yes, YES! oh god, YES!!!

Finally, finally it is done.
Installed a 4.10 ford 8.8 and all new brake hardware.
Installed a 4.10 D30 from an 87 XJ, but used the axles/hubs/brakes/knuckles from my 90 XJ
Installed Rusty's 6.5" long arm kit
new u joints in axles, new u joints in driveshafts (front is stock, rear is 95 grand cherokee front shaft with CV)
Installed SYE in 'spare' 242 tcase
Installed new tranny mount
Adjusted steering
Adjusted pinion/caster angles

Just COULD NOT GET RID OF THIS FREAKING HUMMM/GROWL/VIBE.

Checked/double/triple checked u joints and driveshaft angles - they were good.
all wheel bearings appeared good during the axle installs but jacked each one up and spun the wheel - no significant noises, no wobble (the 8.8 bearings are apparently slightly loose from the get go)
test drive, listen, test drive, take out 1 driveshaft, test drive, take out other driveshaft, test drive, listening - trying to find where this noise is coming from.
couple friends come for test drive - concensus is the noise is rhythmic at wheel speed so drive shafts/tcase/tranny eliminated.
down to wheel or carrier bearings.
start at the rear and do the PS wheel bearing. no love
do the DS rear wheel bearing. no love
PS front wheel bearing (new hub unit) no love.
hmmmmm.. running out of options here.... do the DS front wheel bearing and immediately upon removing it, it was obvious there was a problem
UN-freakin-REAL!! it definitely had a bad tight spot but couldn't feel/hear it while on the vehicle.
replaced it with the one I removed from the PS and Hallelulejah!!! we are ready to go wheelin!

This is not my quote, but it is accurate - "if it quacks like a wheel bearing, it probably is a wheel bearing"

hah nice title.... O FACE

Congratulations! Very cool.

:clap: Pics?

Took ya long enough...



Is that GC shaft CV as in a double cardon, or as in a rzeppa/ball CV? You said it was 2" longer...? I need a cheap source of front driveshafts, it's getting annoying at $150~ each for custom shafts. Or I'm going to have to go back to building them myself.

Just bought one with the 6.5" rusty kit (not a longarm). Was wondering if you tried it without the SYE. This guy was running it without one and was using it as a daily driver. I wasn't able to test drive it as it doesn't have a motor. I was wondering if it had crazy vibes. Do you think a Lowered Transfer Case would work? I don't really have the cash for a SYE kit for my NP231 right now, but I do plan on getting one. Also how are it's road manners? Is this your DD or a trail rig? And I've never heard about putting a Grand Cherokee front shaft in the rear, is there a thread about this? (couldn't find one).

I happened on the GC driveshaft idea by accident. I was at a wrecker (not PNP) looking for an XJ auto front dshaft but couldn't find one there (they had them in a warehouse) and I saw the GC one. I measured it and it was 2" longer than the XJ one that I had measured previously and figured it would work - it did! I paid $100 for it (they wanted $150) but again this was a regular wrecker and not a pnp. I think I paid $27.95 for a driveshaft at chilliwack pnp - this was from an 80's mercury cougar.

I'm pretty sure the GC driveshaft will just bolt right in without a SYE, but with the SYE (I have a RE) you need an adapter flange. I found out on the net that this flange was used on early 80's mercury cougar XR7 (among others) and lo and behold they had one in chilliwack. It works great - the bolt pattern on the flat part matches the bolt pattern on the SYE, and the other side goes onto the CV of the GC driveshaft.

I didn't dare try it without SYE - before the long arms I had a 3.5" bastard pack without SYE and with a stock rear shaft. It worked but hummed a bit and was getting worse after 2 years. when I checked I could tell that my slip yoke on the tcase was getting sloppy and starting to wobble. If I hadn't changed it, it wouldn't have lasted much longer. Also, when I really had it loaded up and towing a tent trailer or boat, it sounded and felt much better because so much more of the slip yoke was engaged. I definitely would not recommend 6.5" without a SYE - maybe if you get a custom length driveshaft? but that would probably cost more.... I never did a transfer case lowering - it just didn't make sense to me, I understand why its done and that it does work but ...it's just me.

I am really pleased with the road manners. I had some bad front dshaft vibes when I first put the kit in (pinion was waaaaay too low) but I lengthened the upper arms (what a @#$@$#%ing PITA that is!!!) and have the pinion pointing almost right at the tcase. i was worried about handling with losing caster but the road manners are real nice. I also did my own toe alignment after the lift and recentered the steering wheel. I strapped some 10 foot (or so) alum channels across the face of each front tire so that half stuck out in front of the jeep and half stuck out towards the rear. then I measured the distance between the channels at the front, then the back and adjusted the tie rod til they were equal. I know some people just measure the front and back of the tire, but I figure with the 10' rods it emphasizes any difference and allows for a more precise alignment. Tracking is great.

DirtyMJ, I don't know what you mean about the 2 different types of CV driveshaft - the only cv driveshaft that I am familiar with is the one that has 2 u joints that are connected together by a big lump of steel. Are there some driveshafts that have the 'ball' type cv's that are basically 2 cups with steel balls in between them? If that is what you are referring to then it is the first type, with the 2 u joints.

fuzzydog said:

DirtyMJ, I don't know what you mean about the 2 different types of CV driveshaft - the only cv driveshaft that I am familiar with is the one that has 2 u joints that are connected together by a big lump of steel. Are there some driveshafts that have the 'ball' type cv's that are basically 2 cups with steel balls in between them? If that is what you are referring to then it is the first type, with the 2 u joints.

Click to expand...

There's CVs that are like one would see in an axlshaft application, balls and cups as you said.


But since it's a double-cardon, I can work with that. We'll see how long my new shaft lasts - I'm giving it till about 2:00 tomorrow.

DirtyMJ - so where are you at with your MJ? sounds like you are rockin and rollin....is that Isuzu rear end working for ya?

wpwp

fuzzydog said:

DirtyMJ - so where are you at with your MJ? sounds like you are rockin and rollin....is that Isuzu rear end working for ya?

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The isuzu rear is working cherry so far. The LSD in it is a little too loose though, and I'm trying to track down an open third to weld up.


The rest of the truck is doing this and that (ie, breaking) - I'm probably going to change the suspnesion again.

DirtyMJ said:

The isuzu rear is working cherry so far. The LSD in it is a little too loose though, and I'm trying to track down an open third to weld up.


The rest of the truck is doing this and that (ie, breaking) - I'm probably going to change the suspnesion again.

Click to expand...

You went leave springs up front didn't you? Now going to switch to what....coils all around?