popping noise

for a while now I hear a popping noise from my Rodeo. The best way to describe it is like a stone hitting the car on metal. It usually occurs while going straight. I tried shaking the car, but that doesn't replicate it. It happens every time I'm in it, every so often. It seems to be comming from underneeth and maybe in the middle of the vehicle.

any ideas?

marc

It could be the sway bar hitting the shock.

Mine has the same type of thing. I notice it most when driving into the wind. Sounds more like sheetmetal loose.

Mine makes a popping noise also, believe it to be the hood as it vibrates in tune with the popping

hmmmmm, I just realized today that I heve a lot of stones in my tire tread. Due to the fact my cheap landlord has part of the parking area done with stone. The noise I hear verywell may be stones getting kicked up onto the underside of the Rodeo. Hopefully that's it.

I have a 99 amigo 3.2 v-6. The popping sound(sounds more like a loud "clack" noise happens intermittently and can be heard better with the passenger window open at around 30 mph, and alot better when you are driving next to something that seems to reflect the noise back at you(like driving on the road through a wooded area, or through town where the buildings are close to the road).

I don't think it is caused by stones in the tires flying loose and hitting the inner fenderwells. It sounds more like metal on metal. I'm wondering if this is the beginning of a problem with the tranny, or maybe it is something in the engine. It sounds like it is coming from the passenger side in the engine compartment or from under the vehicle in the left front. It has been doing it for several months now, but I don't put too many miles on the vehicle. Any help would be appreciated.

Forgot about this thread. I moved a less than a month ago, haven't heard the noise in a while either.

brayburks - with your truck idling, stick your head in the passanger front wheel-well and see if you can hear the clacking.

If so, could be time for an oil change and/or timing belt tensioner could be getting weak. How many miles are on the truck?

I only have about 56k on the amigo. I change the oil regularly, so it can't be that. I was thinking it might be the timing belt tensioner, but the mileage seems low for that sort of problem. It sounds to me like an alloy metal to metal. It doesn't have a ringing type sound to it. It almost sounds like the AC compressor kicking on, but the AC isn't on and I don't feel a load on the engine when it happens. Could it possibly be the fan clutch? I'm a bit concerned b/c it seems that is is happening about once per minute and doesn't seem to have any type of pattern to it. Hopefully it is not a breakdown waiting to happen.