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Noise after Cavfab install

fallacist

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Durango
I've got everything installed and aligned. Wanted to see if this steering has caused any new "clunking" noises for anyone else post install? I know the drag arm rotates up and down a bit- could that "flopping" motion be creating a new -and normal- noise that I'm hearing from inside when hitting small bumps, manhole covers, pot holes, washboard roads, etc?
 
Is the drag link hitting the tie rod? If so loosen the jam nuts on the drag link and twist the heims a bit to restrict their movement, then tighten back down.
 
can you post pics? heims can clunk over TREs and bushings. you can try clocking your heims on both ends in opposite directions.
 
Is the drag link hitting the tie rod? If so loosen the jam nuts on the drag link and twist the heims a bit to restrict their movement, then tighten back down.

Hmm, I wonder! Will check it out in a bit. When you say twist the heims, you mean tighten? Otherwise, the heim on my pitman arm is already about 45deg.

can you post pics? heims can clunk over TREs and bushings. you can try clocking your heims on both ends in opposite directions.

Will do shortly. What do you mean by clocking my heims on both ends?
 
Hmm, I wonder! Will check it out in a bit. When you say twist the heims, you mean tighten? Otherwise, the heim on my pitman arm is already about 45deg.



Will do shortly. What do you mean by clocking my heims on both ends?

I think we're both talking about the same thing. Break the jam nuts loose, and screw the heim in or out of the drag link. If the heims are clocked in opposite directions, they won't be able to move around as much on the misalignment spacers.
 
I think we're both talking about the same thing. Break the jam nuts loose, and screw the heim in or out of the drag link. If the heims are clocked in opposite directions, they won't be able to move around as much on the misalignment spacers.

yep clock one heim up and the other down. it'll help, and it can take out tie rod roll if you have it. I have had to pull over on the road before coming out of a trail to clock the heims on my D60 front before, sometimes they would rotate just enough in the right way to cause a dead spot if all my tie rod and drag link heims and hydro assist heims were all off just in the right amount. it was amazing how clocking them took out slop and noise.
 
Ok, so the heims, if you're looking at them from the side should (simply) look like an X instead of // ? I think that's the case.


I think both are //
WV1KVIM.jpg


Also, now looking at those photos, I'm wondering if the drag link is bumping my sway bar. And now I'm wondering why my sway bar is sitting so low. I've got the JKS adjustable quick discos, that I thought were properly adjusted..
 
Heims make noise, specially cheap ones. I would more concerned with that bumpsteer!
 
Heims make noise, specially cheap ones. I would more concerned with that bumpsteer!


Haven't gotten any bumpsteer- that I notice at least? Not sure if these are cheap or not. I get the impression that the CavFab guy doesn't think his stuff is cheap, and he calls the heims on his site: "Quality Heat Treated Chromoly Heim Joints"
 
Haven't gotten any bumpsteer- that I notice at least? Not sure if these are cheap or not. I get the impression that the CavFab guy doesn't think his stuff is cheap, and he calls the heims on his site: "Quality Heat Treated Chromoly Heim Joints"

They all call them that, but they use the same cheap midwest control chinesium that ruffstuff uses.

In that picture, the draglink should be on top of the pitman arm, not below it. Its kind of a shitty design, but right now its installed wrong.
 
Haven't gotten any bumpsteer- that I notice at least? Not sure if these are cheap or not. I get the impression that the CavFab guy doesn't think his stuff is cheap, and he calls the heims on his site: "Quality Heat Treated Chromoly Heim Joints"

I'm not saying they use bad joints or anything but its marketing 101.
 
They all call them that, but they use the same cheap midwest control chinesium that ruffstuff uses.

In that picture, the draglink should be on top of the pitman arm, not below it. Its kind of a shitty design, but right now its installed wrong.


Interesting. On their product page, the install video shows it going on below it: http://cavfab.com/CavFab-Jeep-CrossOver-Steering-XJTJZJMJ_p_105.html

I'm open to information. Why do you think it should be above?
 
Look again. Look at the relationship between your RE trackbar mount and draglink, and then look at theirs. Their draglink sits a lot higher than yours.

cavfab-me.JPG



You want your trackbar and draglink to be parallel (pivot to pivot, so you need to draw a line on the picture between pivot points to really see it).

Your geometry is way off.
 
I've seen worse angles, but if you moved it above the pitman arm it would be pretty close to perfect. IRO's system deals with this by having the drag link connect to the bottom of the knuckle while the tie rod goes above, so it keeps the same 'steep' angle.

Just finished installing my CavFab kit and went with their OTA track bar as well. I went under because the old bracket needed to be cut off for the truss to fit; Artec's bracket moves the location up a bit and flattens out the angles (Cav's bracket needed to be modified too much to fit around the truss). I just need to ream the next hole down for the track bar and the angle should be perfect.

seWkI5fh.jpg
 
raising this from the dead. I cannot keep these damn heim joints clocked- specifically on the tie rod. I get them clocked tight, red locktite and all on the jam nuts, preventing flopping and clunking, and then within days the clunking is back. I'm going to assume I'm not doing it right... although I've done it a half dozen times now.

For layman's and sanity's sake, I've got to ask- is there a specific way I should be clocking these things to get them to STAY tight and clocked?
 
I've seen worse angles, but if you moved it above the pitman arm it would be pretty close to perfect. IRO's system deals with this by having the drag link connect to the bottom of the knuckle while the tie rod goes above, so it keeps the same 'steep' angle.

Just finished installing my CavFab kit and went with their OTA track bar as well. I went under because the old bracket needed to be cut off for the truss to fit; Artec's bracket moves the location up a bit and flattens out the angles (Cav's bracket needed to be modified too much to fit around the truss). I just need to ream the next hole down for the track bar and the angle should be perfect.

seWkI5fh.jpg

In the same vein, it looks like neither your tie rod or drag link heims are clocked. Are you getting a lot of clunking noise when you hit bumps?
 
Same question here. Just installed the cavfab and having the same problem! Originally, I didnt like how the drag link would just flop up and down, that didnt seem right to me. So I clocked it so that it wouldnt hit the tie rod, but still had lots of upper travel. Had plenty of clunking noise, so I clocked the ends so that it now did not hit the tie rod and had close to no ability to rotate. Still had clunking when I hit bumps, and I worried that since I clocked the heims, when the axle needs to articulate over bumps, maybe the heims would now begin to dig into the spacers since they have nowhere to go? So I gave them some freedom and have been driving like that for a week or so. The drag link has stiffened up quite a bit, I can no longer freely rotate it as easily, but with some force it still rotates up and down the same way. I also have some really weird steering wander, like my steering wheel constantly nudges back and forth from left to right while driving, I'm not sure if thats related at all, or if my alignment is just off. (Maybe someone can give some feedback there)

Anyway, Ive called cavfab maybe 7 times already trying to get some direction on what I'm doing wrong and they never answer the phone. Having the video on the product page was nice but the lack of any actual instructions (Especially torque specs) kind of irked me, and now I cant get in touch with them. I'm going to keep trying though!
 
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