• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Wobbly Braking, Death Wobble and Other Axle, Wheel and Tire Rants

So, my brake shoes were shot (cracked and locked up easily) after having the brake fluid leak onto them. I spent a good couple of hours last sunday installing new rear shoes (actually old spare ones, got some used cylinders weeks ago). Its not that rear brakes are hard to do or that I don't have experience with drum systems (I do) its that these small parts keep popping out of place and they are a royal PITA and the drum brakes don't even work well.

Anyway, I am now placing a cash price on the head of whatever bean counter decided to fit the upmarket ZJ (of the same year) with rear discs but keep the same old Bendix drums on my XJ. Any takers?

I have occasional "death wobble" and heavy vibration while braking. I am bringing this up because forum users have been asking about the same symptoms. But, these problems always go away totally (for me) when I get the wheels rebalanced. Forum users may want to keep this in mind and try a balancing (not at Discount though) if these problems occur.

Monday I got my wheels rotated and balanced as that needed done. Except Discout Tire is obviously hiring morons now as my Jeep is much worse than before. Actually, the ride was very smooth but the tires needed rotation. Now it wobbles all over. They even left 1 lug loose. The only reason I buy at Discount (Americas Tire) is that they rotate, fix flats and balance the tires free, forever. It wouldn't be so bad except this is the 3rd time its happened (that the tires were much worse than before, noticeable even leaving the parking lot). Its like theres a 50/50 shot of getting a properly balanced tire.

Anyway, why is this in modified tech? Because I have 2 questions for the forum.

1.) I am going to do the disc brake swap and I think I have located a ZJ at a U-pull it yard. What would be easier and more economical for me to do, pull the brake hardware off and leave the axle or take off the whole compleate ZJ axle, disassemble at home, then sell the D35c, w/o brakes. I still have to pull the axle shafts (on the junk ZJ to get the brackets off right)? Could I then sell (maybe return) a D-turdy5?

2.) Also I would like to go blow off Discount tire and start using ceramic balancing beads (not powder) maybe airsoft bullets. I would like to know if they work well (I'm not concerned about low speed), and where would I find them for a good price. I want to be able to use normally compressed air. Searching doesn't result in much more than hear-say about them. Anybody try them?
 
Last edited:
id pull the whole rear axle and sell the axle shafts out of it

i sold some d35 axle shafts on e-bay for 45.00 and 25.00 shipping... i felt blessed

and to top it off - i sold a tracklock carrier with 180,000 miles on it for a 3.07 gearset for a d35 for 72.00 and 15 shipping

i like my d35 more now :D

i dont know about the air soft pellets

might consider keeping the shafts as spares yourself.
 
Back
Top