chrisl757

Hi all,
I have a stock 2001 XJ (145K miles) with no lift that didn't pass inspection for brakes and ball joints on the passenger side. It was making a clunk when I turned right and the front end would dip a little too much over bumps (particularly on a right turn).

I replaced pads and rotors both sides. I just replaced the upper and lower ball joints on the passenger side (quite a job too). I also replaced the hub/wheel bearing assembly on the passenger side.

I put everything back together yesterday and the problem isn't fixed, and it might be a little worse--or maybe the problem just feels worse because my ball joints and wheel bearing are new and tight.

When I am driving, it hits bumps pretty hard with a CLUNK (especially on the passenger side). I am getting a shimmy in the steering wheel when driving, and when I make a turn, the front end dips a little too hard (especially on the passenger side when turning right) and I hear what sounds like the front coil spring compressing and then relaxing.

The Jeep isn't "bouncing" several times after a bump or turn. When I push down on front bumper corners, it springs back up in one move (no bouncing). The shocks look old for sure, but I don't see any oil leakage. I don't know a lot about shocks though, so they may be bad, or maybe I'm not pushing hard enough on the front end to test the shocks?

I had the alignment checked by a shop a week ago and I was told it was good. The steering wheel is centered and even though there is a shimmy, it does not pull to one side or the other when driving.

The bushings on the sway bar links are cracked/splitting at the edges, but I don't know if the sway bars would explain all of this. Although I am decent mechanically, I don't know how all the parts work on the front suspension. I know I can fix it, I just need some tips/ideas on how to diagnose this.

Here is what I am wondering:

Could this be a combo of steering and suspension, so that it's a bad U-joint AND a sway bar link?

Please help. I've put a ton of work into this and I don't want to give up.

chill

check front u-joint. upper and lower controle arm bushings. change sway bar bushings if bad. look at the shock bushings see if they're missing. ran across that once, made some noise. check rod ends. best to raise jeep and grab tire top and bottom then side to side and look for movement in steering components.

BotakBeng

In my limited experience, you should have replaced both ball joints.

I would jack up the front and see check for any loose parts.
Unlike culprit would be the sway bar....it's main purpose is keeping the jeep from swaying when you turn.

I'll look at the trackbar to start off with.

GL.

chrisl757

Do you mean the ball joints on driver side too? I might have tackled that also, but the passenger side took me about 12 hours when you add in that I did the wheel bearing too.

Also, what am I looking for on the track bar? I spent all weekend under the Jeep and I'm not sure how to check the track bar....

Thanks,
chris

chrisl757

UPDATE January 10th.

I was driving this morning and while coming up a hill the wheels started to wander right and then left while I was holding the steering wheel straight. It scared the hell out of me and I pulled over to look under the front end because I honestly thought something was disconnected or loose under there.

Everything looked ok. I drove to work and could still feel a shimmy and a little sway. The wind blew me hard once too and I had to compensate a lot for that.

So, I took it over to a shop today while I'm at work and the mechanic drove it, put it on the lift and checked all the linkages and looked for any problems.

He called me back and said, "it looks fine to me. all linkages are tight. your steering gear is tight, no leaks of fluid and everything moves fine back and forth."

The only thing he recommended was maybe to get a new steering stabilizer since the one I have now is probably the original.

Here's my question: Would a steering stabilizer cause me this much trouble?

This is my 3rd Cherokee--I've been driving them for 10 years. I know they are not the tightest steering, but this one is not what I'm used to.

I guess I'll go buy the stabilizer and put it in. How hard is that? And do any of you think that is the real problem?

BotakBeng

Death Wobble!


Here is a good detailed checklist.

Installing steering stabilizer is a walk in the park but it will not help with death wobble.
My stock 99 is running without on and i didn't feel a difference.

This might help you out.

urbanjeeper

I have 3" lift and 31s and i had death wobble too i replaced my track bar and mount and added a dual stabilizer kit from rustys the stabilizer just helped cover up the dw but new heavy duty bushings seemed correct it maybe not an answer for you but its how i fixed mine

Schatty

did you find a solution yet