I feel the need...

[bchcky]

the need, for speed.

actually, i feel the need for my zj to stop bucking like i'm at a rodeo. i recently bought a set of TJ front axle shafts, and just threw them in my 96 zj this morning. pulled everything, put everything back in, even replaced the driver's side hub assembly while i was at it. hours later, i lower the jacks and stands, torque my wheels, and off i go.

first i get a little grinding sound, but i trace that back to the brakes just working themselves back into a groove on the rotors. BUT, then when i'm at full lock now, either right or left, it bucks like you wouldnt believe. ok, maybe its not that bad, but its definately not normal. i've replaced axle shafts before, and i've done hubs before, so i knew what i was doing, everything was put back together properly, and so on and so forth.

the difference now is that the shafts are u-joint shafts, where i used to have cv shafts, and i am now no longer running with tone rings, so i have no ABS, but all of this was pre-meditated, so it comes as no surprise. the difference i get now that i didnt plan on, and dont like, is the bucking. anybody have any clue at all? any and all suggestions are welcome. thanks in advance.

 

[Saurian]

This is just my guess, and may sound insanely simple (because the entire nature of your post is something that I have no idea how to do), but do you have full time 4X4 on that thing? I only ask, and I could be totally off on this, but I don't think that U-joint axles enjoy being at a full right or left lock on dry pavement, or anywhere where they can't have slippage...

It may well not be that at all, the only reason I bring that up, is because the symptoms that you describe are that of me putting Jeepy into 4X4 (I have the part time version), and trying to drive at full lock on the dry pavement, maybe CV shafts are capable of this, while U-joint shafts are not... This could also very well be the differential, or even the transfer case that makes the difference between the GCs full time 4X4, and the XJ's part time 4X4, in which case, I would be totally wrong, but if anything, it's something to mull over, and I'll probably learn a bit of something too

 

[jules]

97 Grand Cherokee Rebuild

do you have full time 4X4 on that thing?

Yeah, A couple of years ago, my ZJ did the same thing [94 Limted, 5.2L, Fulltime 4WD w/249 T-Case]. It would only do it after I drove for a while. Turned out to be the Viscous Coupling. A very expensive part [seen 'em on e-bay for $450]. Mine was under warrantee at the time so it cost me $100 in deductables.

The usual check for a VC failure is to drive tight figure 8's and listen or feel the wheels hop.

Jules

 

[siminsez01]

242 tcase swap?

 

[graewulf]

RE: **UPDATE**

the difference now is that the shafts are u-joint shafts, where i used to have cv shafts

Therein lies your problem.. If you are in full-time 4WD (or any 4WD mode) - your front end will buck at a hard turn due to the U-joints binding. This is perfectly normal. CV joints, while weaker than U-joints, do not exhibit these symptoms by design - that is why they started using CV joints instead of U-joints. If you can put it in 2WD this will solve the problem - if you have one of the T-cases that does not have 2WD you have a few choices:

1. manual hubs
2. go back to CV joints
3. live with it.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

RE: Hello strangers

Or install a t-case with a 2wd option.

The bucking and jumping is normal when in 4wd on a dry surface.

 

[bchcky]

242 tcase swap?

or 231, just looking for my best price at this point.

but thanks for all the help guys, i'm going to live with it for now, i drove it around today, not nearly as bad as i had initially thought, cause the shock factor wore off. t-case swap is in my near future, cause i'm sure not going back to cv joints.