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Post by nfunlimited on Aug 10, 2006 6:33:12 GMT -5
Hey everybody. Although I rarely get the death wobble now, it does seem that the steering is loose over bumps. The wheel moves a lot, and sometimes offroad I get a knocking noise from the steering (seems like the shaft).
I only have 25,000kms on the Jeep and its not like I am offroad all the time....I have a highway drive to work.
Could the steering stabilizer be worn out this early??? I only have 31" tires.
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Post by wv4x4 on Aug 14, 2006 21:25:12 GMT -5
Have you checked the track bar bolts and your tie-rod. those would be my first 2 guesses. Dont think its your SS but if you want to try it out you can get a nice Monroe one from Napa for around $30.
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Post by nfunlimited on Aug 15, 2006 6:30:13 GMT -5
Thanks. Would the Monroe unit be heavier than the stock?
It seems like we had this conversation before......
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Post by wv4x4 on Aug 15, 2006 17:23:05 GMT -5
Yes its heavier and has a lifetime warranty
Part number: 22-1945-4 or SC 2928
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Post by nfunlimited on Aug 16, 2006 9:20:00 GMT -5
It seems I can't get Monroe parts from teh local Napa....they sell Gabriel. Is anyone familiar with them???
I saw a writeup on a new TJ steerin system,a nd that system recommended either OME, Monroe or Gabriel.
The Gabriel one is similar to the Monroe I think.
Thanks everyone!
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Post by stumpbreaker on Oct 27, 2006 7:27:59 GMT -5
I'm having the very same problem but mine started about 15k miles. So far at 17500 miles I have installed a trailmaster 4 way stabilizer (It works but just get the less expensive Rancho) and a new poly track bar bushing. Although my wobble has calmed down quite a lot, I still need to work on the bushing. It seems Energy Suspension gave me a bushing sleeve that is too large for the factory bolt. Now I have to find the correct bolt size and drill the mounting ears to match.
Over harder bumps I still have minor wobble. New arm bushings are coming next week and I'm going to remove the stock arms and have them tied or boxed (however you want to say it) at a local welding shop to stiffen them up a little. Then I'm hitting the shocks.
If interested, Quadratec has the FULL SET (8) of poly control arm bushings for about $25. I ordered for front and rear. Don't know if it was a misprint but $25 for Rancho poly bushings is cheap. I even called to be absolutely sure.
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Post by 04unlimited on Oct 28, 2006 18:11:24 GMT -5
I had thins same problem after my 2" lift. It turned out that the wheels were out of balance because the shop that mounted them used the wrong wheel weights and they flew off the Jeep on one side. If you discover steering wheel vibrations this would be a good starting point, especially given how hard larger tires can be to balance.
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Post by treeofliberty on Oct 29, 2006 10:02:18 GMT -5
Your tires aren't big enough to have worn out your stock stablizer this quick. There is something else wrong. Even if a new SS makes the symptom go away, you'll only be masking the problem, not fixing it. With steering issues, this could be dangerous, as it could be the first symptoms of something that is going to completely fail in the future.
It certainly sounds like something is loose. When I had some clunking noises on bumps, I went around checking bolts and found that my trackbar was loose. That didn't fix the problem. However, the second round of checks found that one of my front lower control arms was loose. That fixed it. The arm didn't seem loose until I jacked up the front end, removing the tension.
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Post by stumpbreaker on Oct 30, 2006 7:20:56 GMT -5
Your tires aren't big enough to have worn out your stock stablizer this quick. I have to disagree with this. At 15k miles I found my stock stabilizer shot. Now granted, the more I poked the more I found my trackbar bushing was the culprit but depending on the roads you drive, even with just 30" tires these stock parts can wear fast. On my 05 though, it was not until I used a prybar and put tension on the trackbar itself that I discovered the worn bushing. The standard steering checks for tie-rod, knuckles, steering gear box and u-joints did not work. I also drive very rough roads to work everyday so I'm sure this had a lot to do with the premature wear. |
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Post by 04unlimited on Nov 1, 2006 14:19:00 GMT -5
Your tires aren't big enough to have worn out your stock stablizer this quick. I have to disagree with this. At 15k miles I found my stock stabilizer shot. Now granted, the more I poked the more I found my trackbar bushing was the culprit but depending on the roads you drive, even with just 30" tires these stock parts can wear fast. On my 05 though, it was not until I used a prybar and put tension on the trackbar itself that I discovered the worn bushing. The standard steering checks for tie-rod, knuckles, steering gear box and u-joints did not work. I also drive very rough roads to work everyday so I'm sure this had a lot to do with the premature wear. You had me at trackbar bushing.... I think that you will find that if you have underlying steering or suspension issues that the steering stabilizer is masking, you will go through stabilizers fairly quickly. Given that this jeep is primarily driven over the highway, I would look very closely at everything mechanical and rule out any loose bolts or bad bushings. |
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Post by stumpbreaker on Nov 2, 2006 18:53:52 GMT -5
BTW, update.....Quadratec had the bushings mislabeled. They are for YJ leafs and will not work on the LJ or TJ for that matter.
Just ordered Doetsch DT3000's today.
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Post by stumpbreaker on Nov 13, 2006 22:58:47 GMT -5
If youre still having problems with loose steering, the poly track bar bushing and DT3000's made a remarkable difference. Mine is 100% cured and I'm even running 1.25 spacers.
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Post by nfunlimited on Nov 14, 2006 15:57:59 GMT -5
so you replaced your shocks? If so, how do you find teh ride of the dt3000's compared to the OEM shocks???
I replaced my stabilizer with a heavier gabriel unit, and it makes a BIG difference.
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Post by stumpbreaker on Nov 14, 2006 22:39:18 GMT -5
The DT3000's work more as a dampner than a shock. In other words, where a shock keeps constant positive pressure, the DT3000's just sit there until acted on by an outside force. This is very obvious in the handling of the Jeep as there is 0 energy transferred back through the steering wheel when going over bumps. No shimmy, no nothing. Also when I go over the speed bumps at work there is no bouncing at all. You go up and come down and maintain complete control and get a neat little hiss sound. As far as the ride, from what I researched I was expecting a softer ride than what I got. Athough there is an improvement over the stock, do not expect a car like ride. Coming home today there is a very sharp dip in the road and if you don't know where it is, can cause trouble. In my Honda Accord if I do not slow down to about 50, it will bottom out on the road. I hit the dip at about 70 and immediately regained control. Down and up real fast, the Jeep immediately leveld out and I kept going. The F-150 behind be bounced 4 or 5 times and actually crossed the yellow line trying to get control. It was actually kind of funny. I recommend the DT3000's but, although I don't know for shure, I think the high end Gabriels or Monroes might work just as well. The DT3000's do have a lifetime warranty againt defects though. I would not buy them from the factory. They add a 5% surcharge for using a credit card! Try to find a vendor if you can. From the factory I paid somewhere around $175 for 4 shocks. The shocks were something like $135 for 4 and the rest was S&H and surcharge.
Coming soon: Centramatic continous wheel balancers.
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