Project: Restitution

[cometcyclonemk]

Front axle installed! Found another for cheap with all brackets included. Will be posting up my 3.07 axles as well as the first 3:55 D30 soon.

Final install included:

New V8 Grand Cherokee Tie Rod, new drag link, new rod ends.
Rusty's adjustable track bar
New sway bar bushings.
Wrecking yard modified WJ Lower control arms.
Repainted my OME 3" coil springs, removed paint from Bilstein 5100s.

A couple of questions before I get to the pictures:

1. I'm getting a clunk when the driver's side tire hits a bump. Nothing on the passenger side. I can feel the clunk under the clutch pedal through the floor board. I've checked torque on everything, bushings are all new or good. No play can be found. I've cycled the suspension using a jack and having the neighbor jump on the front bumper and cannot recreate stationary.

Thoughts?

I stuck with the u-jonts and unit bearings on the axle I picked up. They don't seem to have any play in them. Tough to say on ball joints but they seemed fine as well. I'm inclined to think upper control arms given that I can feel it in the floor board but those bushings were inspected / good.

2. I can't quite seem to find a picture or good way to identify axles. The axle I originally bought has different u-joints than the one I installed. If one of them has the beefy later u-joints I keep reading about I'd like to keep them and swap eventually. How can they be identified?

3. The track bar weld rubs on my new Teraflex diff cover. Any reason I shouldn't just grind down the weld that rubs a bit or perhaps take a little material off the cover (it's advertised as 3/8" thick).

Thanks! Now pictures!

 

[cabjeepster]

Can tell by cap size. Here's a link that will tell you everything. http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101343

Sent from my HUAWEI Y536A1 using Tapatalk

 

[GordoSmasho]

The first pic is 260 ujoints
The second is 297/760

The 260 is a weak unit. I would swap in a matching 297/760 shaft set.

As for the clunk. I would check out your shock bushing and tightness.

 

[lazyxj]

Does the new front bumper tie into the frame with more than just the stock bumper brackets? I see it has a receiver and shackle mounts.

 

[cometcyclonemk]

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely swap in the beefier axles!

Time to check the shock mounts as well. I hadn't double checked the uppers since they weren't touched when swapping axles, but seems like a logical culprit.

As for the bumper, yes. Props to JCR for making it tie in just about every bolt possible... The tie in brackets use several thru-bolts, the sway bar mounts, the factory bumper mounts and a steering box reinforcement bracket. Definitely stout! *Edit* I see the cause of confusion - the bumper shipped with both sets of mounts for some reason. I used the factory location mounts to hold it while painting. *Edit*

One more picture: Painted gas tank cover and sides, leaf springs. Pretty terrible job if you're up close, but gets rid of the red for now. If the tank ever gets dropped or the leaf springs come out it might get a respray.

 

[cometcyclonemk]

Verified that the noise is the track bar hitting the diff cover... Anyone have any experience with this? Filed it down where it seemed to be rubbing, but it still contacts - probably more interference than I can file away (the pink is some window crayon I put on the track bar to mark where it rubbed).

Seems like a poor design by Rusty's... Thoughts? Change track bar or diff cover?

As a reminder: I'm running a OME 2.5 or 3" lift (depending on who you ask), Teraflex dif cover, WJ lowers (same length as XJ so far as I know), and ZJ V8 tie rod.

 

[lazyxj]

"As for the bumper, yes. Props to JCR for making it tie in just about every bolt possible...Definitely stout! *Edit* I see the cause of confusion - the bumper shipped with both sets of mounts for some reason. I used the factory location mounts to hold it while painting."

The photo alarmed me, seeing next to no attachment hardware, just wanted to make sure you didn't rip the bumper off in the first hard pull.
It's a nice looking bumper.

As for the track bar hitting the differential cover, without adjustable control arms, you can't move the axle rearward unless it has excessive caster, with adjustment shims that can be removed.
Part of the problem is the track bar's poor design, why have the thick adjuster in the area of least clearance? Gotta love Rusty's.
They probably designed it using a stock sheet metal cover. Consider an alternative brand.

You can also remove the cover and grind the area, checking to maintain adequate thickness, it's in a spot where impacts are not likely. so it does not need to be very thick.
How bad is the rubbing, just touching or is it interfering with the cycling of the track bar?

 

[*whiteXJ*]

awesome build. Your cherokee makes me miss mine a lot! it was the exact same year and model yours is the first one that I have actually seen with tan interior like mine. Mine had power everything. it what is my very first Jeep and first vehicle.

 

[jeeptorino68]

The rough country bar is 1.25 diameter the whole lenght, unlike rustys which gets bigger at the end mount. Maybe it would clear? What diameter is the rustys bar where.the joint threads in?

http://www.roughcountry.com/adjustable-track-bar-7572.html

 

[cometcyclonemk]

Yeah, the Rusty's is 1.25 DOM tubing with the neck to thread in the rod-end. I'll have to put the calipers on it to see but that might be enough. Looks like there are other companies that make one 1.25 all the way through as well.

I had bought the Rusty's because it was one of the few I found for lifts under 3". Any other options that aren't Rusty's / RC?

 

[iluv83vettes]

JKS

 

[cometcyclonemk]

I'd prefer to go with something that retains the factory style TRE / cheaper.

Also straight from their website:

"Important Notes
Vehicles with Dana 30 axle, aftermarket diff. cover and less than 3.0 in. lift may require bump stop adjustment to prevent interference.
Not compatible with right hand drive vehicles."

Sounds like This issue applies to more than just the Rusty's track bar...

 

[cometcyclonemk]

Swapped out Rusty's for the stock one and the clunk is gone.

With that, I'll eventually be wanting to go adjustable so I can properly center the axle.

Does anyone have experience with adjustable track bars / small lifts and know of one that doesn't have clearance issues? The stock bar has a bend that not only goes up but also forward, whereas the Rusty's and most I've seen just bend up in a single plane.

Looking to retain the OEM style tie rod end - from what I can tell the double shear options drop the mount enough to have issues with a small lift.

 

[Ronbo]

JKS. You mention keeping the TRE end, but it is inferior to the Johnny Joint on the JKS bar. The TRE may be cheaper initially, but they won't take but a fraction of the abuse the JJ can take.
I'll admit, Rusty's track bar was part of my first lift kit in the late 90's. One day of wheeling and the TRE was trashed - there goes any cost savings. Swapped in the JKS bar and never needed to replace the JJ.

 

[cometcyclonemk]

I appreciate the input, and understand that those types of links are superior to the OEM style Tie Rod End - offering a greater range of motion.

That said, my Jeep doesn't see the kind of abuse many on here do. I'm lifted somewhere between 2.5 and 3 inches. The majority of my time offroad is spent on the rougher end of forest roads. My sway bars have never been disconnected (except for maintenance purposes). The factory track bar has been on since I bought the Jeep ~60,000 miles ago. I just reinstalled it and the bushing was good, the end was tight and there are no clunks or pops as a result of it. I also appreciate that if the joint were to fail, I can purchase one at a local parts store - wherever I might be.

The other issue I previously brought up - JKS mentions on their own website that there may be clearance issues with small lifs (<3") and aftermarket differential covers.

 

[lazyxj]

If changing to an adjustable track bar is done to recenter the axle, consider redrilling the lower mount. It allows keeping the stock track bar.
http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoTrackbar.htm

 

[cometcyclonemk]

It might be that I should just stick with the stocker - my axle is currently about 3/4" offset to one side - not far enough to redrill as it would overlap the original.

 

[woowoo]

That "clunk" your feeling could be your single shear track bar. I have the same style and just had to replace Bc it broke while driving. I was lucky all I got was death wobble and shit my pants, anyway I'd change out that single shear for a double. I felt that same "clunk" under my left foot. Makes sense since in mounts 2ft ahead on the "frame" rail.

IRO sells the double shear mount and end to convert the single shear end.

 

[cometcyclonemk]

It was the track bar but not a result of single shear. The track bar was hitting my diff cover. I put the factory bar back in and the clunk is gone.

 

[woowoo]

Ah good to hear. If you go any higher in lift that could come into affect then. Good things to know.