Help diagnose front end issue please...
#1
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Alright so I was driving home from work today and doing about 80 mph on the highway when I hit a rough part of the road and my front end started jumping around, at first I thought I broke a tie rod because it is what it felt like, I started to slow down and pull off the highway while the front end was still shaking violently and when I slowed down to about 50 mph it stopped and settled out. After this I drove the speed limit and hit bumps and didn't have any issues. Do any of you guys have any ideas as to what could have caused this issue? Thank you in advance for your help.
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Year: 1989
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Engine: 4.0
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Here's the list of things that you need to look at:
Tie Rod Ends
Ball Joints both upper and lower
Front Hub bearings
Track bar
Upper and lower control arm bushings
Steering box/ Pitman Arm
Balance wheels
Any of these that are worn replace they can all lead to the wobble.
My ball joints are bad but if I run 1/2 tank or less I don't have issues. Full weight of a full tank will float them just enough to get it going crazzy at @ 55MPH.
Black89
Tie Rod Ends
Ball Joints both upper and lower
Front Hub bearings
Track bar
Upper and lower control arm bushings
Steering box/ Pitman Arm
Balance wheels
Any of these that are worn replace they can all lead to the wobble.
My ball joints are bad but if I run 1/2 tank or less I don't have issues. Full weight of a full tank will float them just enough to get it going crazzy at @ 55MPH.
Black89
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Year: 1989
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No, the sway bar only actually does anything when the vehicle turns a corner. Hence the name sway. When driving down the road in a straight line they are basically just sitting there doing nothing. I don't even run sway bars on mine. I took both them off. All they do is reduce body roll in turns.
Black89
Last edited by Black89; 10-01-2013 at 05:47 PM.
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No the sway bar only actually does anything when the vehicle turns a corner. Hence the name sway. When driving down the road in a straight line they are basically just sitting there doing nothing. I don't even run sway bars on mine. I took both them off. All they do is reduce body roll in turns.
Black89
Black89
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MR Grimm13 get a jack and get the front end off the ground. Have someone turn the steering back and forth while you watch the tie rods and the rest of the steering. Look for play. Then stick a bar through your wheels and lift. This will show either hub play or ball joint play. Also check the track bar to see if there are any signs of wear around the bolt hole on the axle mount and the joint mount on the left frame side.
Black89
Black89
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Lol it was a serious question. My suspension is stock. I still have the rear one on. I didnt know the front end had one I thought it just had the track bar, drag link, and the sway bar links but then again I never really looked at it in detail. Nevermind I just looked I thought that was the track bar my bad haha.
Last edited by JeepsAreForSpeed; 10-01-2013 at 06:18 PM.
#10
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Year: 1989
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Black89
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Do this. Get up to highway speed, then jab your breaks and give it a quick turn ( like your trying to avoid something important that jumped out in front of you) When you are sliding along the road on your roof after having nailed the thing you were trying to avoid , have a think about why they put a swaybar in the front. They are there so the vehicle doesn't handle like a giant meatball on the road and why the rest of us use disconnects .
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I will have to get the truck up in the air and see whats going on. I pulled on the tie rod and check the ends amd all seemed really tight. The ends of the sway bar where there are those vertical bars the bushing on those are shot.
Edit: It only happened once today on the way home and this is the first time it happened. The rest of the drive home (10+ miles) it turned and drove fine. I have noticed in the past that if I hit a rut in the road the Jeep will swing in the direction of the rut and I will have to pull it back. Nothing serious like this today.
Edit: It only happened once today on the way home and this is the first time it happened. The rest of the drive home (10+ miles) it turned and drove fine. I have noticed in the past that if I hit a rut in the road the Jeep will swing in the direction of the rut and I will have to pull it back. Nothing serious like this today.
Last edited by Mr_Grimm13; 10-01-2013 at 07:10 PM.
#14
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A good steering dampner may help it from having a mind of its own when you hit a bump or pothole with one wheel. I had major death wobble a while ago and got a return to centre steering stabiliser as part of the fix. Made a huge difference .
#15
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Year: 1989
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Do this. Get up to highway speed, then jab your breaks and give it a quick turn ( like your trying to avoid something important that jumped out in front of you) When you are sliding along the road on your roof after having nailed the thing you were trying to avoid , have a think about why they put a swaybar in the front. They are there so the vehicle doesn't handle like a giant meatball on the road and why the rest of us use disconnects .
Black89