Whats up all? First post here. Work with me here lol.

I have never really worked on vehicles aside from basic stuff like oil changes and tune ups.

Recently...like 2 weeks ago recently. I bought a 98 ZJ Laredo 4x4 with the 4.0.
STOCK as far as I can tell. No lift.

Here are some problems I am having; I have researched these topics and have found some possible solutions but wanted to be sure before I go buying things.

1. Hard right pull when braking. I have read that this is probably the caliper on left side locking up...which would make sense as it feels very sluggish while driving as if it were rubbing something (IE the caliper stuck)

ALSO experienced a crazy wobble (death wobble I assume) after hitting a bump. I hit the bump, it delayed for a sec or 2 and the wobbled like the dickens for a second then stopped. Hasnt done it since and hasnt done it since I got it.

2. After driving for a while the ABS light kicks on. Sometimes it stays on for a while but almost always shuts off.

3. The transmission shifts awkward. From first to second it will shift with a upshift-downshift-upshift to second and a fast shift to third. But it downshifts just fine and upshifts to fourth fine. Could tjis be attributed to the Calipers locking up and causing the motor to do the work and transmission loading out? I checked fluid and it seemed fine (in neutral at running temp) and I also adjusted the Kickdown cable...which seemwd to work for a few days then it came back to doimg it again.

I also know that it could be the Governor Sensor/Solenoid. Just trying to rule everything out before spending 200 on the replacement parts kit.

Thanks in advance and hope someone can help me out. Car came with a repair manual. So hopefully I can do something with it. Don't have alot of money to spend..new baby on the way.

 

You could have a bad caliper or even a bad brake hose that will cause the funky braking. Replace both calipers and hoses. Check the front steering and suspension out for worn tie rod ends, worn bushings, loose ball joints, and worn hub bearings to take care of the death wobble. The track bar is the most common cause though.

 

^This

Trackbar was the first thing I thought of but listen to Busted. He and Dave are some of our top experts around here.

Welcome to the forum. What are your plans for this thing?

The ABS light I would put at a very low priority. Mine's been on the entire time I've owned it.

If you have jackstands, jack the front of your Jeep (AND SECURE IT) and then have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth while you're under there inspecting everything. You can also give things a good hard shake by hand to see what might be loose. Check everything. If it moves, it probably shouldn't.

You're going to be spending a lot more than $200 on replacement parts.

 

I had an ABS light that would do the same thing you described. It was a bad connection for one of the wheel speed sensors at the driver side kick panel.

 

Thanks alot guys. To add to it. I had an idea after reading something on a forum this morning. From a cold start (not ram since yesterday) I drove it around the block. No trans shift issues, no pulling while braking. I read that once the brake fluif heat up if there is a problem with the calipers it will lock down. I think I cam go ahead and attribute the funky shifting to the calipers as well. As it is loading out trying to push through the stuck caliper.

Where is a good affordable place to buy calipers and pads and possibly the sensors and how hard is it to replace them?

Sorry for being a pain. Don't know much but I do have some common sense lol

 

And yea I kind of figured it would cost me. I was referring in that instance to the governor sensor/solenoid kit they sell (can't recall the website right off). Has the BW HD sensors and springs.

I know I can get the calipers from autozone but I have gotten some pretty questionable stuff from there in the past. Lol.

I guess I will be buying... Calipers, Pads, Brake lines, Brake fluid? (Had read you dont need to bleed if you take certain Precautions), and possibly a wheel sensor or 2...possibly a trackbar or other things. Wonderful lol

 

You will need to bleed the fronts. You might get lucky and be able to just open the bleeder screws and let gravity do the work for you.

 

Your brake problem sounds to me like a bad hose restricted internally. This can happen if the caliper was allowed to hang in it's hose or if it slipped out of the mechanics hand and fell hard to the end of the hose. This will capture brake fluid in the caliper and not allow the fluid to expand back into the master cylinder as it heats up from dragging. It will drag because the piston isn't free enough to retract the pads when the brake is released. It could also be a stuck piston or sticking caliper mounting pins.

I've been buying most of my parts from rockauto.com and never got the wrong part or a bad one. Every time you get an order from them they send you a refrigerator magnet. I have 15 of them on my fridge!

Check out the hoses before you go buying calipers. You can do that by trying to push the piston in with a c-clamp and see if it moves freely, if it doesn't, try loosening the brake hose mounting bolt. If it does then, it's the hose. If it still doesn't it's a stuck piston. The mounting pins need to be lubricated with brake grease so the caliper can slide on them.

About the ABS. My '00 WJ sets a light once in a while for no reason, but after you shut the engine off and wait a couple of minutes, it's off on the restart. I've checked all the sensors and cleaned the tone rings but it still has a mind of it's own. It only seems to set a light after a quick hard stop but not hard enough to activate the system.

BTW, welcome to CF!