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steering problem!

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biggnate31887

NAXJA Forum User
Location
massachusetts
I have a 99 xj with a 4.5" rough country lift. I noticed lately when i hit bumps theres a loud banging sound! After some investigation, i realized that when i turn the steering wheel to the right, the bottom of the sway bar link is hitting the steering arm! even at regular ride height it rubs. Anyone else have this problem? any ideas/suggestions? <a href="http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x165/biggnate31887/?action=view&current=DSC00078.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x165/biggnate31887/DSC00078.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
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Remove your sway bar and take it to the scrap yard. Collect the small amount of money they will give you and be happy. The front sway bar is such a waste. One time when I still had mine and went on a wheeling trip I broke the end link and never even noticed a difference in the handling until I saw it broken like a week later.
 
if you were to take your sway bar out and go on the roads at a high rate of speed you would be all over the place it is alot harder to drive if you have the front sway bar out and especaly if you have the rear one out also
 
windle27 said:
if you were to take your sway bar out and go on the roads at a high rate of speed you would be all over the place it is alot harder to drive if you have the front sway bar out and especaly if you have the rear one out also
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I think it more has to do with lift height and probably stiffness of springs. I;m sitting at around 3" and don't run either sway bar. I dd mine as well.
 
you could try a drop pitman arm just as long as your angles stay decent.

another idea would be to cut the swaybar mount off the axle and reweld it somewhere where it won't be in the way.
 
veedubshafer said:
Remove your sway bar and take it to the scrap yard. Collect the small amount of money they will give you and be happy. The front sway bar is such a waste. One time when I still had mine and went on a wheeling trip I broke the end link and never even noticed a difference in the handling until I saw it broken like a week later.
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im calling bullshit. if you cant feel the differance, your ass must be numb. the swaybar is there for a reason. if you remove it, you're redesigning the suspension, and thats fine if your an engineer, just dont remove it because someone who cant even feel the differance between sway bar, and no swaybar said it doesnt need it. no swaybar is fine, if you never get above 50mph, or enter a turn at more then 35... or run super stiff coils... or stiffer shocks....
 
xcm said:
im calling bullshit. if you cant feel the differance, your ass must be numb. the swaybar is there for a reason. if you remove it, you're redesigning the suspension, and thats fine if your an engineer, just dont remove it because someone who cant even feel the differance between sway bar, and no swaybar said it doesnt need it. no swaybar is fine, if you never get above 50mph, or enter a turn at more then 35... or run super stiff coils... or stiffer shocks....
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I was running brand new moog HD ZJ V8 coils so that probably helped - anyway, I wasnt bullshitting so blah
 
I'm an engineer...and an XJ owner. I removed my rear sway bar, but kept my front (with disconnects) for SOME stability on the highway. I've driven on the highway at highway speeds (65 mph +) with the front disconnected...it's not nice. I'm glad I didn't have to make a quick maneuver to avoid a deer...or whatever!!!!

My advice...throw away the rear if you must, but keep the front and get a disco for off-road wheeling. It's safer (for us, as well as you)!
 
There's not much you can do about that without re-mounting the sway bar bracket up higher on the axle. There is a place that sells longer sway bar brackets, not sure who at the moment. Or you could "massage" the drag link away from the axle a little. As mentioned before, a drop pittman arm might do it.
 
Flyfisher said:
I'm an engineer...and an XJ owner. I removed my rear sway bar, but kept my front (with disconnects) for SOME stability on the highway. I've driven on the highway at highway speeds (65 mph +) with the front disconnected...it's not nice. I'm glad I didn't have to make a quick maneuver to avoid a deer...or whatever!!!!

My advice...throw away the rear if you must, but keep the front and get a disco for off-road wheeling. It's safer (for us, as well as you)!
Click to expand...

I love when people brag about being an engineer...it's like saying "Hey i'm the root of alot of problems!"
 
Hey guys, this is not a sway bar issue.
its a caster issue.
Search the forums for instructions on setting your caster.
when the axle is roated to far forward the steering and right side sway bar mount rub
this is only aggravated by a drop pitman because it moved the drag link further back and closer to the axle.
Check your caster and adjust it properly and that should take care of your issue if all of the things involved are straight.
 
thnx for all the help. Its not a good idea for me to get rid of the front sway bar. I drive 100+ miles a day on the highway. i think ill get an alignment hopefully the caster is off. if not maybe a drop pitman arm?
 
89xj said:
i love it when people brag about not running a sway bar. "hey im a tough guy because i dont run a front sway bar".
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WHAT!?! Running no sway bars has nothing to do with being a tough guy. In fact, I had worked in an auto repair shop for a while and alot of times people would come in for an oil change or something minor. Then I would notice they had a broken endlink and tell them and they never knew anything was wrong. Goes to show you how much they really do on alot of vehicles.
 
veedubshafer said:
WHAT!?! Running no sway bars has nothing to do with being a tough guy. In fact, I had worked in an auto repair shop for a while and alot of times people would come in for an oil change or something minor. Then I would notice they had a broken endlink and tell them and they never knew anything was wrong. Goes to show you how much they really do on alot of vehicles.
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The sway bar become more important on a lifted vehicle with a higher center of gravity. Yeah, you can learn to get by without it but you increase your chances of getting into a situation you can't drive yourself out of. There's no real gain from removing it, only a few pounds saved, not really an issue on a 4WD. You have a responsibility to other drivers not to endanger them by driving a vehicle that can quickly become hard to control.
 
For years sway bars didn't even exist. Some day people will probably say the same things about traction control. "Oh you can learn to drive without it but you are endangering others" Its just the way the world is going soft. One rule/law change at a time. We can thank places like New Jersey and California for that though. Not that everyone from those places are the culprit. Its just the mindset of the weaklings that exist otherwise.
 
Cars have had front sway bars for many years. Decent brakes haven't been around that long. Try driving a '50s car in traffic today. Special care (big stopping space) is required. Haven't you noticed how many people roll small SUV's over even with sway bars still connected?
 
veedubshafer said:
For years sway bars didn't even exist. Some day people will probably say the same things about traction control. "Oh you can learn to drive without it but you are endangering others" Its just the way the world is going soft. One rule/law change at a time. We can thank places like New Jersey and California for that though. Not that everyone from those places are the culprit.
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If we were discussing bone stock vehicles I'd be right there with you, but the majority of folks on here have lifted vehicles. Lifting a vehicle changes a number of dynamic components. The roll center is increased along with the COG. I'm not saying if you don't have a sway bar you're going to crash and burn, but I am saying you are increasing your chances of having an accident, how much depends on many factors.
veedubshafer said:
Its just the mindset of the weaklings that exist otherwise.
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I am about the most conservative guy you'll meet. I hate all the political correctness and other liberal crap that happens here in CA. I just recognize something that has a high potential to cause problems. I am not suggesting there be a law change, I am merely suggesting that those who drive lifted vehicles keep the swaybar.
 
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so i went to an alignment shop today, had a front end alignment done and $80 dollars later the steering arm and sway bar link r still makin love. F?@% that sway bar! i took it off went down the highway at 80 and it still handles like a ferrari. well almost.
 
biggnate31887 said:
so i went to an alignment shop today, had a front end alignment done and $80 dollars later the steering arm and sway bar link r still makin love. F?@% that sway bar! i took it off went down the highway at 80 and it still handles like a ferrari. well almost.
Click to expand...

POINT PROVEN! .... good for you ... now go enjoy that thing off road
 
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