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Might need some help...

mopar440

mopar440

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Jefferson, Oregon
Might have to enlist Dustin or some other XJ-experienced person to help diag. a noise... for a couple months now I've had a noise coming from left control arm area... when I apply brakes, which, in theory, causes rotational forces to "twist" front axle forward, everything is fine... if I shift into reverse and then come to a stop, theoretically causing axle to "twist" back the other way, I hear what I can only describe as a "snap"... then, once in forward motion again, applying the brakes causes the same sound... leads me to believe a control arm bushing is moving around on its bolt... I can get the noise to show up also by "power braking" in forward gear and then doing the same thing in reverse... only thing I can think of is a worn bushing on either upper or lower left control arm... checked for loose bolts, etc., but no love there... took it to a local 4x4 shop, but the guy said it was probably a unibody seam... not so sure about that... thoughts?
 
Keith, i have exactly the same issue with my ZJ. I have replaced a ton of parts, from trac bar, to axle shafts, to ball joints. I still have the noise. I also am starting to think LCA bushing
 
It's driving me up a frickin' wall! I can usually diagnose stuff like this pretty easily... but I'm getting pissed... and I hear the LCA/UCA bushings are a bitch to do... :banghead:
 
the LCAs are not "Too bad" but the hardest one is the driver side upper. It's been reported that people have attempted to replace that one, and then they randomly insert a large caliber pistol into the mouth.

or.. so i've been told
 
At first I thought the noise was a loose upper shock mount... sounded like the threads on the shock stem were rubbing the edge of the metal through the fenderwell... but wasn't it... also checked caliper/adapter bolts... but you really hear it right under the pass. floorboard... I bet a passenger would be able to feel it...
 
nw-xj-scott said:
the LCAs are not "Too bad" but the hardest one is the driver side upper. It's been reported that people have attempted to replace that one, and then they randomly insert a large caliber pistol into the mouth.

or.. so i've been told
Click to expand...

Don't give me any bright ideas... of course, my pistol isn't a large caliber... my luck it would kust send the bullet bouncing around inside an empty cranial cavity! Then I'd just have another headache to deal with:wierd:
 
I'm not good with noises. I tracked down my last mystery noise for two weeks before I figured it out (axle u-joints). All I can say is check for play in all the joints, check the condition of the bushings, check all the suspension bolts, or have a helper listen to narrow down the search area.

Bring it out to noobfest, we'll have 30+ XJ techs on hand. :D
 
TORX said:
I'm not good with noises. I tracked down my last mystery noise for two weeks before I figured it out (axle u-joints). All I can say is check for play in all the joints, check the condition of the bushings, check all the suspension bolts, or have a helper listen to narrow down the search area.

Bring it out to noobfest, we'll have 30+ XJ techs on hand. :D
Click to expand...

Yep... was kinda counting on that last:rof: 30+ heads are better than one!
 
I had the same noise that you were describing. I did the shock bushings and all that. Eli diagnosed it for me as lower control arm bushings. I replaced them, and it went awway, for like 3K miles..then came back. I have crappy Terraflex adjustable LCA's with poly bushings, though.
 
I used to have a 89 XJ Limited I had the same type of noise I did all the control arm bushings and still had noise. I found a seam in the body was moving I had some broken spot welds where the floor and frame rail meet we welded and resealed it and noise went away. To find the problem I put it up on a drive on lift and power braked it till I found where it was. If you want to lift it up and look again let me know. I have a lift and welder
 
TonkaYJ said:
I used to have a 89 XJ Limited I had the same type of noise I did all the control arm bushings and still had noise. I found a seam in the body was moving I had some broken spot welds where the floor and frame rail meet we welded and resealed it and noise went away. To find the problem I put it up on a drive on lift and power braked it till I found where it was. If you want to lift it up and look again let me know. I have a lift and welder
Click to expand...
Sounds like I might have to take you up on that, cuz I'm losing my mind tracking this down!
 
Well, after cleaning the Jeep yesterday, I sprayed some Marvel Mystery Oil spray lube into the LCA bushings, let it sit for awhile, then went and drove it... noise all but went away... so, I figure the lube swelled the rubber enough to take up any play that was there, so I think I found the problem... not having access to a press might be an issue, since this is my DD... but there are quite a few low-mile XJs in the Pick A Part nearby, so I may just nab a couple and swap 'em out that way... anybody know if they are year-specific?
 
Very kind of you, sir! Any possibility of sending them in the mail? Will pay shipping, of course... might be alot cheaper than a tank of gas!
 
Funny, Scott... actually we have a signal light near downtown, running water and that new lectricity stuff they keep talkin' about... party1:
 
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