4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/frontend

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Expert: - 5/2/2004


Question
I HAVE A 2002 TJ WRANGLER W/A 3.5'' LIFT & 33'' GOODYEAR A/T.RIMS ARE 8'' DEEP,JEEP RAN BEATIFUL FOR A YEAR ,ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED TO WOBBLE THE TWO TIRES AND STEERING WHEEL AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER THEY INSTALLED EVERYTHING THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM THEY TIGHTEN THE FRONTEND,WHEEL ALIGNMENT,CK. TIRES BALANCE EVEN INSTALLED A OFFSET PITMAN ARM WHEN I HIT A BUMPY ROAD THE STEERING WHL STARTS TO MOVE BACK/FORTH AND THE WOBBLE STARTS THEY'RE STARTING TO BLAME THE LIFT KIT AND THAT SOMETIMES IT'S PERM  

Answer
Jerry,

I've had the same problem, more than once.  Go to a different shop, preferrably one that specializes in 4-wheel drives.  Talk to some local 4x4 clubs, and ask them who they would suggest.  The normal causes of this problem, is: 1)  Out of round, or unbalanced tires;  2)  Bad or worn shocks;  3)  Bad or no steering stabilizer;  and 4)  Worn steering components  -  Sounds like this has been checked.  Remember, when you run the larger tires, many shops have a very hard time getting a good balance on them.  Also, due to the weight of the tires, even a slightly worn shock or steering stabilizer can cause this problem.  If they blame the lift kit, they are, probably not familiar with extreme 4-wheeling.

  Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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