NEWB Needs Post-Lift Install Guidence

[tuckholladay]

OK I hope this is the correct place to post. I didnt see a build thread forum.

I have been trying to get help over at Cherokee Forum, but no one is that interested. Maybe my issues are boring.

I recently purchased a shiny new truck, so now I can finally play with my trusty Cherokee of almost a decade and have it in pieces in the driveway and still have something to get around with. So I am ready to play.

I purchased the Rubicon Express 3.5" Superride kit and have kind of successfully installed it. It is up on the suspension, I can drive it and it doesnt fall apart, but I am definitely getting some drive line vibrations. Low speeds too, I have only tested it around the block.

I did the 1" T-case drop
I have not put any shims between the leafs and the rear axle
I changed all the U-Joints in the front and rear drive shafts
I torqued everything back to spec to the best of my knowledge

One bad thing that happened is I knocked off the little balance weight on the front drive shaft while I was changing the UJoints. I JB Welded it back on, but Im thinking this could be the problem.

I know I should get an SYE, go bigger etc., but I am just getting started and trying to stay semi budgeted.

Anyway I feel like I am at a point where I should take it to someone and get the tires put on, get an alignment and see if there is still a problem. Think I just need to get the front driveshaft re balanced? Do I need the shims for the rear? Does anyone have someone they would recommend to take a look at in in Northern NJ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Vernicious]

Pull your front shaft and run it to see if you still have a vibe. Pay attention to how it feels. Then pull the rear and put the front back in, and run it to see of you have a front vibe. Notice how that feels as you may have more than one vibe. If you have a rear vibe it most likely is shims. A front will probably be the driveshaft. My front has a vibe at the slip joint.

 

[tuckholladay]

Ok forgive me if this is an incredibly stupid question, but are you saying drive it with one shaft on at a time?

 

[clydefrog]

Ok forgive me if this is an incredibly stupid question, but are you saying drive it with one shaft on at a time?

Do the front like the previous post from Vernicious. See how it feels like he said.

It doesnt sound like its in your tires based on the fact that it does it at low speeds. Sounds like drive line. Do you feel it in the steering wheel or the seat?

Then pull the rear and put the front back in, and run it to see of you have a front vibe.

He doesn't have SYE yet.

 

[Vernicious]

Ok forgive me if this is an incredibly stupid question, but are you saying drive it with one shaft on at a time?

Yes, this will make it so you know exactly where the issue is coming from.

 

[sinat01]

could one of the shafts be out of phase?

 

[LKN_xj]

You can't swap the front shaft since he hasn't done a SYE yet. Get yourself some wide fender washers and start stacking them inbetween the TC crossmember and the spacer you have in there. It's cheaper than buying a 1.5" kit plus you probably still have .5" of thread left going into the unibody. This will at least tell you if it's DS angle related then you can fix it correctly.

I installed the 3.5 RE lift and got about 4.5-5" out of it, so it's well out of the slip yoke operating range.

You're going to eventually need a SYE and pinion correction shims but the spacer will work till you figure it out.


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[md21722]

It is perfectly fine to pull the front driveshaft and see how it does. Even changing ride height within factory specs such as replacing sagging rear leafs can make a u-joint act up for a few weeks. However, in your case I'd guess you need to look at your rear driveline angles. You may need to do something in the front as well, unless you used longer/adjustable lower control arms.

 

[acruz95]

...

 

[tuckholladay]

You can't swap the front shaft since he hasn't done a SYE yet. Get yourself some wide fender washers and start stacking them inbetween the TC crossmember and the spacer you have in there. It's cheaper than buying a 1.5" kit plus you probably still have .5" of thread left going into the unibody. This will at least tell you if it's DS angle related then you can fix it correctly.

I installed the 3.5 RE lift and got about 4.5-5" out of it, so it's well out of the slip yoke operating range.

You're going to eventually need a SYE and pinion correction shims but the spacer will work till you figure it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Maybe I should just order the SYE.

 

[tuckholladay]

It is perfectly fine to pull the front driveshaft and see how it does. Even changing ride height within factory specs such as replacing sagging rear leafs can make a u-joint act up for a few weeks. However, in your case I'd guess you need to look at your rear driveline angles. You may need to do something in the front as well, unless you used longer/adjustable lower control arms.

The kit did come with new control arms

 

[Vernicious]

Ok. Maybe I should just order the SYE.

Not a bad idea. Mine didn't stop vibrating till I did an SYE.