93 ZJ "clunk" in front axle

Hello all,

when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel
I hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of
the wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.

So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does
that ?

Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?

thanks,

Ron

Oh also,

when driving at 40-60 mph, if I hit a bump just right, .. the whole
frontend starts vibrating, resonating, and doesn't stop until I slow
down a lot.


Ron Croonenberg wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel
> I hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of
> the wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
>
> So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does
> that ?
>
> Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
>
> thanks,
>
> Ron

I'm guessing track bar bushing might be shot.

"Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
...
> Hello all,
>
> when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
> hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
> wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
>
> So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does that
> ?
>
> Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
>
> thanks,
>
> Ron

Matt Macchiarolo wrote:

could that also cause thaty wheel to "flap around" and make a somewhat
violent vibrating noise when you hit a pothole the wrong way ?



> I'm guessing track bar bushing might be shot.
>
> "Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hello all,
>>
>>when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
>>hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
>>wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
>>
>>So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does that
>>?
>>
>>Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
>>
>>thanks,
>>
>>Ron
>
>
>

Ball joints might be going, too. Get thee to a repair shop.

"Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
...
> Oh also,
>
> when driving at 40-60 mph, if I hit a bump just right, .. the whole
> frontend starts vibrating, resonating, and doesn't stop until I slow down
> a lot.
>
>
> Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
>> hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
>> wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
>>
>> So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does
>> that ?
>>
>> Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
>>
>> thanks,
>>
>> Ron

You should be checking this out sooner than later, if it's a ball joint
failing your tire can fall off, same if a wheel bearing blows out.

You can jack up the front and if it's a wheel bearing the wheel will be
flopping around.

You can go under while someone cuts the steering from side pin to side
pin and watch the top and bottom ball joints. If you see vertical
movement in their joints or if their is rust coming out around the
rubber boots, they are about to fail.

While doing the above side to side with the steering, watch the track
bar that goes from a bushing on the passenger side axle up to a ball
joint on the drivers side frame. If the bushing is bad on the axle, you
will see movement, same for up at the frame ball joint.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
> Oh also,
>
> when driving at 40-60 mph, if I hit a bump just right, .. the whole
> frontend starts vibrating, resonating, and doesn't stop until I slow
> down a lot.
>
> Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel
> > I hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of
> > the wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
> >
> > So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does
> > that ?
> >
> > Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Ron

That is called the death wobble....

Yes it can be caused by a bad track bar bushing or ball joint and all
the other things mentioned including a bad steering damper shock.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
> Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
>
> could that also cause thaty wheel to "flap around" and make a somewhat
> violent vibrating noise when you hit a pothole the wrong way ?
>
> > I'm guessing track bar bushing might be shot.
> >
> > "Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>Hello all,
> >>
> >>when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
> >>hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
> >>wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
> >>
> >>So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does that
> >>?
> >>
> >>Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
> >>
> >>thanks,
> >>
> >>Ron
> >
> >
> >

ok...

Is that something that something you can easily fix yourself ?


Ron


Mike Romain wrote:

> That is called the death wobble....
>
> Yes it can be caused by a bad track bar bushing or ball joint and all
> the other things mentioned including a bad steering damper shock.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
>>Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
>>
>>could that also cause thaty wheel to "flap around" and make a somewhat
>>violent vibrating noise when you hit a pothole the wrong way ?
>>
>>
>>>I'm guessing track bar bushing might be shot.
>>>
>>>"Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hello all,
>>>>
>>>>when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
>>>>hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
>>>>wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
>>>>
>>>>So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does that
>>>>?
>>>>
>>>>Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
>>>>
>>>>thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Ron
>>>
>>>
>>>

Ron Croonenberg did pass the time by typing:
> Oh also,
>
> when driving at 40-60 mph, if I hit a bump just right, .. the whole
> frontend starts vibrating, resonating, and doesn't stop until I slow
> down a lot.

DW.. Death Wobble.
Something I'm not to unfamiliar with. :/ Try it at 85-90MPH.
Let me guess.. hitting a bump "just right" is at a diagonal.

It only gets worse.

You need to take care of this before the wobble scallops your front tires
or you dribble off the road. ^_^

Here is the list. (besides having too high a tire pressure)

1) tire balance/rotation/alignment (even a bad tire)
(a badly balanced tire/thrown wheel weight leads to DW)
If you have a bad tire move it to the back where it does less harm.
2) dead stabilizer/damper
(this shock, located on the drag link, helps reduce steering vibrations)
http://www.revbeergoggles.com/temp/front-suspension.jpg
3) dead shocks. If your shocks are original then they may be gone.
without good shocks the suspension in a ZJ is not stable.
4) Antisway bar mounts cracked or failed. This has the effect of not
damping both sides equally. http://revbeergoggles.com/swaybar/
5) Control arm bolts loose. Check the eight bolts (four on the body
four on the front axle). This takes a torque wrench to check since
even if they feel tight they may be loose enough.

At any rate, I'd have someone check the runout on your tires.

--
-- DougW -- 93 ZJ 4.0 http://members.cox.net/wilsond
HESCO Supercharger - 300W IASCA Stereo - Edelbrock IAS Shocks
Gibson Exhaust - rear DCpower - custom gauge install - Stillen Rotors
Banks Header - and BEER, in the fridge!

Yes. The axle end bushing is replaceable. If the ball joint end up at
the frame is bad, you have to replace the whole bar as far as I know.
That's how the rest (TJ, XJ) work anyway. Still not a difficult job.

If it's a wheel bearing, that's an easy fix too, you just replace the
hub on those. The ball joint is best left to a pro, it's an SOB to
change.

Mike

Ron Croonenberg wrote:
>
> ok...
>
> Is that something that something you can easily fix yourself ?
>
> Ron
>
> Mike Romain wrote:
>
> > That is called the death wobble....
> >
> > Yes it can be caused by a bad track bar bushing or ball joint and all
> > the other things mentioned including a bad steering damper shock.
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> > Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> > Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> > (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
> >
> > Ron Croonenberg wrote:
> >
> >>Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
> >>
> >>could that also cause thaty wheel to "flap around" and make a somewhat
> >>violent vibrating noise when you hit a pothole the wrong way ?
> >>
> >>
> >>>I'm guessing track bar bushing might be shot.
> >>>
> >>>"Ron Croonenberg" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Hello all,
> >>>>
> >>>>when I drive through a rut or a pot hole with the front passenger wheel I
> >>>>hear sort of a "clunk". Yesterday I pushed (with my foot) the top of the
> >>>>wheel inside and heard a pop (just bearly heard it.
> >>>>
> >>>>So I am wondering, is there a bearing there that's worn out what does that
> >>>>?
> >>>>
> >>>>Well actuall what I am asking is.. How can I determine what it is ?
> >>>>
> >>>>thanks,
> >>>>
> >>>>Ron
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>