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Frustrating Clanking in front end!!

joel-xj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Phoenix
RE 3.5 with 2" Teraflex and 2" drop shackles. RE Hack N Tap SYE with CV conversion (front shaft in rear). Did this lift about a year ago and there were always some vibes. They got massively worse about a month ago. Then about a week ago I started hearing a clanking coming from the front end. It was intermittent but happened regardless of speed, turning, front shaft removed, etc.

I replaced wheel bearing...no change. I pulled axle and drive shafts and replaced all U-joints. Put everything back together...no change. I can feel the clunk under my feet while driving and it has gotten worse. I now hear a clank on any turn, any bump, and just going straight on the highway.

Any suggestions?
 
Track bar....check to see if your axle side mount has ovaled out....
 
Track Bar or Control Arms for clanking usually, Do you have the stock track bar? Shouldn't really, at that height. That would attribute to a vibration, if you have stock and look at your vehicle from the front, your passenger side tire should stick out more than drivers side. Also as far as vibes did you get an alignment done after the lift?
 
It is where your trackbar mounts to the axle. Crank that b-yaatch.
 
Clank does NOT stop when I hit the brakes, UCA\LCA looks tight but i will check them, trackbar is a JKS adjustable. I will tighten everything up tonight. I don't think that this is as simple as a track bar given the frequency and severity of the clank but at this point I will try anything and everything.
 
probly not LCA/UCA related if the brakes don't quiet it.

how is your driver's side shock? if it looks good and is not loose, you could remove it and see if that helps. also check your motor mounts. have you checked your sway bar mounts/bushings?

the JKS trackbar uses a "johnny joint", right? i've got an RE adj TB and it also has that super-flex type joint, which is similar. i've had it 8 months now, no prob, but seems to me those joints would lead to some loud clunking if/when they failed. think i'd also check that.
 
So it goes with vehicle speed, not road irregularities? I don't believe you mentioned checking the centering pin in the CV joint of the front driveshaft. In the dual-ujoint/dogbone looking part of the front shaft you shouldn't be able to find any up/down play. If the shaft will go up and down there's your noise, you might be able to rebuild it for about 60 bucks if it hasn't gone too long and damaged the weld yoke on the driveshaft. Just a thought.

98XJSport, alignment has nothing to do with vibrations unless your tires get worn and out of balance or cupped- or caster's far enough out to make the front driveshaft hum.
 
Last edited:
JJacobs said:
98XJSport, alignment has nothing to do with vibrations unless your tires get worn and out of balance or cupped- or caster's far enough out to make the front driveshaft hum.

So it can cause vibration, and I know it can cause DW.
 
Exactly, alignment issues can cause vibrations and will cause DW, so why this statement?
JJacobs said:
98XJSport, alignment has nothing to do with vibrations
 
Money on the trackbar, trackbar bracket, or LCAs. Especially if you have any heims anywhere. I don't have time to read this whole thread, so I'll just say that alignment is just as important as having bolts torqued to spec. Tighten that crap up and get a tape measure and get to it!
 
That statement comes from many years of working at a tire shop and having people come in and say "my car shakes on the highway, it needs an alignment" and the resultant response, "OK, and would you like us to fix the vibration too?"

Most often, vibrations are either driveline related or tire related, alignment addresses neither one. EXCEPT for the above-mentioned caster/ front pinion angle issue.
 
While that may be true on a normal unaltered vehicle, when you lift it throws off your front steering geometry as a whole. How could it not? Im not saying that an alignment will fix all vibration problems, but if you suddenly get vibrations after lifting a vehicle, its definately a good place to start.
 
Well...one clunk was coming from the sway bar links being ridiculously loose. There is still something else clunking underneath. The vibes are definitely coming from the rear shaft where the hack n' tap meets the T-case output. I think that I failed to get the output shaft flush when I made the cut causing the plate to be unbalanced.

I am going to grind that down a bit and attempt to get it flush.

I'll let you know.
 
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