searched! full steering lock banging and binding not u-joints help!

Hello,
I have a 87 4.0 242 d30 d44 cherokee i just picked up. I searched for similar problems and i havent had any luck figuring this out. after sitting the steering is binding up. only and full lock L and R. Forward or Backwards. It is driving me nuts! I have inspected everything the u-joints are great. The bars/bushings are ok also. after binding is make a loud bang until straight. If i give it gas it will make a violent bang. all fluids are great. with the 242 is there any way to alow it to be in 2wd? the front driveshaft is always spinning and i want to eliminate the drivetrain. i believe this is steering related, it drives perfect straight. motor mounts and tranny mount are all ok. i also need to know how to adjust shift points after adjusting my tps. it wont d/shift un

My 2000 did that steering binding when in a

tight turn and in 2 whl drive. Turned out to be

a front axle U-Joint nearest the right front

wheel. Hope this helps, sorry I don't know which
type my front axle is. But the U-Joints are

visible, NOT enclosed in the axle housing, Short
driveshafts to the wheels if that helps.

sorry for the horrible spelling in the first post and incomplete post. i am not able to edit it as im on my cell phone pocket internet explorer.

i am going to be looking at it closer on saturday and need some experienced ideas on where to look for my problems. i have only had this rig for about 2 weeks now and im trying to get it reliable.

checked levels in everything.

i was trying to say that basically my u joints are not the problem, and are not binding. i checked them on a lift. after searching the only people with this problem seem to be ones with 242's. the bang is not consistent and i dont want to self diagnose my self to bankruptcy. the binding is not so much that i cant turn, its more of i cant move with it violently banging. chains stretching in tcase? im lost. i have visually inspected the mounts. i have not had a chance to look at the flex plate yet. could this be causing it? its only happening while slowly turning. after driving it for a bit, it will not do this as easily. what could be binding?
ps pump is starting to go, but im sure this is not a steering binding. it has to be drivetrain related.

i also have a vibration in the rear thats really bad with speed until about 50 then it goes away.

some things im not clear on. can i mod my 242 to disconnect my nondisco front d30 so its not in 2wd/4wd all the time and the front driveshaft is not turning? is it normal for 242 equipped xj's to struggle to get up to 65-70 because of the select track? it is also getting crappy mpg.

i also just adjusted my tps. i need to adjust my shift points. it shifts super fast -aw4- by 35mph im in 4 gear with it staying in sec-third for a couple seconds at most. is this normal and how do i do this? searched.

lastly, i read in a jeep bible that if you adjust the linkage on the trans it can effect the pump and burn up your tranny. is this true? i cant find the specs anywhere on here.

thanks for looking at my post and i appreciate any comments.
brandon

Just a couple of thoughts, the trac bar keeps the front axle centered. If the top ball type joint is loose (worn) or the bottom mounting bolt the wrong size/or excessively worn (happens) it will bang.
I don't know how likely, but possible the front axle is shifting, causing the front U-joint angles to be excessive. Stock the front axle U-joint angle at full stop, is pretty near (or slightly past) the envelope.
The front U-joints sometimes get dry, all the grease leaks out and the roller bearings are rusty and dry (not really noticeable often). It often binds worse in 4X than 2X, due to the added torque on the U-joints. Also the U-joints torque more at full turn
Check the inside, sidewall of your tires for rubbing. There really isn't much clearance between the sidewall and the LCA. Any tire over 225/75/15 is liable to rub.
A worn chain will often jump, when accerating straight under heavy throttle. Turning doesn't seem to have much affect or make it noticeably worse, in my experience.
A couple of other things to look at. The rear, front driveshat U-joint (carden) is spring loaded, it is sprung so it doesn't center and/or wobble.
The differential yoke (pinion bearing) if loose will do what you discribe. The pinion binds on the ring gear. Really worn carrier bearings can also cause binding in this area, but are often really noisey.
The transfer output shaft yoke (bearings) can be pretty darned loose and not cause much trouble. Excessive side play in the yoke may cause the carden to act up or wear quicker.
Take the front driveshaft out (mark it so you install it back the same) and see what happens. Not a large job, it can be done with hand tools for the most part.

thanks ok i will definately check those out. that makes sense for the axle with the trac bar. it wobbles while its binding.
so now i can understand how that could be the binding. thanks for your time.

any ideas on the 242 modding to 2wd?

I had the same thing, change the trac bar bushing at the axle end. Its like 14 bucks and even if it looks good it can be shot, mine looked perfect but it was the problem

ok, thanks for the advice. i did not check the upper tc bushing very close. just i shake test. duh i mainly looked at the steering bars. i will check it all out tomorrow.

thanks for the ideas, can anyone tell me if there is a mod to make a non disco 30/242 into part time 2wd? i understand the axle is named that for a reason, but is there any way around that without getting warn manual hubs? maybe swapping to a 231 but can it be used with a nondisco axle. this is what i want to avoid.

also i have not been able to find anything on adjusting shift points on a aw4, the stock specs and if/how it can affect the pump.

thanks, brandon.

Are you asking how to make it so the front driveshaft, axleshafts and differential is not spinning under 2wd condiitons. If so, Warn hubs are the only way.

As I understad it, the disco front was designed to save fuel and wear and tear on the diff. At sometime they decided it just wasn't worth the effort and the cost. I really don't see any (much) benefit, in a disco front. With the transfer in 2X, everything from the axles to the transfer, free wheels. There really isn't much drag.
The TV cable (Transmission Valve) is mostly a pressure regulator. The faster the input shaft for the tranny spins the more volumn/pressure it is going to produce at the pump. What seems like a soft shift at low speeds, may seem pretty darned harsh at higher RPM's. The TV matches the shift pressure to the throttle positon. At full throttle it will try to downshift the tranny. The valve is dual function. TV problems are often, soft shifts or harsh shifts.
Most of the shifting for the AW4 is electric/electronic, controlled by the TCU, with inputs from the TPS and a speed sensor built into the tranny (some models).
The TPS is the controller, typically from around 4 volts to 0 volts (or there abouts). Those are pretty small voltages and most any resistance in the wiring, connectors or the ground for the TCU (at the dipstick holder) is going to have some impact (the smaller the voltage, the mor eimpact resisitance is going to have). Though the TPS, does make some voltage accomodations, the *scale* (or differential) remains nearly the same as long as the difference between max and min is constant. I've had some small success, changing my shift points, by adjusting the output voltage on the TPS. Right around 3.8-4.0 volts works for me. Though the book adjustment methode is likely the best.
A quick test is to measure the voltage in the ground wire, with it connected (back pin the connector or prikc the wire). This is called standing voltage and tells you what kind of shape the ground is in. There is a little built in resistance in the ground circuit (in the TCU) that is normal. But the standing voltage should be very slight. The more the resistance the higher the standing voltage.
Input voltage for the TPS is typically around 4.5 to 5 volts (I think mine is 4.63 volts), a quick adjustment, just for a test is likely 3.8-4.0 output, the ground circuit should have very little resisitance or standing voltage.
After the adjustment, you may want to try disconnecting the battery for awhile, then going for a test drive. It has been said, this is a useless exercise, but I've noticed differences in shift points afterwords. Or then again maybe my butt dyno is malfunctioning.
What position do you have your Power/Comfort switch in. In comfort the tranny wants to shift into high gear sooner.

can warn hubs fit stock jeep wheels without center caps, or do i have to get steel wheels? it almost sounds like too much of a pain. im thinking posi-lok with a disco 30 front axle. plus newer 297 u joints and all maybe that would be easier than the hubs. sounds like too much of a pain to mess with right now. thanks for the info.

as far as the tps goes i just did 80 percent of the input voltage at idle.
i i think it was 4.6v at idle and just moved to the other side output and put it to 3.8v didnt checking for resistance or grounds. the shifting is not so much of a problem but annoying. thought i could simply adjust the linkage or something quick. i have the switch set on power. im going to adjust the tv cable just didnt want to screw up the pump. cant find stock specs for adjustment either. have not looked into this very much after adjusting the tps.


thanks everyone for the info. im going to search on the tv cable adjustment, and look at the track bar bushing,
what could the rear wobble be? its worst around 35mph then stops? this is what baffles me. do you check the rear wheel bearings the same as the front 12 and 6? are these packable or need to be pressed on a dana44? i feel stupid asking these questions i havent had a chance to tear into a jeep yet so i dont have an understanding as to how the internals are put together. just picked up a chilton so this should answer a lot of my questions. thanks this is my dd so im just trying to fix some of these quirks.

Well the hubs are a pain, mostly to your wallet, many people like me who want them refuse to dish out almost a grand to have hubs on a axle that is not really worth putting that much into. But if you dont wheel, or wheel hard, it can be good if you want it. Many just do a custom axle Dana 44 swap using a donor axle that already has them.

Ya, well i checked the track bar and there is no play in it. I'm going to replace the bushing anyways to eliminate it. It only happens after its been sitting. Which im thinking binding in the differential. But it definately sounds/feels like the u-joints are being stressed. After the bushing I'm just going to have my gear guy service and check out the front differential and go from there. Thanks for all the info.

That's alot of typing on a cell phone.....how long did that take?

My first suggestion would be to buy an after-market FSM, such as Haynes or Chilton. They at least can describe the "normal" function of most of the Jeep's various systems, and give you the basics of how to check/adjust things; I would consider one the minimum adjunct to the "owner's" manual for anyone who intends on doing home maintenance or repair.
You could swap in an NP231 transfer case to eliminate the all-wheel drive stuff, if you wanted; that alone will not be the same as a disconnect front axle. In my opinion, the money and time required to add Warn disconnect hubs is not worth effort on a D30 axle.
Your binding sounds like axle u-joints, so that's were I'd put my trouble-shooting effort first. Your Jeep is 20 years old. Things wear out in that time. The stock axle U-joints are weak/undersized to start with. Look into swapping in later model axles & U-joints--would be a decent up-grade for the D30.

For the rear vibration, have you had the balence of the rear wheels checked? Off balenced wheels will be felt usually around 30mph, 60mph and 90mph.

Well, I already have a chilton(junk) and just picked up a FSM for a '88. I havent had a chance to look at it yet. I have figured out that it has to be the u-joints binding, I believe they are being stressed like 8Mud mentioned. They look ok, but Im going to just go to 297's and swap out the bushing on the track bar. Hopefully this fixes it. Thanks all for the help. I've been reading more online and at mad-xj.com. Im going to follow his write up on the u-joint upgrade. Thanks for all the help And I have a windows mobile phone with t9 so its actually quite easy. Im starting to understand how it comes apart the FSM helped out a lot.