Strange spring problem...

Hey guys. Was out wheelin, and I have been getting a strange noise, coming from the front drivers side wheel area. Once I cleaned up the jeep, I crawled under to see if I could see anything going on. I noticed bare-metal-rub-marks on the spring, and on the drop bracket for the trac-bar. Anyone familiar with this problem? I get the noise only when the suspension is articulating. Sitting level, there is about, half inch gap between the spring and bracket. That seem to be about normal spacing?

Nothing looks out-of-wack, and by looking at the geometry, the 2" booster lift I have should actually pull the axle toward the drivers side, moving the spring further away from the trac-bar bracket.

I am running OEM springs and trac-bar. Infact, everything in the front is OEM, other than the 2" coil spacer. Let me know if you guys got any suggestions.

97 sport. I apologize if this should be in mod tech... dealing with OEM parts, with a not-so-much OEM lift, though, problem existed pre-lift as well :dunno:

Thanks!

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm clueless...

Very common,since your running a stock trackbar your axle is shifted towards the pass side!

no it would be shifted toward the driver side if ne at all....sounds like something is amiss in the frontend....maybe bad spring....hace u checked caster angle? if caster is reallly far off it will bend the spring then under compression that bend might migrate toward the trac bar mount....far fetched but a possibility still. since u have a stock bar it might bend the spring in the trac bar mounts direction too.

I stand corrected,hadnt had my morning coffee yet!

This is normal when running the stock TB on a lifted XJ. If you look really closely you will see that the coils are also bent like a banana. the springs will rub a little on the TB frame mount and the sway bar ends will sometimes hit the spring. when I has 5" on the stock TB the pass swaybar end would strum the spring like a guitar.

93gc40 said:

when I has 5" on the stock TB the pass swaybar end would strum the spring like a guitar.

Click to expand...

That is kinda the effect I am getting. Its like a slow strumming as the axle flexes. I know its not the sway bars, as I disconnect them on the trail.

I will have some free time this week to get under and get a closer look at things, as I have a trip coming up this weekend I need to prepare for! arty:

Thanks for the replies!

my 3.5 rubico lift on my xj did it for a while until i loosened the bottom spring retainer bolt and turned the spring back where it was supposed to be..