W.T.Borrow - 31x10.5 wheels on 4.5 BC

RenegadeT

RenegadeT

no shirt,no shoes,no dice
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Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Stokesdale-Greensboro
I'm struggling to isolate death wobbles on my '99 XJ. Everything was fine after I added 3" lift (coils and leafs), fixed Rusty's LCA's, a used RE1600 track bar, and some longer sway bar disco's. After a year I added 1" (measured 0.70") spacers up front and it went all to hell, DWs popped up instantly. To try and cure it, I've swapped on a used HD tie rod, new steering stabilizer, new front hubs (turned the rotors, new brake pads), and a dropped pitman arm. Of course everything looks and tight, I've had a few professional alignements and rotated the tires.

Anyways, I'd like to find someone near me in who will let me borrow some wheels and see if the DW's go away. It won't take long, just need to swap the front wheels and get the XJ up to 60MPH. I'm getting sick replacing good parts.
 
jph0913 said:
have you checked your trac-bar mount on the axle side.
Click to expand...

yep, it looked tight, but I cinched it a quarter turn, that had to be way beyond the recommended torque value. I thought about rebuilding the spherical bearing on the uniframe side, its a $25 kit from RE, just wanted to rule out tires/wheels before I threw nay more time/money at it.
 
sometimes the hole on the mount gets wallowed out, not the joint itself.... you might have re-dril the hole, or weld a washer to the mount.
 
I guess its free to pull the track bar off and check the holes, I'll check it out.

Bump for anyone in the Triad willing to let take a test drive on their XJ/YJ/TJ/ZJ wheels. I was hoping for 31s so I could just swap the front, but 4x any size smaller than 31s would work too. :huggy:
 
thanks matt, I'll hold out for someone a lil closer, but if I get over that way, I'll PM ya first.
I took the track bar off, everything seems tight and snug. My axle-end trackbar hole looks good. The front side measured 0.440" all around. I couldnt put my calipers to the nutside of bracket. The factory boltshank is 0.350" and the sleeve in the RE trackbar is 0.380". The bolt-threads are about 0.370".

Any idea what the track bar hole should be? It could be about 0.060" smaller and the bolt would still fit.
Here's some big crappy pics...
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f363/RenegadeT/100_2616.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f363/RenegadeT/100_2617.jpg
 
check your lower control arms as well...sometimes those bushings can wear out on both the axle and where it bolts up to the frame and cause the DW
 
braxton357 said:
Check/adjust the caster.
Click to expand...

I dont have adjustable LCAs, but it looks like I could cut some shims and slide them under the uniframe side of the LCA to decrease caster.

Here's the #'s from the alignment shop:
factory caster spec = 5.3 - 8.5deg.
w/3" lift (no DW)................................... LH 8.5, RH 8.1
w3" lift + 0.70"coil spacer (DW appeared)... LH 8.6, RH 8.3
 
Macdaddy4738 said:
check your lower control arms as well...sometimes those bushings can wear out on both the axle and where it bolts up to the frame and cause the DW
Click to expand...
As it sits, I can't move the LCA. The factory uppers with 140kmiles on 'em seem to have a little play in them.

I hate to cut LCA shims and replace the UCA bushings without taking a test ride on a different set of tires first....c'mon someone hook a brotha up :beer:
 
RenegadeT said:
I dont have adjustable LCAs, but it looks like I could cut some shims and slide them under the uniframe side of the LCA to decrease caster.
Here's the #'s from the alignment shop:
factory caster spec = 5.3 - 8.5deg.
w/3" lift (no DW)................................... LH 8.5, RH 8.1
w3" lift + 0.70"coil spacer (DW appeared)... LH 8.6, RH 8.3
Click to expand...


Try the shims. Not saying it's your case, but I had major dw for the short time it was at ~9*, now it's under 6 and rides as well as a junker jeep should. Radius arms make it easier though.
 
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