie rod connecting everything, etc. not as terrible as it seams. you can find and replace it then pay for an alignment or get a number of opinions fron a few shops to do it and then align it. either way it would probly be good to align the car after you replace tie rods. No alignment needed for ball joints of course.

if it only happens when you turn you might look at your wheel bearing thats what it is sounding like to me

I am not a mechanic, but ball joints are twenty to fourty dollars, tie rods are like twenty dollars each then labor to change out the parts etc. I would have to guess around an hour to two for the inspection and the fix, then an alignment if needed. In california you can get charged anywhere from $60 to $90 an hour for labor. I know because I have personally been chared $1250 to change out a $45 gear in my yamaha street bike. I thought it was bogus but I asked around and the labor cost is what did it, due to the bikes engine needing to be broken down just to get to the part. Blah Blah Blah. I should have sewed yamaha over this due to the bike being 7 mo. old and I also purchased a full three year warenty supposed to cover everything except tires and brake pads etc.

I think you're right about the u-joints.