• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Front Axle appears to be binding on turn

oldbill

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
Just started today. When I was pulling into a parking spot it seemed like the front end was binding, what we used to call crow footing. Don't know if ice got into something or not. It is a 2000 Cherokee with fukk and part time four wheel drive, I believe they call it Selecttrac. Don;t know if it is a u joint or wheel bearing. Seems to be fine going straight, seems more noticeable on a left hand turn. Seems only to be occuring on a hard surface, when coming up my street and drive in 4 full time I didn't notice it. Anyone have any ideas of what it might be? How hard is it to pull the axle shaft if I need to replace a u joint? Is the axle held in with clips or anything? My manual does not sem to really cover the front axle for some reason. Any special tools needed?
Thanks for any and all help,
Bill
 
youtube is your friend for pulling an axle.

as far as tools.
36mm socket for the axle nut
12 point 13mm socket for the hub
6 point 13mm socket for the brakes
and i want to say a 13mm socket for hammering out a u-joint but i could be wrong


probably forgetting something but others will chime in
 
Just to be sure, you ARE using the Full-time 4x4 setting on hard surfaces, right? I could not tell from your post. Do NOT use the Part-Time setting for hard (paved) surfaces unless they are covered with snow/ice.
 
I almost use full time 4 wheel drive all of the time when I use four wheel drive just to insure that I don't forget. See my follow up post.
 
Check your alignment, too. If the wheels are toed-out, they will drag under sharp turns. I have experienced this problem and also had it exhibit the bias you described when turning left.
 
Last edited:
Just started today. When I was pulling into a parking spot it seemed like the front end was binding, what we used to call crow footing. Don't know if ice got into something or not. It is a 2000 Cherokee with fukk and part time four wheel drive, I believe they call it Selecttrac. Don;t know if it is a u joint or wheel bearing. Seems to be fine going straight, seems more noticeable on a left hand turn. Seems only to be occuring on a hard surface, when coming up my street and drive in 4 full time I didn't notice it. Anyone have any ideas of what it might be? How hard is it to pull the axle shaft if I need to replace a u joint? Is the axle held in with clips or anything? My manual does not sem to really cover the front axle for some reason. Any special tools needed?
Thanks for any and all help,
Bill

Cleaned ice out from around axle shaft u joint on passenger side. Took it back out for a test. On tight turns on a hard surface it still hops and seems to be binding and releasing. Tried it on the snow and ice in my drive and both in 2 and 4 wheel full time there did not appear to be any binding or wheel hope. I'm totally lost now as to what may be causing it.
 
The most common cause of similar symptoms would be a worn out u-joint that is binding.
 
Try in 4 BY to go forward, and in reverse, cranking steering wheel full over, only for a few yards, i.e., in a driveway, etc., and if one of your front U-joint(s) are toasted, you should hear some obviously bad noises. Look at the U-joints too for obvious rust stains, loose caps.., trying prying them with a screw driver, etc., too. Might be something else going on, but try to eliminate the weak parts first.

Have you had your front hubs removed before? Reused/Replaced?
 
The most common cause of similar symptoms would be a worn out u-joint that is binding.

I would have to agree with Tim here, that's a classic symptom of a dried out or worn axle shaft ujoint. once you get to full lock on a turn it puts more force on the ujoint as it reaches it's max working angle, and that's when you start to notice things like the caps binding up.

you can pull the shaft out with the hub hearing still attached, they can be a real pain to take apart especially if you live where the roads get salted. once the brake caliper and rotor are off there are only 3 bolts holding the hub in. once those bolts are out (if you're lucky) the hub and shaft will slide right out together. if they're rusted into the knuckle there are plenty of tips floating around on how to break them free. there is nothing internally holding the shaft in place, and you can replace the ujoint while the stub shaft is still mounted to the hub bearing itself once you have it pulled out of the axle housing.
 
Back
Top