I know how much you guys like details.. Lets start at the beginning..
In January I bought myself a year 2000 XJ sport for my birthday; 4.0 l; 4 wheel drive; california emissions; 4 Speed overdrive trans; Command trac transfer; Dana 30 front, Dana 35 rear, factory five spoke steel wheels, full size spare 225 75 15’s.. straightforward, no mods or lifts..
She had 70 k on the clock. I paid $7000, including the 16k mile warranty..
She came from kentucky, and looked at me sideways when I explained salt to her.. (I live in upstate ny)
In the middle of Feb I heard this sound, that I describe as a fishing reel being cast, or like a piece of the rubber splash guard rubbing up against one of the front tires. This sound comes from the left front wheel.
I visually inspected the area around the wheel and came up with no answers, so off to the dealer we go! (viva la warranty!)
They replaced both front u joints.. I asked to see them and they weren’t shot but they looked pretty bad..
As I drove off the lot that afternoon, I got about a block away, up around 30 mph and the sound was still there.. So I drove to the garage where I work.
Put her up on the lift, spun up the motor with her in the air.. Rear wheels spin, no noise. Put her in 4 hi and spin her up again.. Front wheels spin, and the nosie is coming distinctly form that left front wheel. Check the bearing for play.. Solid. Turn the wheel by hand, no growl, no noise. I pull the wheel, check the brakes and caliper.. All ok. Pull the pads and caliper off, run the nuts down onto the rotor, spin her back up, noise is still there. take the rotor off, still there.. Spray lube into the clearly new and still shiny u joint, into the hub/bearing area and where the stub shaft comes out of the axle housing.. Spin her up, noise is still there.. With the axle spinning, I take my trusty big ass screw driver and work my way from the diff down to the hub listening.. Gets louder as I get to the hub.. When driving, the distinct growl or rumble of a bad wheel bearing just isnt there. I put it all back together..
I take her back to the dealer, and I watch in horror as four techs walk around her scratching thier heads as a fifth revs it up in 4 hi much, much faster than im comfortable with.. I tell them to stop and the head tech comes over and tell me that my t-case is shot and they want to tear it down to see what’s wrong..
Ha ha, no thanks, ill drive it till she breaks (viva la warrant!)
A day later the noise goes away.
Then a month or so later, I started to get that phantom wobble I see posted on here.. A very specific 55 mph, not 52, not 57, 55. I run the gamut.. Balance and rotate the tires, check steering linkage, check rotors for warping, replace the steering stabilizer, check the alignment, check the ball joints, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings and links, the bearings are tight, no signs of irregular tire wear.. The hell with it, ill drive it faster till it breaks (viva la warranty!)
So, I live with my wobble.. And last week the noise comes back.. But now its not persistant, like it had been. It comes in around 25 mph goes away around 37 mph.. comes back when I slow down again.. goes away, comes back.. Hit the highway for a few minutes doing around 70.. Slow down, 30, 40 mph no noise. There doesn’t seem to be a specific trigger (hard right or left turns, going straight), or a way to make it stop..
Im sure the noise and vibration are connected. I guess ill have to wait and see.. Any thoughts?
In January I bought myself a year 2000 XJ sport for my birthday; 4.0 l; 4 wheel drive; california emissions; 4 Speed overdrive trans; Command trac transfer; Dana 30 front, Dana 35 rear, factory five spoke steel wheels, full size spare 225 75 15’s.. straightforward, no mods or lifts..
She had 70 k on the clock. I paid $7000, including the 16k mile warranty..
She came from kentucky, and looked at me sideways when I explained salt to her.. (I live in upstate ny)
In the middle of Feb I heard this sound, that I describe as a fishing reel being cast, or like a piece of the rubber splash guard rubbing up against one of the front tires. This sound comes from the left front wheel.
I visually inspected the area around the wheel and came up with no answers, so off to the dealer we go! (viva la warranty!)
They replaced both front u joints.. I asked to see them and they weren’t shot but they looked pretty bad..
As I drove off the lot that afternoon, I got about a block away, up around 30 mph and the sound was still there.. So I drove to the garage where I work.
Put her up on the lift, spun up the motor with her in the air.. Rear wheels spin, no noise. Put her in 4 hi and spin her up again.. Front wheels spin, and the nosie is coming distinctly form that left front wheel. Check the bearing for play.. Solid. Turn the wheel by hand, no growl, no noise. I pull the wheel, check the brakes and caliper.. All ok. Pull the pads and caliper off, run the nuts down onto the rotor, spin her back up, noise is still there. take the rotor off, still there.. Spray lube into the clearly new and still shiny u joint, into the hub/bearing area and where the stub shaft comes out of the axle housing.. Spin her up, noise is still there.. With the axle spinning, I take my trusty big ass screw driver and work my way from the diff down to the hub listening.. Gets louder as I get to the hub.. When driving, the distinct growl or rumble of a bad wheel bearing just isnt there. I put it all back together..
I take her back to the dealer, and I watch in horror as four techs walk around her scratching thier heads as a fifth revs it up in 4 hi much, much faster than im comfortable with.. I tell them to stop and the head tech comes over and tell me that my t-case is shot and they want to tear it down to see what’s wrong..
Ha ha, no thanks, ill drive it till she breaks (viva la warrant!)
A day later the noise goes away.
Then a month or so later, I started to get that phantom wobble I see posted on here.. A very specific 55 mph, not 52, not 57, 55. I run the gamut.. Balance and rotate the tires, check steering linkage, check rotors for warping, replace the steering stabilizer, check the alignment, check the ball joints, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings and links, the bearings are tight, no signs of irregular tire wear.. The hell with it, ill drive it faster till it breaks (viva la warranty!)
So, I live with my wobble.. And last week the noise comes back.. But now its not persistant, like it had been. It comes in around 25 mph goes away around 37 mph.. comes back when I slow down again.. goes away, comes back.. Hit the highway for a few minutes doing around 70.. Slow down, 30, 40 mph no noise. There doesn’t seem to be a specific trigger (hard right or left turns, going straight), or a way to make it stop..
Im sure the noise and vibration are connected. I guess ill have to wait and see.. Any thoughts?
