faering

Hey everybody,
I've got a 2001 XJ with 450,000 miles on it. I just put my first reman engine in last spring (the original engine went 412,000). My question is about front end maintenance. I don't do any off-road. I've never really done much to the front steering and suspension. (U-joint replacements on the front driveshaft, regular brake work, and differential fluid changes). I'm looking for guidance on what regular maintenance I need to be doing to the front end....what to check for, what to replace regularly, etc. I went in for new tires a while back and the guy said he couldn't do a front end alignment because there was too much play in the steering, and I'm not sure exactly what he was referring to. The only issues are a wobble at 50-52 mph, and a wobble at parking lot speeds when the wheel is turned all the way to the right. I apologize if I missed any threads/write-ups on this. Thanks.

askingxforxit

Tie rods, control arm bushings, ball joints, steering box. Inspect and replace as needed.

XJlimitedx99

Everything he said, plus the track bar.

cruiser54

Use this as a guide.

Engine off, park brake set, you under the front.

Have someone wiggle the steering wheel back and forth.

caged

the wobble in the parking lot will be an axle shaft u-joint.

most wearable items will be tie rod ends, wheel bearings, ball joints and u-joints.
but as mentioned, check and replace track bar bushings/end and control arm bushings. replace any bent/twisted control arms ( usually upper).

don't forget leaf spring bushings/shackles. replace leaf packs if flat or inverted.

check or replace bad shocks. look for signs of shocks leaking.

Stabsthedrama

Using the picture that Cruiser put up - it is easy for you to get under the Jeep and watch while you have a helper steer back and forth while going 45-55mph.

No just kidding - do it parked. But yes, it should be easy to see track bar wear/tie rod wear.

U joints are easily checked when jacking up the Jeep (front wheels off ground) and rotating the wheel back and forth as you watch the u joint itself on the inside, if it "catches" or "clunks" when the rotation is stopped, it should be easy to see. Also you should try grabbing the yoke right before the u joint (the axle shaft itself) and try seeing if there's any play (really shake it down hard.)

When parked, you can also sit in the driver's seat and steer back and forth hard - if the track bar is bad, it'll try to lurch in the opposite direction first, kinda like it's fighting you. That is because there's too much slop in the connection at the track bar, which again, is easily seen when underneath it having a helper steer back and forth.

faering

Thanks, everybody....time to get at it.

concealer404

Honestly after those miles, i'd just replace it all. I wouldn't even bother diagnosing it. Take a saturday, drink a 6 pack, just replace everything. None of it is terribly hard to do, and it'll feel so much better when you're done, and ready to go another couple hundred thousand miles.

FLkid

id get an alignment afterwards if you replace everything like the previous post mentions if not you may experience some bad tire wear

Stabsthedrama

Both of the last posts are correct.

The track bar can be a pain (castle nut getting stuck, needing to be chiseled off, or sometimes the frame mount hole is wallowed out, needing a new washer welded on) - otherwise, there should be literally no problem doing all at once. You might as well do all tie rods, stab, drag, and track all at the same time. Pitman probably won't need to be done, but you can check it. It's not nearly as big of a wear item as with some trucks (results may vary, but I've never really heard of the pitman needing to be replaced on an XJ, maybe the box sometimes though) - the rest of the components wear easily though, as a tiny bit of research into wobble will show you.

Soak all the tre's/castle nuts with PB blaster for a day before just to help pickle forking them the next day. Otherwise should be able to do all of it in a day's worth of work.

$ spent at an alignment shop is always money well spent. Don't waste tires, and don't let crap start to get wobbly again driving on a crap alignment.

steelybill

I wasn't aware that the track bar ( panhard ) was a culprit in handing too.

Amazing testament there on the engine lasting that long !!

megapointe

Hi everyone. First off, thanks for this post... it's been pretty helpful. I was recently told I needed to replace a bunch of parts for standard front end maintenance on my 2001 XJ, but I'm interested in getting a 2-3" lift soon as well. Could anyone educate me on what parts would need to be different from "stock" front end replacement parts if I was to get a lift kit as well?

I'm trying to wrap my head around everything I need to purchase and what I might be able to do on my own. Thanks for any and all help in advance!

concealer404

I did exactly what you're talking about on a 2000.

I replaced all tie rods, upgraded to the WJ stuff while i was in there, upper control arms (added poly bushings while i was in there), lower control arms came with my lift kit, shocks were purchased in the length for my lift kit, springs included in lift kit, replaced endlinks, and track bar. (Had to get a Rubicon Express track bar, because of the lift kit.)

Honestly, pretty simple job. Was my first time working on something that wasn't a car, could probably knock the whole job out in about 2 hours now. Maybe less.

megapointe

Could you direct me to where you purchased the parts you mentioned as well as what brands you chose? It would help a lot!