Suspension Issues...

Alright,

My XJ has been abused despite not being that large. It now creaks, pops, and just generally sounds as if the front axle is going to fall off. NOT COOL!!!

I need some ideas here, and I need some shops suggested that can do some of the work, being as I cannot weld to that degree, nor do I have the welder.

I know that the trac bar has wobbled its axle bolt hole yet again and needs repaired. It did this once before and the way I fixed it was to use a larger diameter brass bushing liner, that allowed a larger bolt. I then drilled the hole in the mount out so that it would accommodate the larger bolt. To fix this I want to have someone weld plates onto the axle trac bar mount that are MUCH beefier then the stock sheet metal bracket. Or if there is a way to use a high quality after market bracket whether it is built or bought, to eliminate using the stock bracket.
After getting the bracket either replaced or repaired, I intend to purchase and use one of the TNT Heavy duty trac bars and mounts. I hope that this will alleviate the problems that I have been having since lifting the jeep.

The other problem is that I believe the Control arms need similar treatment. It sounds like the the control arms are starting to have similar problems. I cannot be sure of this, but occasionally when I put the jeep into reverse and it starts pulling against the brakes, it feels like the arms are allowed to slip in the brackets. I have a feeling that it is the lower arms if any of them are doing this, and have been considering TNT Long arms. I have also considered the Tera flex Long arm upgrade. The Tera flex is more desirable to me right now as I don't want to go bigger, and the TNT is only for 4.5" lifts and up. And it is cheaper.

Any suggestions on fixes and shops would be appreciated.
Does anyone have first hand experience with All Phase in Longmont?

Thanks in advance.

Grant

long arms will fix the control arm problems, the bushings get worn out and flex a lot more and clunk. an easy fix would be to have someone put it in park then reverse and then drive and see where all the movement is coming from. DON'T LAY UNDER THE JEEP!! view it from the side or somewhere you wont get run over. if the bushing has a lot of play, replace them and do the same thing, if there is still movement, replace what is moving or repair it. same goes for the track bar, move the steering wheel back and forth and find where the movement is coming from and let us know. also check your service manual and inspect the ball joints (big pry bar under the tire while the vehicle is off the ground and move the bar up and down to check the ball joints for movement)

You need to help us help you.How much lift do you have?Who's lift do you have?Who's control arms do you have?Who's trackbar do you have?Etc,Etc...

I have a hodge podge lift for right at 3.5". I am running 31x10.5 Dunlop Mud Rovers on 15x7 rims.

RE springs front and rear.
Rustys adjustable UCA and LCA.
RE adjustable track bar.
Rock Krawler Hydraulic shocks.
Rustys Tcase drop.

A little history:

I lifted the jeep to start with by using nothing more than the stock components and the RE springs which were used and the slightly used Rock Krawler shocks. Then my stock trac bar wore out so I bought the RE adjustable to replace it. This is the one with the heim on one end. I then found the control arms used and threw them on. I then wanted to get rid of the vibe that I was feeling so I got the rustys drop kit, and threw it on there which got rid of most of the vibe.

Anything that you guys can offer would be appreciated.

Thanks

Grant

not sure abouts yours, but my old Rusty's solid LCA's bushings didn't seem to last too long for me. Only had them on there for about 8 months and had to replace them. The bushings on my Rusty's leaf packs are worn to hell, and need to be replaced aswell.
As per normal this could be a Rusty's problem that is rearing its head with you. Get a jack under one side of your axle and lift it while you can see the bushings in the control arms, to see if they allow a lot of movement.
hopefully that helps a bit

More than likely you have several issues which added together are causing the problem.
1st-If you are doing any serious flexing,you need an arm thats capable of 3 dimensional movement like Currie's or RE's.
2nd-The factory bolts have extruded theads which can allow excessive movement(change to full shank hardware).
3rd-Alot of replacement/aftermarket bushings(used by many arm manufacturers) have an oversized inside diameter with 2 sets of 3 "tits" that reduce the size down to the bolt size and causing excessive slop(specially when used with the factory bolts).

rehab said:

long arms will fix the control arm problems, the bushings get worn out and flex a lot more and clunk.

Click to expand...

Don't think its the bushings. I had this problem, the hole on the bracket actually got ovaled out and the bolt itself was moving in the bracket, had the same clunk in reverse. I think tnt or rockkrawler makes a weld on lca skid/bracket, might be an option.

Grant, try Crawlertech 4x4 in Denver. Tell him DJ sent ya, or 91 Jeep Project, whichever rings a bell.

I wouldn't opt for the tera arms. They aren't going to do anything for you. They have no provision for longer upper arms. The kit is about worthless, not sure what they were thinking when they designed it. I'd look at TnT or Claytons. I'd also look at Drop Brackets too, granted yours CAs are alright. I can take a look at it if/when you swing by.

leaf springs!