BenWheelin
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Texas
Rereading, when you have someone steer while you observe, is that person turning lock to lock or bouncing the wheel back and forth? I find things most obvious with the latter, and the engine off. I also had an assistant back up in reverse while I observed the front axle, as it was shifting when the brake was released. It makes any slack in the control arm bushings pretty obvious.
My pitman shaft was pretty obvious, but it was also leaking.
Those new rear leaves come with a main leaf and bushings?
I've had several of these with the non disconnect axle and prefer it over the alternative. Get shafts for an ABS model, note the extra material. Never had an issue related, it's not the axle. You might check the play in the compensating joint in the front shaft and pinion, but I feel that's unrelated and produces its own symptoms.
I've lifted a couple now to four and a half, both times with the original track bar and pitman arm. Actually, one has a ZJ pitman, but no drop bracket or adjustable track bar. Other than pulling the axle over just noticeably, they drive fine. It should be noted that at four and a half inches, the joint on the factory track bar doesn't hold up to off road use for long, and I wouldn't endorse it as a long term setup.
Perhaps you should check that stabilizer now that it's become more intermittent. It should be positive at any point in it's range of motion. If it pulls light for a quarter inch or so, it's done. There's a chance you resolved the majority of the cause, but driving it in the meantime may have killed the stabilizer. I've had those which drove fine without it, but might be set off by a certain series of bumps in the road. Might not have a problem for weeks, such that I'd forget I needed a stabilizer.
My pitman shaft was pretty obvious, but it was also leaking.
Those new rear leaves come with a main leaf and bushings?
I've had several of these with the non disconnect axle and prefer it over the alternative. Get shafts for an ABS model, note the extra material. Never had an issue related, it's not the axle. You might check the play in the compensating joint in the front shaft and pinion, but I feel that's unrelated and produces its own symptoms.
I've lifted a couple now to four and a half, both times with the original track bar and pitman arm. Actually, one has a ZJ pitman, but no drop bracket or adjustable track bar. Other than pulling the axle over just noticeably, they drive fine. It should be noted that at four and a half inches, the joint on the factory track bar doesn't hold up to off road use for long, and I wouldn't endorse it as a long term setup.
Perhaps you should check that stabilizer now that it's become more intermittent. It should be positive at any point in it's range of motion. If it pulls light for a quarter inch or so, it's done. There's a chance you resolved the majority of the cause, but driving it in the meantime may have killed the stabilizer. I've had those which drove fine without it, but might be set off by a certain series of bumps in the road. Might not have a problem for weeks, such that I'd forget I needed a stabilizer.