What a forum!! Lots of great info. Scary info. Just bought my first
Jeep. First week or two have been awesome!, with some clunking noises
that I just chalked up to "a Jeep thing".

Now graduating from clunking/rattle in the rear end over the tiniest
of bumps, it now also has a very hard rear and front clunk when
turning into inclined driveways - almost like a "pop" noise.

Yesterday I'm coming off the highway and the steering suddenly gets
very, very tight. The past day or so beforehand had a slight bump
noise from the passenger front when turning the wheel pulling out of
an incline. Now just to take a simple turn requires a firm grasp of
geometry. So it sits in my driveway till this weekend.

I've scoured the forums here, and pretty much surmised a laundry list
of things to check / fix / replace. From what I'm reading lately, it
seems that owning a Jeep is like playing "whack-a-mole" everyday. This
is a scary, and expensive proposition. I need to drive this thing, not
drop another grand into it. Followed by another grand, and so on.

I've searched and read every incarnation of "Clunk" and "Steering" on
this list, so I have a pretty good idea of what to do and what might
cause these issues... I'm just stressing out over the sudden crippling
financial impact - and the never ending list of probable causes.

Am I just overreacting? Or am I in for a cash strapped summer of ramen
noodles and never ending garage sessions just to be able to get to
work during the week?!?!

Any insight and wisdom from Jeep Guru's would be very much
appreciated!!!


~Jon

stats:
91 YJ Wrangler
4.0 6cyl
column shift 3 speed auto
83k
Shackles giving about 1.5" of lift
regular tires and wheels (from a 98)

Bad swaybar grommets:
http://www.discountjeepparts.com/pro...e1e0016fd95ff0
God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0
mailto:LWHughes3rd (AT) aol (DOT) com http://www.billhughes.com/


<campingisgood (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Bill,

Thanks for the lead!

I assume the new grommets will clear up the front clunkage? The price
is certainly affordable!

Concerning the steering, I was pumping gas the other day (before the
lock up) and noticed a pool of liquid forming under the engine. I
poked around and nothing seems to be leaking, but the horizontal
"piston" type device in the steering assembly had just a bare rod and
no rubber boot that I would assume keeps dirt, dust, etc.. from
fouling it. Could this unit seize up and cause the stiff steering that
I currently have? there were no whining noises that I normally
associate with bad PS pumps prior to steering lockup. So I think the
pump is fine, fluids are good, just what seems to be a "leaky" grease
fitting in the steering assembly. Does any of this make sense?

I plan on blasting the piston with WD40 to see if the guy who sold me
the Jeep resorted to "bananas in the tranny" style honesty....

Thanks for any info.

~Jon

On Mar 29, 11:06 pm, campingisg... (AT) gmail (DOT) com wrote:
Check you front u-joints. The ones by the wheels. That tight
steering is obviously very dangereous so just make sure it is not the
u-joints. Also, you have very long shackles (for 1.5 inch lift they
are 3 inches longer than stock) so that may be messing up your
steering geometry.

campingisgood (AT) gmail (DOT) com wrote:

That 'piston' thing is merely a horizontal shock absorber, or steering
stabilizer. It will not lock up your steering, no matter how worn it is.
In fact, it gets weaker as it ages. You do not need a boot on it.

tw

--
__________________________________________________ ___________________
2003 TJ Rubicon * 2001 XJ Sport * 1971 Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco

"There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."

Pronunciation: 'jEp Function: noun Date: 1940

Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 inch wheelbase')
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80" wheelbase, 1/4-ton
capacity and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in World War II.
__________________________________________________ ___________________

twaldron wrote:
Enh... Shocks can and do seize up now and then....

I thought my tight steering was this shock so I disconnected one end
just to make sure. Turns out mine had 'no' guts in it, just a rod going
into an empty tube. My steering jam was a blown ball joint.

They don't need boots though.

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)

Thanks everyone.

I'll be troubleshooting / repairing this weekend. I'll post how it
turns out.

Thanks again!


~Jon

Wonder what kind of Jeep (and year) the OP has?

Might make a difference

stats:
91 YJ Wrangler
4.0 6cyl
column shift 3 speed auto
83k
Shackles giving about 1.5" of lift
regular tires and wheels (from a 98)

<lynnhowlyn (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote

<campingisgood (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote
(snip)
.. From what I'm reading lately, it
seems that owning a Jeep is like playing "whack-a-mole" everyday.

ROFLMAO!
It's gonna be ok.
Remember, the previous owner sold it for a reason.
After you get the few things taken care of you should have years of fun with
your new toy.

Kate
2O|||||||O6 Rubicon
(I like em new, so I don't have to fix em for awhile)