Front end Vibration at higher speeds, Front axle Ujoints?

I need some help. My 90 Limited has a vibration that I need to get fixed as I may be selling it, plus it's annoying even if I'm keeping it.

Anyways, driving down the freeway around 50-70 mph, just an estimate as I don't know exactly how fast I'm really driving. (Around 2000 RPM with 32.5" tall tires and 4:56 gears in 4th)

It only happens at higher speeds, and it does not seem like turning has much effect on it. It is mainly coming from the front left. It feels/sounds like it goes along with the wheel speed.

I am lifted, with a lock right in the front, 4:56 gears. 3.5" RE springs with 2" spacers. Adjustable Track Bar, Currie Steering.... It does not seem to wobble side to side, it is more a driveline vibration.

My question does this sound like something worn U-Joints in the front axle would do? The vibration does feel a lot like a bad u-joint in a drive shaft does feel, only concentrated in the front left.

Anyone have some ideas. I had it in the air on saturday and checked for movement in the wheel, along with my buddy who is a GM tech, (I'm a Honda Tech, so ujoints and axles aren't really in my routine) we both agreed it didn't feel as if there was any play in the wheel bearing or ball joints.

I just really don't want to tear the axle apart to do the ujoints and then find out I need to do it again to when they don't fix the problem.

Any help?

Also does anyone have any experience with doing the front ujoints with a lock right. If I remember correctly it will not come apart and will be no different the stock open carrier, but I would like to confirm that before I make a mess.

Thanks a lot!

I would like to know the answer to this myself. I have the exact same thing in my 93 xj.

What are your mod's it any? I don't think they have anything to do with it, but it may help to know.

I am pretty sure it is the U-Joint, maybe possibly the Wheel bearing. So I really don't want to replace U-Joint, still have the problem, then have to pull everything apart and replace the hub. And I don't want to replace the hub if I don't have to as it is expensive, as we all know.

I had the same type of thing hapen. It turned out that little piece of lead that made my wheel nice and balanced decided that it no longer wanted to be part of my Jeep and thus launched itself off into outer space.

I have kind of wondered if it was a tire balance issue, although it really doesn't seem like it. But these are bigger tires and can probably cause to interesting vibes. I'll throw them on the balancer tomorrow and check.

Anyone ever experience this sort of problem with a front drive shaft? I replaced the u-joint at the axle end, but was thinking maybe the DC part may be bad.

I forgot to mention, I have ~156,000 miles on the jeep, and I think all the u-joints were original. I replaced both rear driveline joint's and the easy one in the front driveline.

how are the rear tcase and pinion yoke angles? is it a new lift? start checking your angles then u joints, then control arm bushings, then leaf bushings, does t case have oil in it? t case mount, if you just threw the spacers on thatll do it.

Lift is about 4 years old, t-case was lowered and a new mount was installed. The problem is relatively new, and getting worse. (I drive it maybe 500 miles a year) I installed new u-joints in the rear driveline, with no effect. It is coming from the front left side.

After doing some searching I am wondering if it might be the D.C. in the front drive shaft.

I just cannot really find a post were someone talks about the symptoms in much detail.

try taking your front DS off and driving it...

if the noise/vibration goes away, you know its your front DS. if not, then its another U-joint/bearing/bushing/something else.

its a place to start...

id second pulling the front driveshaft for now, check spring bushings and control arm bushings for play, and trac bar too. also check driveshaft angles. after all of that check tcase mount, motor mounts, all tre's too...

Alright, I removed the driveshaft. The vibration pretty much quit.


Now on to a new/second part of this issue.

Around roughly 50-60mph just in a really limited range I have a clunking/knocking in the front. I sort of assumed the vibration and clunk were related.

It doesn't seem to really have a pattern other then it seems to also be about the frequency of the wheel speed. Putting the transmission in neutral has no effect, 4wheel drive has no effect (with the driveshaft disconnected) The clunk/vibration is more towards the front, towards the axle, again on the drivers side. I tried to see if the shock felt loose. It's tight, and the noise does not seem to really follow any bumps.

I am kind of wondering if it could possibly be caused by my Rubicon Gen II sway bar disconnects. They are one of the first 100 pair, and the blocks on the sway bar tend to rotate and the bolts seem to back off even with when using lock washers or nylok nuts.

Leave front shaft off, then disconnect sway bars to see if vibes stay away and the clunk goes away?

--wp11

have you checked your control arm bushings? leaf bushings? last jan a guy told me he had a weird clunking at higher speeds and he hadnt yet pulled his diff cover, his chunk was sliding back and forth! anyway maybe theres something there. i would check all your wheel hub and brake bolts to the knuckle for correct torque, i apparently had a loose driver side hub that was causing vibes that i found during the recent swap.

Dead post from February 2008--if he hasn't fixed it by now, it can't be fixed.

Dang...I started reading the thread and the whole thing, word for word, is what I'm going through...and I was hoping to find a solution at the end, anyone got one? I was hoping my new Bilstein 5125 shocks up front would help, but nope. Now I need to start buying things I actually need.

hah
~Scott

Muddy Beast said:

Dang...I started reading the thread and the whole thing, word for word, is what I'm going through...and I was hoping to find a solution at the end, anyone got one? I was hoping my new Bilstein 5125 shocks up front would help, but nope. Now I need to start buying things I actually need.

hah
~Scott

Click to expand...

I'll help you figure out what it is if you want Scott. Don't post in dead threads though.

Sorry about the dead thread post--I'm clearly blind.

--wp11

My fathers 99 Xj had a vibration sound...almost sounded like it was in 4wd...as you would slow down it sounded as if it had huge mud tires. Turned out to be the front carrier bearings...He drove it this way for quite some time and as soon as I drove it i noticed something-how long he drove it that way?-unknown? so maybe what your hearing are the beginning sounds of the bearings going...cause all I heard were the bearings after they shot...not the beginning sounds.