• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Options for uni-body repair...

ArcticXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Anchorage AK
A quick search didnt reveal much info... the "has this been asked?" button told me "sorry, no matches" so here goes:

Im almost postive the unibody has cracked at the steering box on my 97 xj. When sitting at a stand still, if i crank the wheel right or left, I can feel a creek and pop sound coming from the front end. Its not the steering linkage, or suspension, as far as I have determined. Im running the teraflex crossover kit with the 1 ton chevy tie rod ends, REhd track bar, and hd mount (welded to the frame for rigidity), and pushing 35x13.5" MC baja claws (heavy).
The dreaded death wobble was cured after switching to this system, and relocating the Track bar mount to an "over the axle" configuration. Not a hint of death wobble, and minimal bumpsteer after the conversion. However, in conjunction with my creeking/popping under standstill-steering, the annoying and dangerous deathwobble has returned. I cant seem to locate any cracks around the box, but Im positive something is very wrong. The trackbar is tight at both ends, and the 1 ton TRE's are new. Maybe Im just not looking in the right place? Tell-tale signs? Places to look? Anybody got anything for me?
This is the clearest pic I have of the current steering setup, for reference's sake:
342%3C467923232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3253%3E648%3E987%3EWSNRCG%3D32328689%3C5576nu0mrj
 
Last edited:
For starters, I get the same Popping noise when I turn lock to lock in my xj.
My set up for now is completely stock...
If it is a crack in the unibody around the steering gear box, take it to a chrysler dealership..... There is a Recall on our jeeps that the dealership has to fix... if cracked, they will weld in a repair plate to strenghten the unibody (actually I belive they will do the same even if it isnt cracked..) Since it's a safety issue, they have to honor the recall for the life of the vechicle (I believe).
 
this "recall" intersts me... how did you hear of it, and where can I get more information regarding this?
I havent heard of such a recall from chrysler.
 
This is a common problem on XJ's, but the dealership won't do a thing for you. The only chance you would have at that is if it's still stock, and most dealerships would still get out of doing anything. Most people try to prevent any issues with the strength of the unibody around the steering box mount with braces.

Try doing a search on here for:
  • frame brace
  • steering box brace
  • bumper mount (since a lot of them now incorporate the braces)

The first of the three should get you the best response. There are a lot of good write ups on this issue. If you already have done some major damage, hopefully someone can chime in with details on what they would do to weld it back up. HTH!
 
I didnt do a search for those things because I am not currently interested in those things. I was curious how to repair a damaged unibody, and searched accordingly- to no avail. I'm aware of the frame brace from companies like JKS, the steering box brace from folks like c-rok, and I'm already running the warn front xj rockcrawler bumper w/ mounting kit. However, those are primarily preventative components. I started this thread more for opinions on "unibody REPAIR", seeing as how it is already damaged, most likely. Just buying a brace to cover it up does me no good. I want to fix this, and return it to it's original state, before attempting to purchase aftermarket bracing kits.
 
Hey, don't knock nhrocker..... he's just tryin' to help.

We understand that you "think" the unibody must be damaged because you hear the noises, but do yourself and all of us willing to help a favor..... get someone to turn the steering wheel for you while you go under to look - that way you can see for yourself what's happening before you go posting about something you "think" is happening.

One of our esteemed members, "Danno" also has a post-97 rig with a huge lift and 37's or bigger. His maiden voyage with all the new parts resulted in a nasty crack on the driver's side of the unibody right between the steering box and the trackbar mount. Too much leverage trying to turn those big tires caused the crack.

The noise you may be hearing could be some internal distress inside the unibody where the steering box bolts to the "frame". There is a solid formed piece of metal inside the "frame rail" that acts as a spacer to keep the "frame" from squishing together when torqing the steering box bolts. If your steering box bolts are even just a little loose, the movement of the box can cause this spacer to make that popping noise when there is just enough distortion of the "frame rail".

I suggest that you try tightening the steering box bolts again. If they're way loose, that could also allow for the death wobble to exist. But I also believe you probably do have some cracking going on that you don't see. Also try looking at the piece of metal that goes between the front "frame rails" just below the radiator. See if the spot welds have separated between that piece and the rails. The driver's side rail may be twisting right and left a bit from the torsion of the steering box. Danno's crack happened more easily because he'd cut out most of that metal piece below the radiator to make room for his behind-the-bumper winch. If your spot welds are fubar'd, then this could also contribute to some steering issues.

Great looking XJ by the way!
Hope this helps!
Troy
 
If the frame side track back mount is loose it will make the same creeking pop sound you desribed, it very common for the bolts to work loose especially with large tires. Just hold your hand on the mount and have someone turn the wheel , if thats it you'll feel it
 
That is the most common place for frame failure. I had the same thing happen. Greg at C-Rok can fix you up. Here is a picture of the set-up for repairs.
It took my poppin away. It reinforces from both sides and has a stronger steel steering box brace to replace the cheesy OEM aluminum brace. You'll need the whole kit front and back. $97 and that includes shipping. Comes out of Tempe, Arizona. There is a link on this page I have posted here. Good Luck

Steering Box Brace

About a half hour 45 minute fix

e-mail:
[email protected]
Phone:
(480) 699-2099
 
Last edited:
After installing a used adjustable track bar in my 97 I noticed a popping sound when turning the back and forth. I got under the Jeep and had my wife crank the wheel left and right and found that the track bar was making the noise at the passenger side mount. I removed the bolt and found the rubber bushing was ovaled out allowing the track bar to move side to side. A new bushing is in the works.
 
hackedxj said:
If the frame side track back mount is loose it will make the same creeking pop sound you desribed, it very common for the bolts to work loose especially with large tires. Just hold your hand on the mount and have someone turn the wheel , if thats it you'll feel it

In his first post he said it is welded to the frame.
 
sure itsnot your outer u joints i've had trucks make sounds when turning and it turns out to be the u joints.not sur of the death wobble,never had it b4.
 
I just recently repaired my unibody at the steering box. It started as a little crack on the bottom of the "frame rail" and I disregarded it for a while untill the "frame rail" completely ripped in half. I took it into my shop and pulled the box out, hammered everything back straight, tacked the sheet metal in place to hold the original conture of the "rail", then started building a 3 sided bracket that was basically a contured c box bracing. Then drilled out the holes for the box and fully welded it on. It goes from the front all the way back to the front of the stock trackbar frame mount. 3/16th thick and like I said it plates the outside,bottom, and backside of the "frame rail"..........bulletproof and no more movement out of the box area. hope that helps a bit. later
-cal
 
I think Yellaheep nailed it.

I think there's a good chance it's the sleeve inside the frame at the steering box. You sound like you want to know for sure, so you'll have to take off your front bumper and look inside the frame (have a light handy), then have somebody turn the wheel back and forth. There will probably be some movement of the sleeve when it snaps. Good luck.

If that's the case, it's time for a JKS steering box brace.
 
YELLAHEEP said:
Hey, don't knock nhrocker..... he's just tryin' to help.

We understand that you "think" the unibody must be damaged because you hear the noises, but do yourself and all of us willing to help a favor..... get someone to turn the steering wheel for you while you go under to look - that way you can see for yourself what's happening before you go posting about something you "think" is happening.

One of our esteemed members, "Danno" also has a post-97 rig with a huge lift and 37's or bigger. His maiden voyage with all the new parts resulted in a nasty crack on the driver's side of the unibody right between the steering box and the trackbar mount. Too much leverage trying to turn those big tires caused the crack.

The noise you may be hearing could be some internal distress inside the unibody where the steering box bolts to the "frame". There is a solid formed piece of metal inside the "frame rail" that acts as a spacer to keep the "frame" from squishing together when torqing the steering box bolts. If your steering box bolts are even just a little loose, the movement of the box can cause this spacer to make that popping noise when there is just enough distortion of the "frame rail".

I suggest that you try tightening the steering box bolts again. If they're way loose, that could also allow for the death wobble to exist. But I also believe you probably do have some cracking going on that you don't see. Also try looking at the piece of metal that goes between the front "frame rails" just below the radiator. See if the spot welds have separated between that piece and the rails. The driver's side rail may be twisting right and left a bit from the torsion of the steering box. Danno's crack happened more easily because he'd cut out most of that metal piece below the radiator to make room for his behind-the-bumper winch. If your spot welds are fubar'd, then this could also contribute to some steering issues.

Great looking XJ by the way!
Hope this helps!
Troy
This is all great info, and exactly what type of advice I was looking for. :thumbup:
I wasnt trying to give nhrocker any grief, sorry if i came off that way. Probably just my frustration with this jeep purging itself.
I'll get under it today, since I'll be heading over to the auto hobby shop on base (Air Force), and check for all that stuff. I'll be giving a friend a hand installing a banks, so there will be someone there to turn the wheel for me.
 
hackedxj said:
If the frame side track back mount is loose it will make the same creeking pop sound you desribed, it very common for the bolts to work loose especially with large tires. Just hold your hand on the mount and have someone turn the wheel , if thats it you'll feel it
Youre right on the money with that, and it has already happened. To remedy that, I replaced the setup with the RE hd kit, and ran MIG beads along the front edges of the mount (along the outisde, and underside of the frame rail) to keep it planted and tight. It's worked for about 10k miles so far.
 
bj-666 said:
u know your tires are on backwards :)
How much are you willing to wager that you arent the first to notice... :)
 
There's lots of snow in alaska. The orientation of the chevrons on the snow allows the tires to float on top better, by not channeling and cleaning the snow out of the tire. Rather, the lugs scoop inward, helping flotation.
 
Back
Top