ok had my used 00 cherokee sport 4.0l for about 2 weeks now. I did a thurogh check over i thought. but today was crusing down a hill at 55. at about 62 i went to stop an slowly applied the brakes. with my hands loosly on the wheel. Almost at soon as i applied the brakes, the wheel started to shudder, an it seemed like the front wheels started to shake, almost at different directions . Making the jeep sway side to side to the point that i almost lost control an drove off the road. Scared crappless i pulled over in a parking lot an looked it all over, alignment looked ok , all sway bars an connection to rack an pionion are all stable. I removed the wheels, an checked the brakes, an everything , no shaking anything lose that i can see. i rotated the tires, an the brakes are at least at 50% plus, an the rotors look fine. In closer inspection I come to find out that there was a home made ABS removal. all the ABS fuses an relays under the hood fuse panel are removed. basically because i was gonna take them out to check if it was the abs outta whack. I am lost , this is my first jeep an i guess I am into my first job sooner than i wanted to be. How the heck could they Inspect it if it was altered? I live in NYS . Now i feel like i should call the dealer an file a complaint. if anyone knows where to start with fixing this please lemme know.

 

I'd start by having the front rotors checked for warpage, and having them turned if needed, if they're not too thin. JMO
And Welcome to CF!
Dan

 

I agree with ol' blue.
Check and have the rotors turned and/or replaced.

 

so you think not having the ABS active isnt a problem? Well i guess i almost answered my question. Everything should run fine without it active. its always a pain in the azz anyhow, usually after the first time you get your brakes changed. An thanks, I been just crusing the forum for last week or so , gettin ideas an advice . Was planing on upgrading my brakes when they needed it anyhow. I gotta friend that works for this place Stainless Steel brakes. An i love the combo with ceramic pads. nothing beats it. Thanks

 

If the ABS fails your regular service brakes will stop your vehicle just fine if the brakes are in good shape.

 

I thought the ABS wasn't even supposed to activate unless you really stomped on the brakes. If the ABS system is inactive, I thought you'd basically be driving a vehicle that never came with ABS.

I'm also with ol"blue on this one, it sounds like the rotors could be warped. Sounds like that could be the cause of the "different direction" vibrations.

 

Luckily my 99 was born without ABS... Less things to fix when they screw up.

 

Check rockauto.com you can get new rotors even with shipping most times than having them turned. If you get shudder/vibes when normally applying the brake im 99% sure its warped rotors ABS when activated you will only feel in the pedal as its pulsing when lockup is detected

 

I changed my rotors and it went away. Just make sure to change the pads at the same time. I personally dont recommend getting them turned unless they are higher end rotors. I got my rotors for 25 a piece at autozone.

 

As stated check the rotors. They are probably warped which seems to be common on jeeps. I had mine turned down and they started doing the same thing 6 months later. Im thinking slotted rotors may be in the works for me.

 

Sounds like warped rotors as stated by everyone else,I would just get new rotors and pads,play it safe.

 

X pads an rotors are fine.

now i know this :

1 car doesnt have ABS.
2 it is doin it now whenever i get at or above 55mph. I can feel it slightly at 45 but when at low speeds it is not noticable at all.

now i pulled the tired , rotated them an got new pads an rotors. I greased all the fittings, an i checked everything for anything loose. I am at my wits end, plus i cant do anything else mechanically if it is something outta whack in the front end. just wanted to get this out there. in case someone knows where to look next. Stabilizer bar? steering arm? everything looks tight, nothing is bent , sway bar looks ok , all bushings are good. a few of the grease boots are a lil shot, but whatever. none are missing or degraded past the point of replacement.

PS I think the braking just is making it worse maybe.

 

Sounds like you got a case of "death wobble". Check your entire suspension for tightness. Make sure every bolt is tight. Install a new steering stabilizer. It's just a band aid but every little bit helps.