- Location
- Ocala, FL USA
So you'll be ready for the Crawl again right?
92 XJ Mild Build Thread
- Thread starter themauler
- Start date
So you'll be ready for the Crawl again right?
I hope so! I have Death Wobble right now like it is no one's business :gonnablow
Well I am battling some pretty brutal death wobble and I believe it is because I had not put my trac bar bracket brace back on yet so I quickly got to modifying it since the OTA trac bar mount pushed it up higher.
While I had time I mocked up a little flex ramp out of concrete pads to see if there was going to be any contact with the trac bar or trac bar mount. I added two hockey pucks to each side planning ahead for the 35s and it looks like they will be adequate. However there will be fender trimming that is for sure.
While I had time I mocked up a little flex ramp out of concrete pads to see if there was going to be any contact with the trac bar or trac bar mount. I added two hockey pucks to each side planning ahead for the 35s and it looks like they will be adequate. However there will be fender trimming that is for sure.
I picked up some fairly new 315/70/r17 duratracs for my Moabs. They are no 35's but they are bigger than my BFG AT 33's and I got them for dirt cheap so I am happy.
I have also decided to put a heim joint on the end of my trac bar because I have a small degree of misalignment that I can already see the poly bushing getting torn up from. Maybe the most hacked up RE trac bar to date.
Lastly, after having 3 events of terrible death wobble at highway speeds that make me want to buy a tow rig and trailer, I have gone into OCD mode and am trying to find any culprit of movement on the front axle. It has all come down to the front upper control arms and decided to build some of my own adjustable to help dial in a good pinion angle and castor. Any day now I should be getting a package from Metalworx with the materials.
It stinks watching a OTK steering project turn into a 4 month operation but after this I will be so ready for some trail riding.
I have also decided to put a heim joint on the end of my trac bar because I have a small degree of misalignment that I can already see the poly bushing getting torn up from. Maybe the most hacked up RE trac bar to date.
Lastly, after having 3 events of terrible death wobble at highway speeds that make me want to buy a tow rig and trailer, I have gone into OCD mode and am trying to find any culprit of movement on the front axle. It has all come down to the front upper control arms and decided to build some of my own adjustable to help dial in a good pinion angle and castor. Any day now I should be getting a package from Metalworx with the materials.
It stinks watching a OTK steering project turn into a 4 month operation but after this I will be so ready for some trail riding.
SafariJeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Johnson City, TN
Did you check ball joints? That was the source of my DW.
I replaced the ball joints with some slicers which after research are runner up to synergy BJs. But I did a tape job alignment and I am counting on a professional alignment to keep my jeep driving normal.
However I wanted to eliminate any movement that may cause issues with the front end tracking correctly. So replacing the last original equipment item on the jeep finally.
SafariJeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Johnson City, TN
Yeah. Steering, trackbar, balljoints... not much left there. Would suspect caster angle is the culprit then although with a 3.5" lift I'm surprised (unless I missed something? latest pictures look taller). Unless the taper for the 1ton steering wasn't done correctly and you've got movement there?
Right. And I confirmed the correct reamer for the TREs and made sure the knuckles and stuff were reamed out at the correct depth. I believe I had too much castor when I was test driving. It was near 9 degrees which is too much.
I have researched so much about the castor issue that I understand that castor, wheel back spacing and tire width have a pretty big factor on how the front end tracks down the road and which way the forces are acting on the wheel/tire. If the force is too overwhelming then boom terrible death wobble. So I am going to try and get the castor around 5 degrees since less castor is needed with wide tires.
I called around the Hampton Roads area for a quote on a wheel alignment and Eastern Offroad has the best deal at $80ish for the job. I called the new 4WP and they said it starts at $135. Plus the time I went to Eastern Offroad they seemed more customer friendly. Even though they don't do custom fab I believe they can get it dialed in right. I think one of the MJs flexing out front is an employees and it is pretty custom fab so I trust them more over 4WP at this point.
My fingers are crossed because I am not financially ready to buy truck or suburban to tow just to go offroad.
SafariJeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Johnson City, TN
Have patience. Took me a year to get mine fixed. Meanwhile I was driving it back roads to work cause I had to.
From what I read too much Caster should not cause the problem. I still think it's a loose part somewhere. Something has to allow the side to side movement.
After this week the only thing left I haven't replaced are unit bearings. While they are old I just can't see them being loose enough to cause death wobble. If they were that loose then I figure they would have separated by now.
I even replaced my steering shaft from the steering wheel to the steering box with a new one because I thought it could be the reason.
I have laid under the jeep in the garage holding onto different parts of the front end as someone goes crazy on the steering wheel turning it back and forward and still don't see or feel movement :dunno:
- Location
- Camden, SC
Unit bearing will never separate as long as there is a shaft in there. What about control arm bushings and the axle bushings?
Lower control arm bushings are a few months old. Replacements for my RE lower control arms. The upper control arm bushings at the axle were replaced a year ago and I have inspected them and they are tight and crack free.
However I have pulled the OEM upper control arms off for the first time ever and one bushing was toast and the other side was not bad. I have no doubt that they could allow some movement. That is why I am building new upper control arms with a johnny joint at the frame.
Finished up some of my tasks before I have to drive back to NC to get my jeep inspected. The upper control arms came out great with only an angle grinder and a welder. I got some 1.5" DOM I had left over from my steering reamed open to accept my tube adapters. Still very beefy and solid. Don't see any issues coming out of these. We will see how long the QA1 ends last with combined trail and highway miles.
Dialed my castor to about 5.5-6 degrees. For the first time I put the duratracs on and they looks good. They are metric so the measure just at 34" with good tire pressure. I am so stoked to be back behind the wheel.
Dialed my castor to about 5.5-6 degrees. For the first time I put the duratracs on and they looks good. They are metric so the measure just at 34" with good tire pressure. I am so stoked to be back behind the wheel.
- Location
- Middle Tennessee
Is fender trimming next or do you plan to add a little more lift? Those tires fill up the wheel wells. Looking good! I like the look of the JK wheels and the Duratrac tires.
Thanks! Yes the tires do eat up the wheel wells. My only regret with JK wheels is the damn backspacing. The adapters help a little bit but wouldn't mind if they were at least 1.5" I will be trimming the front fenders as much as I can. I have bump stopped the front axle at 4" of compression. Which is decent in my opinion.
The rear I really don't have much choice but to bump stop early. I may look at cutting more from the rear if I am not happy with the flex, but that will require some sheet metal work.
I really enjoy the low ride height driving around town though. Very stable for my liking. With the addition of a possible boatside modification I may be able to ride some of the bigger trails.
- Location
- Middle Tennessee
I was looking through some of my subscriptions and thought about this one after seeing the possibility of looking for more clearance in the rear. Food for thought.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1011630
Mark's "
" rig at the Crawl last year sports a rear trim done by Stump. You may have seen it.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1011630
Mark's "
" rig at the Crawl last year sports a rear trim done by Stump. You may have seen it.I was looking through some of my subscriptions and thought about this one after seeing the possibility of looking for more clearance in the rear. Food for thought.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1011630
Mark's "
Ed, Nice reference! That is most likely what I will be doing in the future! But that will require me picking up a bottle of argon/CO2 because welding think with flux blows.
I did a flex test the other day and just by flexing on some stacked concrete the rear tire went into that portion behind the rear doors. That also cut the tread blocks quite easily which is a concern with how soft the duratracs actually are :dunno:
- Location
- Murrieta
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Hard to tell in the picture, but how much thread engagement do you have into the upper arm in this pic? General rule of thumb is you want one diameter of engagement (1" dia equals 1" of engagement).
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