front end

hey everyone. i just got my xj back from my friend. i traded him straight across for a 96 ranger. then i traded back for the jeep and 1000 dollars. anyways...

we are dealing with a 90 pioneer,

i just got done doing the front u joints today(thrashed) and was reading in my chiltons manual that i had to remove the vacuum shift motor for the 4wd. i get underneath the car and notice it does not have one. anywhere. nor does it have any vacuum lines even pointing in that direction. when i spin the wheels, the driveshaft spins too. the front end is always engaged.

has anyone ever heard of this? as far as i knew they all had vacuum shift motors. this front end doesnt even have a spot for one. im thinking its someones attempt to replace the stock one. but i dont know.

also, the front suspension sqweaks when the front of the jeep is either pushed on or the brakes are applied and the front end drops. i think its my sway bar bushings but im not sure. is there a way to lubricate these? or do i replace them. and how much do they generally cost. i wouldnt think they cost very much, but once again, i dont know.

sorry for the long post and thanks for any help in advance.

-matt-

That sounds like a a non-disco turdy to me. I don't know that the Renix came with a non-disco but it is a direct swap and most everyone likes the non-disco due to the absence of the vacuum lines.

Not sure, but didn't early XJs with "full time" transfer cases come stock with non-disco D30s?

were these "non-disco" front ends any good? or should i think about replacing it? also, whats up with that stupid sqweak? im pretty sure it is from the sway bar. is it hard to replace the bushings?

its an xj thing said:

were these "non-disco" front ends any good? or should i think about replacing it? also, whats up with that stupid sqweak? im pretty sure it is from the sway bar. is it hard to replace the bushings?

Click to expand...

You are better off with a non-disco. If it's a full time 4WD rig, that's what would have come on it anyway, and if it isn't, you're still well rid of it. The vacuum system for the disco is trouble prone, and the mileage/wear tradeoff for the non-disco is minimal if there's any at all, which is why they dropped it later.

Sway bar bushings are dead easy if the bolts aren't rusted. Take it really easy on the bolts, and if they come loose at all, it's about a 10 minute job. They're not very expensive, and I think you can get them from auto parts stores as well as the dealer. Measure the OD of the sway bar before buying them, because there are several slightly different diameters.

If your front axle is swapped from an original disco unit, be aware that the swap may also have resulted in later model brakes. This is no problem by itself, but next time you do the front brakes, you may have to do some further research to make sure you get the right parts.

By the way, Chilton was wrong anyway. You can do the U-joints on a disco unit without pulling the vacuum motor.

I got a complete urethane bushing kit for my front sway bar from Rocky Mountain Suspension for about $25.

thanks for all the info guys.

now as far as the sqweak. if it is not the sway bar, what else could it be. i have done all the tie rod ends recently and just did the u joints. the bushings for the sway bar are the only things i can think of. maybe you guys could give me an idea of what else would do that.

also, has anyone else gotten u joints from napa and have the zerts (spelling?) get ripped off by the car?

its an xj thing said:

thanks for all the info guys.

now as far as the sqweak. if it is not the sway bar, what else could it be. i have done all the tie rod ends recently and just did the u joints. the bushings for the sway bar are the only things i can think of. maybe you guys could give me an idea of what else would do that.

also, has anyone else gotten u joints from napa and have the zerts (spelling?) get ripped off by the car?

Click to expand...

The greaseable axle u-joints I've seen have needle fittings in an end cap.

If you want to check the source of the squeak, try a little silicone spray or brake fluid on the suspect bushings (non-destructive of rubber). If the noise chainges or goes away, you've got your culprit.