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Anybody ever replace all front 4-link bushings?

M

Mudshack

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Billings, Montana
Man I hope that once I put the new 1.5" RE Poly coil spacers up front and the 2" lift shackles in the rear that this XJ gets quieter. Right now when I hit a bump (bridge crease or concrete transition) at highway speed it sounds like the dash is going to fall off.

Anyone think about replacing the 4-link bushings and staying with the stock set up?

Whare are some suggestions for making a more quiet ride?
 
Sounds like your angles are off, and instead of the suspension absorbing impacts it is being jammed into the unibody.
 
How are the tie-rod ends, track bar end, and ball joints?

When I replaced all that a lot of the front end noises went away.
 
You mean all the steering components? I haven't even thought about them because the steering is as steady as a rock.

After replacing the shocks and upgrading to the RE shocks, I now hear faint squeaks in hard bumps. But it definitely sounds like the bumps are going straight into the body. Not getting aborbed by things. Shocks are working because there is no bouncing and rebounding.
 
Hallo,

I found out, that the bushings of the stabilizer/swaybar.(bar to link nuts)
can easily assembled in a wrong way! Iron on iron, when the bushings are not in line.
Also the upper rubbers of the shocks.
It is wisely too check them again.

wim
 
What do you mean "the upper rubbers of the shocks?" Like, maybe they might not be torqued down tight enough? (I have been wondering about this...but don't want to over torque them).

I just replaced one sway bar drag link (had new bushings) and am going to do the other this weekend when I install the coil spackers. Haven't thought about the steering stabilizer being in question.
 
Hallo.
Don't overtorque the upper shock bolts. You are right about this,the rubbers need to have space to press in.
But these rubbers do have a little rim. Also the rubbers of the swaybar links.
Keep them in line,so that they are in the middle of the holes of the chassis.

wim
 
Before doing this let me stress be safe, having said that a good way to see where the play is coming from is to put it in 4wd and have someone give it a little gas while holding the brake with it in gear. lay beside it on the ground and see if the axle wants to wrap hard forward or reverse. Just don't be in the way if it tries to move. If the axle has hard wrap or clunking when going from reverse to forward or vise versa then you have bad control arm bushings. If everything is tight I would look at ball joints next. Also, are the front springs in good shape? Weak springs could be bottoming out prematurely.
 
Well....the stock bump stop are shot. The rubber fell out of them long long ago, and just recently, I took the rubber out. (Previously, it was just bouncing around inside the coil. I am looking into this. Originally I was going to replace the coils and just go with a 3.5" coil upgrade...but went cheap and just bought the 1.75" spacer.
 
How many, if any, urethane bushings do you have installed? They're great for handling, but they get creaky, and just don't absorb energy properly in everyday driving. I had the whole front end in my '92 in hard red bushings, and it handled great, as long as you didn't hit a bump. The energy has nowhere to go, and while not Death Wobble, there was always the extra shudder. I went to RE adjustables, but the swivel joint acted the same. And since it's street driven only, I didn't need the articulation. I'm back to new stockers, and all is well. All that's left is sway bar bushings, and man, are they noisy! I can't spray enough silicone into them.
 
The only bushings that have been replaced are the ones that came with the shocks (lower eye bushings and upper shock mount bushings) and the pass-side sway bar drag link (because I snapped the rusted through original drag link). It came with it's own bushings. Everythign else is bone stock. It has always been harsh (since we inherited it a year ago) and I was hoping that the new shocks would have helped with that....nope. Now I have a squeaking.
 
Get a spray can of silicone lubricant, and one by one, spray the bushings, and take it for a drive, or live with it for a day. If you're successful, the squeek may stop, and you may find the culprit.
 
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