KennyK

I have a '96 cherokee that has developed an annoying shake while driving that seems to be in the front end. Also my front differential has started leaking both from the rear pinion and out of the axle shaft on the drivers side. All 4 ball joints and wheel bearings are new. Could the shake be coming from the differential going out. And if do would I be better off just swapping front axles or rebuilding the one I have?

darknezz

Is it like death wobble at high speeds and goes away when you brake? or a constant shaking grinding?

If its the first one, change all tie rods, check track bar, alignment, wheel balance and pressure and a new steering stabilizer (after new other parts will help them last)

oh and stock d30?

Lowrange2

Describe the shake in question, please.

Mazzajf

good chance your steering box brace can be destroyed. Get a HD one.

darknezz

no stock steering box brace in theyre, unless your talking about the spacer plate?

KennyK

Hard to describe shake without experiencing it. Felt similar to bad wheel bearing. I've done the drivers side twice now and passenger side once. This time it still shakes. As far as I know it has the stock axle still although when I replaced the u-joints in it I had to buy the ones for a '96 grand cherokee. Cherokee ones were smaller. I'm also unfamiliar with what death wobble feels like since I haven't ridden in a jeep with it.

darknezz

you have the larger 960x abs u joints

if you cant describe it and we cant feel it then whats to do?
try and made a video? drive by/over a camera a few times or something.

Is the jeep lifted? tires? uneven or unbalanced tires can cause shaking.

Wheel bearings usually dont cause to much shaking, they make a groaning grinding sound, I suppose if they are bad enough that the wheel is tipping in and out sure.

death wobble is like I stated, usually over 45mph, often happens when hitting a bump, you slow down it goes away.

77olds

Yeah you wouldn't think a bad wheel bearing would cause it, but apparently that's what my death wobble was coming from.

I checked everything and everything seemed just fine, I couldn't figure it out... but then i noticed when i had it on a hoist one day that I could feel a vibration in the left front tire when I turned it with my hands.

So I replaced the hub, and my death wobble was completely gone.

I checked the old hub over really closely to see how bad it was and it really wasn't that far gone, so apparently even a "little bad" is bad enough to cause some wobbling.

I think it's because, as we all know, once death wobble starts, it only gets worse until you stop.

KennyK

It's not horrible until about 45 and up, just does it. Not after a bump. Also if I stop, turn the wheel all the way to one side and try to slowly turn it kind of hops like turning on dry ground in 4wd. But since we still had some snow, I am still able to spin just the back end around. Do I'd doesn't seem to be locked in 4 wheel. That's sorta why it seems like it could be the differential

darknezz

so it is a constant steady shake, more like a vibration?

The wheels will do that hop thing if your alignment is way off, along with bad driving of course.

I would still start simple like check tire pressure, balance and alignment.