T-Hawker

I have a '98 XJ 4.0/AW4/231 with a 4.5" Rough County lift. D30HP front / Chrysler 8.25" rear (both still open). A few weeks ago I installed Rough Country's rear shackle relocation brackets in improve on-road drive and off-road articulation. After maybe 15 miles of driving the Jeep began making a noise (or at least I noticed it after about 15 miles of driving) that is definitely related to the jeeps speed. I only really notice it up to about 25 mph. The shackle brackets did raise the rear of the jeep another 1" so I'm assuming I'm binding a u-joint in the rear drive shaft. I plan to install a JB conversions SYE but I haven't yet. There is about 1/8" of "new" drive shaft showing behind the TC on the slip yoke after I installed the shackle brackets. The noise happens on totally flat ground without the suspension cycling at all so I don't think it is binding in the actual slip yoke but I'm not sure. The rate of the clunking directly relates to the speed I'm traveling... at 3-5 mph it clunks maybe once every 2 seconds and at 20mph maybe something like 3 clunks per second. Happens regardless of whether I'm going straight or turning. There does not seem to be any real vibration anywhere between 1 and 60mph, just the rhythmic clunking up to about 25mph. I would say the clunking sounds like someone lightly tapping the jeeps unitbody with a rubber mallet... it's not a real loud or sharp popping sound but definitely noticeable.

I tried to move the rear drive shaft but I didn't feel any excessive slop in either u-joint or at the slip yoke.

Any thoughts?

Would you be pretty confident that a SYE and new rear drive shaft would address the issue?

Thx.

TRCM

yes, it will is my vote.