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Strange sudden vibrations

cykaaro

NAXJA Forum User
Location
ontario, canada
Today on the highway I found I was suddenly getting these strange vibrations when at speeds of 110km/h and higher. It seems to have more of an up and down motion than side to side, and can rally feel it through the steering wheel. I took a look this morning and everything seems to be tight. I was going through search but didn't seem to find anything that helped.

Any ideas what this could be? It's a '90 4.0 auto. The only thing that happened yesterday I got stuck for a bit in about 1ft of mud, and as well, didn't see an approx 18" drop and when I went over, kinda bounced the rig a bit. Maybe this caused it? I'm wondering if my alignment is screwed up. Just hoping my ball joints or such are ok.

TIA
 
Thanks. Didn't think of that. Will give it a look and spray down. Washed it down at the local power washer place, but didn't think about doing the insides at all.

I've always had a very small barely perceptual vibe at about 120km, but nothing like this!
 
cykaaro said:
Just thinking........if my ball joints are bad, how can I tell? and how do I check the caster to see if that is ok or not?
Your casters ok it's not adjustable, with the jeep jacked up on the axle tube so weights off the tire, Try and move the wheel by pulling out at the bottom while pushing in at the top, there should be no movment.
 
also dont forget to check the rubber mud/rain guard under engine. Mine is loose and I can tell when it is vibrating.. just too lazy to remove it..
 
Could be the wheel bearing is nessed up from mud getting into it, or you tweaked things just enough to start Death Wobble. Bent rim or out of round tire will do it too. (been there, done that)
 
Seamoose said:
also dont forget to check the rubber mud/rain guard under engine. Mine is loose and I can tell when it is vibrating.. just too lazy to remove it..

Mine has never caused me a problem, and now it's well tucked away now that I've put a front skid plate on.
 
carnuck said:
Could be the wheel bearing is nessed up from mud getting into it, or you tweaked things just enough to start Death Wobble. Bent rim or out of round tire will do it too. (been there, done that)

I don't think it's mud as the mud itself wasn't hight enough on the wheels to get here. Basically it flung everything out of the way and dug me down LOL.

I'm wondering if 'bouncing' it might have done something. It's the only thing I can think of. Came up one side, went down the other, and was quite a sharp drop of about a foot or so. Jeep handled well, and kinda of bounced coming off of it,enough to tell it bounced, and skip the CD in the player.

Could a loose steering stabilizer cause it?? I was under checking and couldn't find anything loose at all. Was trying to get out form under the front end, and happened to grab the steering stabilizer and the wheel end had about a 1/4" roughly of play. Only thing I found loose. I changed it out for a HD one a couple months back for the one I think was shot that I had on it. Cranked on the bolt/nut so the play is gone. Will test it on the way to work tonight and see what happens. With a bit of luck it'll be what's causing it.
 
I had BFGs on mine when I got death wobble the first time (scared the bejeezus out of me at over 55 mph on the highway just outside of Boise, ID!)
Basically if your toe-in is changed to toe-out (which happens automatically if you lift a Jeep and don't adjust it) then the vibrations start. (They usually begin at 120 kmph, then 80 kmph and finally begin at 40 kmph when it gets real bad with flat spots between)
 
I measured the front, and according to what's posted here when I searched, I'm ok, as it's 1/8" shorter at the front than the back of the front tires.

Going to do a 'trial run' on the way to work to see if the steering stabilizer is the culprit. It's the only thng I found loose at all. I tried to see if the ball joints were causing the problem, but no play in it from what I can tell.
 
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