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Driveline vibes on stock xj??

JeepXJ93

JeepXJ93

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CT
My 00 xj i just bought i noticed right around 50 and up has what i would like to call driveline vibes...they felt similar to what i felt on my 93 after i put a 3" lift on it...thing is, this 00 xj is completely stock so far. Can you have driveline vibes on a stock xj or should i be looking for something else? I know i need swaybar bushings up front...but i didnt link that to my problem. What else could be making this vibe: u joints..wheel bearings...rear end etc??? Any ideas welcome..thanks

P.S...shifted to neutral at around 60 and they didnt go away
 
it could be....my 93 had a balance issue when i first put the stock tires back on when i sold it...more like a wobble when its out of balance....would wheel bearings have anything to do w/ it or maybe cv joints??
 
I believe a bad u-joint in the axle shafts will cause vibrations. I have a bad u-joint that needs replacing and it just started to vibrate on me a few days ago when I go past 60.
 
Yea that sounds like it...dont newer xj's have cv joints though? any difference?
 
Its hard to explain over the web, but driveshaft/driveline vibes are a higher tone than wheel induced vibrations due to the ratio difference in the differentials.

Driveline vibes are most commonly caused by driveshaft ujoints and engine/tranny mount failures. If you have been messing around offroad, you may have hit your driveshaft and it may not be straight anymore.

If you jackstands, raise the vehicle and place jackstands under both axles. Once it is in the air, you can put it in gear and have someone run the speed up to the point where the vibes were felt. You can then walk around and look for vibrating components.

But first a good visual inspection of the ujoints and driveshafts will most likely nail the problem. Don't forget to look at the motor mounts as well.
 
Everyone keeps saying u-joints...are these the same as cv joints b/c i thought the newer xj's had cv joints which were diff. than u joints?? Are they both hard to change/expensive?
 
No XJ has ever had CV joints, those are in the new liberties, on independent front suspensions. ON the XJ, the axle ujoints aren't overly hard or expensive to replace, but I believe it requires taking off the hub, which takes some time.
 
By the way, your vibes are probably coming from the rear. Yes, stock XJ's have had them before because the angle of the transfer case is not equal to that of the rear diff, and vibes are then present. Tough to pinpoint, exactly.
 
Jackhill442 said:
No XJ has ever had CV joints, those are in the new liberties, on independent front suspensions.
Click to expand...

I'm almost positive that is not true. Not really relevant here but I'm pretty sure some of the very earlymodels did use cv axle joinnts. I'd defineately check the driveshaft joints first. Assuming ,of course, that it's not tire related. Then go to driveshaft balancing maybe, I'm not sre beyond that.

Tony
 
How do i check if the joints are good or bad? Move d/s back and forth by hand and see how much play there is??
 
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PR-shaft/index.html


here is a good read on everything you might want to know about driveshafts
start a pot of coffee and throw some chips in a bowl with salsa to sit by the computer - its a good 1 hour read if you sit back and think about everything.

of course you could skip to the "driveshaft maintenence" section and that would tell you - just not as much fun!

HTH
 
I get the same thing on my 01 XJ, high frequency vibration starting at about 50 mph. This puppy has 80K on her, but no off road abuse. Is it possible that the rear UJ is worn out? I hate to have to start to shim things, as I just bought the vehicle. It wasn't as bad a vibration when first bought.
 
I guess this is a newer XJ thing. I have an '01 with just 14K and I get a vibe between 50-55. I don't feel it myself but I can see the passenger seat shake when no one's in it. I've been waiting until my next tire rotation to go check the balance on the tires, but maybe it's more than that.
 
strange, i also have a 01 XJ and experienced no vibes at any speeds while stock. i have a 3" lift on it now and only experience tiny vibes while holding the shifter at 35 to 40 mph. soon as i break 40, it goes away. i used a rusty's spring pack lift with 1 inch xfer case drop.

i would try the tires first. its easy to throw a weight and hard to distinguish from driveline when its not that bad of a vibe.
 
My 2001 XJ had noises and/or vibrations that I could not pinpoint. The u-joints were tight and I could see no other problems. The only thing I did find was that the front and rear u-joints were running at slightly different angles.

I installed an SYE and new drive shaft in preparation of the lift. I was very surprised when the vibrations disappeared, so yes XJs (late model ones) can have problems when stock. The Factory should have included a CV joint in the rear driveshaft to correct this problem.
 
That was one of my questions...if it is ending up to be a bad driveshaft i could just do the AA SYE and tom woods d/s before i actually lift it and not have any problems? (i also checked my u-joints....they are both tight. I'm bringing it to SVE here in CT to have them diagnose the problem and then i will let you all know if it is suttin specific. Thanks for the help.
 
ttt...ok i'm starting to notice more of this noise/vibe. What i'm noticing that i dont hear in any other xj's is at an idle...around 800rpm's when i'm about 2mph right before i'm about to stop at a light or coming to any stop i can hear the same sound that its making that we've been talking about. A loud sound as if i have a sub woofer in the back...like a bass sound....at regular idle around 600 or so it goes away and then when i accelerate just past 800 rpms for a split second i can hear it again...can these two sounds be linked together or is this something completely separate? I have SVE taking a look at it this friday so hopefully they will be able to pinpoint something.
 
DaveD912 said:
I guess this is a newer XJ thing. I have an '01 with just 14K and I get a vibe between 50-55. I don't feel it myself but I can see the passenger seat shake when no one's in it. I've been waiting until my next tire rotation to go check the balance on the tires, but maybe it's more than that.
Click to expand...
ditto: 01 with 22k and I see the pass. seat shake. Im waiting to put on new tires as soon as I decide betwween a 2 or 3 " lift.
 
Finally got the word from SVE today...BENT DRIVESHAFT! It had to be the most expensive out of the 3 possibilities...but hey now i have an exuse to get a new d/s...and SYE lol...p.s now that i'm doing this i will be able to lift it finally...anyone have any opinions on the Hybrid kit that DPG put together? RE6030...plus jks quick discos/adj trackbar/ss brakelines/3/4" coil spacers??? Im really thinking about ordering it tomorrow. Thanks for all the previous help.
 
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