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98 xj vibrations

legmanxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Billings, MT
Hi all, I hope to hear from who ever the NAXJA genius is because my wallet is getting as thin as my emotions from the vibration.

I have a 1998, 4 door xj lifted around 6 inches, short arm (32 inch kelly tires) that begins vibrating at about 65 mph and progresses as speed picks up. It started after 4/88 gears were installed with electronic lockers. I bought custom Tom Wood drivelines with slip yoke eliminator and cv front and rear. Didn't help, made it worse... took them to get balanced,,, that helped,, vibrates less but still vibrates still at 65 mph. Got special balancing beads for the tires which helped some but still vibrates at 65 mph. Tried various tire pressures. The front pinion angle seems to me like the culprit but when it's been raised my tires start wearing immediately, already went through three sets in as many years, and the alignment gets so poor I'm too scared to go more than 65 mph. Scared to buy nice tires any more, but now the pinion angle is stock and the tires are looking good after 6mo. Other mods are as follows; over the knuckle steering, racing shocks, and all the armor and winch etc. I actually bought a transfer case lowering kit but with the custom measured drivelines I'm pretty sure if I lower it now it will make the drivelines too long. Maybe 35 inch tires will lower the rpm's back to where it ran fine. It runs at 3000 rpm's straight up at 65.
 
How about your rear shaft? balanced? proper angle and length? Any shims on that axle?

How do you modify the angle of the front axle? Adjustable UCAs? When was your last alignment? Have you checked the integrity of the ball joints?

6" is kind of at the limit of what a short arm setup should do. Did you drop the LCAs?
 
Both drive lines were eventually balanced, both are custom length Tom woods. I took it to the chrysler dealer to ensure the measurements would be correct. The rear has shims and looks to follow the charts at the Tom wood web page that details the alignment, where the pinion angle matches the driveline angle.

When the jeep was lifted originally with a 3" lift the axle and differential was essentially lowered and the the pinion rotated up until I lifted another 3" and installed the lowered lower and upper control arms to where the pinion is now at stock angle but the drive shaft has a steep angle. I was wearing out tires and the thing could not get aligned (3 different alignment shops) with the high pinion angle. Scary horrible in snow. On dry pavement a bump would make it dart left or right. The current alignment just a couple of months old with the stock pinion angle is great. The tires are wearing well and I can eat a Mcmuffin and drink coffee if I stay below 65 mph. Right side Ball joints are replaced. I keep thinking the drivelines were a mistake and that I should have lowered the transfer case.......?????
 
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