for the last couple of weeks i have this odd problem with my '93 jeep wrangler ...

you know when you're in 4-wheel drive and you drive around a tight (low speed) corner how your wheels "wobble" and make noise as they skid because of the locked differential ...

well, that's perfectly normal for 4-wheel drive, but lately, the car does the same in 2-wheel drive!
and on top of that, the front-end feels "lose". mushy. like the sway bar is broken (which is not, i checked that).

anyone got any ideas?
Andy

U-joints, or steering ball joints. Why do you have it in 4 wheel drive in the land of sunshine?

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Jan 18 2006, 02:58 PM)

U-joints, or steering ball joints. Why do you have it in 4 wheel drive in the land of sunshine?

well, i *do* take it off road sometimes, and in the "winter" here, off road means "muddy mess" ...

on the road, it's always 2-wheel drive. except, now the tight corners feel like i'm still in 4WD ...
Andy

The drive axles are still turning. So the u-joints are still turning. There is a gizmo inside the right side of the diff that slides over the axle stub to lock in the 4 wheel drive. So when you turn whether you have it in 4 wheel or 2 wheel the joints are still turning. If their bad they clunk, clunk, clunk.

Jeeps use a vacumm operated locker. It is a little arm on the pass side of the front axle. Probably stuck. Lube it. Move it around, lube again.

Sometimes if you turn lock to lock going like 5mph it will free up as well.

Old simple system.

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Jan 18 2006, 03:05 PM)

The drive axles are still turning. So the u-joints are still turning. There is a gizmo inside the right side of the diff that slides over the axle stub to lock in the 4 wheel drive. So when you turn whether you have it in 4 wheel or 2 wheel the joints are still turning. If their bad they clunk, clunk, clunk.

Yeah, what he said.

i second that. the dog clutch on the front axel sounds like it stuck. also jack one side up and spin wheel, check the wheel bearing [unit bearing, when they fail they fail bad wobble ,noise, and all that. do you have a locker in the front?
and verify transfer case is in 2wd[stupid queastion but allways worth shifting from 2wd to nuetral and back].

The actuator on the passenger side of the front axle is vacuume actuated. Check the lines on it.

Also try to spin the front Drive shaft, it should be free to turn. The transfer case not kicking back into 2wd due to tweaked linkages will make the Jeep act like it's in 4wd too.

BJH

he vac lines on my 94 were old, and sometimes it wouldnt kick back into 2wd or something.

i drove like normal and it eventually popped-out.

b

Actually, the later Cherokees and I would assume the Wrangler's (since they used the same front axles for the most part) were not vacuum disconnect. My 93 XJ was not for sure.

1000% positive mine was....

check the magazines for the aftermarket Jeep parts, they list the cable unlocker for all YJs...Posi-Trak i think its called. Its vasc disconnect for sure.

b

Oops! My search through my Jeep email archives revealed a thread indicating the following:

"The yj was still using the disconnect system in 95 as the xj was not."

So appraently the YJ was vacuum disconnect in 93. That could very well be your problem. Those vacuum manifolds at the axle are plastic and tend to break and crack (surprise!).

I helped a girl at work replace one on her 88 Cherokee. I eventually bought that same Jeep. My oldest is driving it back and forth from CSU in Ft. Fun.

thanks for the leads guys
i'll check tomorrow, provided it stops raining for an hour or so.

i hate lying on my back under the car in the rain ...
Andy

IIRC, that manifold can be had from Jeep for $30-40 clams. Sometimes the hoses just come loose. Or on of the hoses cracks and breaks.

QUOTE (Gint @ Jan 18 2006, 08:02 PM)

IIRC, that manifold can be had from Jeep for $30-40 clams. Sometimes the hoses just come loose. Or on of the hoses cracks and breaks.

some of my offroading buddies used to shear/tear/snag those hoses on rocks...

Ya, I know.

Gone but not forgotten.

I traded my rust-free 100% running jeep for my piece 914....

sigh......

bro has it now.....

b

Did you check the steering stabilizer(shock) on the front axle? I had that go
out on a '92 cherokee and it did what you're discribing.

Good luck!

rezron

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Jan 18 2006, 09:46 PM)

I traded my rust-free 100% running jeep for my piece 914.... sigh...... bro has it now..... b

ok,,,,duh...

beat him up and get it back.

uh, he has four wheel drive....


and i have a car that only starts on every three and a half keyturns.

b