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lift is done, now I get to fix the DWs...

xtremewlr

xtremewlr

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Diego
Finally got my lift done. Its a used 4.5" RE with fixed U/LCAs. Took it out for a test drive and everything was great. No vibrations or anything, cruised at 75 just fine. All until I stater slowing down to take an exit and the road surface changed... Insane DW onset. Had to bring the Jeep to an emergency stop while fighting to keep control. Luckily I was on the far right of the freeway and taking an exit so I had the emergency lane to pull into. The axle shook so bad that the front axle pinion punched a hole in my exhaust :shocked: Managed to limp the jeep home, having the DWs take over 3 more times . Happens at around 55+mph when I hit a bump just right or the pavement changes. Have to come to almost a complete stop for it to go away. Otherwise, it drives great. I am going to take it in for an alignment in the morning if I have time. Hopefully, that will fix it. Tires are balanced so I know that they arent the cause.

On a side note, my initial test drive was about 3 miles long. I started hearing some grinding noises and when I got home, realized I had totally forgotten to fill the rear diff with gear oil. :doh: Filled it up and proceeded on the test drive above. Noises are all gone now so hopefully I didnt destroy the carrier or pinion bearings. I will change the gear oil out and check things out in the diff next weekend.
 
Welcome to the Brown Skivvies Club...I love the way DW is unpredictable. I drove home a good 80 miles with no problems after doing my 4.5" lift, and almost shook off the road several times the next trip I made... You've got a plan of action for the DW already?
 
Did you re-set your toe after the lift? Remember with the way our XJ's are set up, when you lift it, you get toe in. My guess is when you hit a bump, it lifted 1 tire more then the other, and began them fighting as to which way to go. I had the same problem when I did my lift.
 
Havent checked anything alignment wise yet. Going to try and get that done this morning. I am hoping that that will fix my DW. I am glad that I have a modified CROK steering plate on the frame with another plate on the inside behind the steering box. Also have a steering box brace installed. It would really suck to end up with a cracked frame after all this work.

About the only thing I have noticed that seems unusual so far, and it might not be related, is the passenger side coil seems to push out towards the front some, causing it to make contact with the sway bar end link. Doesnt seem to affect the suspension at all, so I am doubtfull it is doing anything bad.
 
I have seen a few coils do that, but nothing bad from it.

When I went up just 3", I got a 1/2" of toe in. It was enough to make it go nuts at 35mph when I hit a bump. I adjusted it to 0 with a friend and a tape measure myself and no problems since.
 
I just put a 4.5 inch lift on my 97. I got DW really bad the second day of driving it and a guy told me that it could be my factory steering stabilizer. He said i should upgrade and that should help out.
 
Did you get an alignment?????

WHEN YOU LIFT IT, YOU WILL GET DW IF YOU DON'T REMOVE THE TOE IN!!!!!!!!
 
Hmmm...

Ya think a full INCH of toe in might be causing my DW? :wow: :doh: :D

I just a quick check on it. Gonna try adjusting it out right now then fix the exhaust and take her for a test drive. Hope this does the trick.
 
Ok, I have adjusted the toe to where I am sitting at about an 1/8" in now. think I should be ok? It amazing how little adjustment was actually needed to get it to that point.
 
Fixing the toe-in undoubtedly helped immensely. I wonder about the coil pointing forward though...where's your pinion pointed? If it's too high your coils will do that too
 
Hey i am having the same problem on my 94 XJ, about a week ago i put 4.5" RE kit on it and when i test drove it i had some bad vibes when i was slowing down from about 40mph, well the kit didn't come with T-case drop so i what i did for time being i grined the yoke so when it spins it doesn't hit, that kind of fixed the problem, but still little vibes. But when i start driving it home everyting was fine till i hit a bump, it was MAD DW, i thought that my front end is about to fall off and the jeep is falling appart, so i had to pull over really quick, i noticed stearing stabilizer wasn't too tight so i fixed that really quick hoping it will go away, but it didn't so i made it home and thougth about it and checked all the bolts again everything was fine. next day i went to my friends shop and got all the tires ballenced, some where way off. Drove home that day everything was fine going i was driving like 75 and it was greate not shake no vibes, just like stock, till i hit a really big hole, then everything start going crazy like before, so i drove home going about 45-50 trying to figure out what's wrong, still thinkig it's alignmet, but last nigth i was driving one mile on freeway and hit a bump going about 50 and nothing happend so i drove little faster 60 another bump nothing happend, ok now i was really cofused why it's not giving me DW??? I am still thinking about it, could it be that it fixed it self, but i don't belive in that. WHat you think might be wrong there??? anybody had any experinces like that? I still haven't got alignment yet so that's my next thing to do before i drive it anywhere. Let me know what you think about this thing?

Rodion
 
gtride said:
Hey i am having the same problem on my 94 XJ, about a week ago i put 4.5" RE kit on it and when i test drove it i had some bad vibes when i was slowing down from about 40mph, well the kit didn't come with T-case drop so i what i did for time being i grined the yoke so when it spins it doesn't hit, that kind of fixed the problem, but still little vibes. But when i start driving it home everyting was fine till i hit a bump, it was MAD DW, i thought that my front end is about to fall off and the jeep is falling appart, so i had to pull over really quick, i noticed stearing stabilizer wasn't too tight so i fixed that really quick hoping it will go away, but it didn't so i made it home and thougth about it and checked all the bolts again everything was fine. next day i went to my friends shop and got all the tires ballenced, some where way off. Drove home that day everything was fine going i was driving like 75 and it was greate not shake no vibes, just like stock, till i hit a really big hole, then everything start going crazy like before, so i drove home going about 45-50 trying to figure out what's wrong, still thinkig it's alignmet, but last nigth i was driving one mile on freeway and hit a bump going about 50 and nothing happend so i drove little faster 60 another bump nothing happend, ok now i was really cofused why it's not giving me DW??? I am still thinking about it, could it be that it fixed it self, but i don't belive in that. WHat you think might be wrong there??? anybody had any experinces like that? I still haven't got alignment yet so that's my next thing to do before i drive it anywhere. Let me know what you think about this thing?

Rodion
Click to expand...

Many times it takes more than one bump for the suspension to oscilate. Most DW is caused by an inacurate toe measurment like mentioned above or a unbalance or out of round tire.

Any time you add or reduce lift, you need to check your alignment. That is just common sense!
 
On a solid axle, I would set toe at o toe, with IFS trucks, they usually set them at 1/8" toe in.
 
Alignment seems to have cured the problem.I actually ended up playing it safe and spent $55 for a real front end alignment. They even straightened out my steering wheel while they were at it :D Toe is set to 0 now and after a bunch of driving today, everything seems fine. Now to fix the overheating problem....
 
ChuckD said:
Many times it takes more than one bump for the suspension to oscilate. Most DW is caused by an inacurate toe measurment like mentioned above or a unbalance or out of round tire.

Any time you add or reduce lift, you need to check your alignment. That is just common sense!
Click to expand...


Like it was said before, toe was the problem with my jeep, i adjusted it yesteday and last nigth i drove it and it was fine. i still know that i got to get alignmet, but i dont' want to do it till i get some new tires, should be in a week or so, because the once i got are geting bold. And adjusting it was very easy and i used gojeep page, because he got a lot of usefull info. Next thing will be geting alignment and that will be it.


Rodion
 
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