Any Jeepers in here?

[kludge]

Speaking of steering...I've been hearing a loud clunking sound when I turn the steering wheel left, any likely cause?

The hole in the track bar bracket has a tendency to "waller out" to an oval shape. The metal is way too thin there. I had mine fixed a couple years ago and it's staring to to it again.

But get someone under the Jeep while you turn the wheel to see what's going on.

 

[Caleb]

The hole in the track bar bracket has a tendency to "waller out" to an oval shape. The metal is way too thin there. I had mine fixed a couple years ago and it's staring to to it again.

But get someone under the Jeep while you turn the wheel to see what's going on.

Odd thing is it just happened since I first got the jeep

 

[kludge]

Once it starts it just gets worse. Mine started when I had normal stock size tires on it. Maybe around 70k miles?

The 5 link suspension is not that stable to begin with. Death wobble, anyone? And that will amplify the speed of the "wallering" of the hole. Heavy tires, imperfect caster from a lift, unbalanced tires, all amplify the problem.

Sometimes I think it's not there and then the rain falls and cleans the street/tires and improves the grip and, yep, it's still there.

 

[pitbulld45]

This is my 87 xj Wagonner. The front was changed do to an accident. It is lifted 6.5 inches long arm. Custom bumper. I put a Ford 8.8 disk brake rearend. Sits on 35 inch tires.

 

[cjfarmer]

I love the wood grain! Good lookin rig.

 

[P-Shooter]

Agreed. Props for the simulated woodgrain! Beefy looking bumper too, good stuff!

 

[pitbulld45]

Thanks to both of you. Hard to beat a well built jeep.

 

[pitbulld45]

A shot of my head liner.

 

[pitbulld45]

Here is my old jeep. The exterior was rino lined.

 

[Caleb]

Here is my old jeep. The exterior was rino lined.

Thinking of doing this to my cherokee

 

[pitbulld45]

It made clean up pretty easy.

 

[Caleb]

If you were putting locker in a stock cherokee and decided on aussie's...would you put it up front or out back? Why?

 

[Dick]

If you were putting locker in a stock cherokee and decided on aussie's...would you put it up front or out back? Why?

I put one up front on my TJ, then when I sold that, I put it in my ZJ. Didnt put one in the rear of the zj because of it being a Dana 35 and having already blown those up without lockers. Personally, I think if you are just going to lock one or the other, do the front. On rocks it wont really matter one vs the other, but in things like mud and such, your front is most likely gonna find good ground before the back, and good ground is where your gonna want all the traction. Just personal preference though. Helped my brother put aussies in both the front and rear of his XJ. Its amazing how much difference it makes

 

[Caleb]

I put one up front on my TJ, then when I sold that, I put it in my ZJ. Didnt put one in the rear of the zj because of it being a Dana 35 and having already blown those up without lockers. Personally, I think if you are just going to lock one or the other, do the front. On rocks it wont really matter one vs the other, but in things like mud and such, your front is most likely gonna find good ground before the back, and good ground is where your gonna want all the traction. Just personal preference though. Helped my brother put aussies in both the front and rear of his XJ. Its amazing how much difference it makes

How does Aussies drive in 4hi and 4lo in tight trails and in snow/rain?

 

[eldirector]

I put one up front on my TJ, then when I sold that, I put it in my ZJ. Didnt put one in the rear of the zj because of it being a Dana 35 and having already blown those up without lockers. Personally, I think if you are just going to lock one or the other, do the front. On rocks it wont really matter one vs the other, but in things like mud and such, your front is most likely gonna find good ground before the back, and good ground is where your gonna want all the traction. Just personal preference though. Helped my brother put aussies in both the front and rear of his XJ. Its amazing how much difference it makes

Interesting perspective!

I'd actually go the the other direction and lock the rear. A few points:
- Lockers in the front will make steering more of a challenge in 4WD, especially on high-traction surfaces. My last CJ axles had a selectable front locker, and I rarely engaged it. With a locked (well, spooled) rear, it simply wasn't needed, and was MUCH less tiring to steer.
- The front Dana 30 is certainly no stronger than the rear Dana 35C. I've actually seen MANY more blown front u-joints (locked or not) than broken rear shafts/clips.
- With the longer wheelbase of a Cherokee, the locker will be much less of a concern on the street. First, it will tend to lock up much less frequently than on a short-wheelbase truck (Jeep TJ), and when it does it will be much more controllable. You will still get some tire chirp/scrub on dry pavement in tight turns, and it will still get loose if it locks on slick pavement in a tight turn. It won't do the lock/unlock "dance" during normal driving, though.

Just my

 

[REWSTER]

PITBUILD, hows it going man. i remember talking to you on cherokeetalk or something like that a couple years ago.

 

[Caleb]

I put one up front on my TJ, then when I sold that, I put it in my ZJ. Didnt put one in the rear of the zj because of it being a Dana 35 and having already blown those up without lockers. Personally, I think if you are just going to lock one or the other, do the front. On rocks it wont really matter one vs the other, but in things like mud and such, your front is most likely gonna find good ground before the back, and good ground is where your gonna want all the traction. Just personal preference though. Helped my brother put aussies in both the front and rear of his XJ. Its amazing how much difference it makes

Interesting perspective!

I'd actually go the the other direction and lock the rear. A few points:
- Lockers in the front will make steering more of a challenge in 4WD, especially on high-traction surfaces. My last CJ axles had a selectable front locker, and I rarely engaged it. With a locked (well, spooled) rear, it simply wasn't needed, and was MUCH less tiring to steer.
- The front Dana 30 is certainly no stronger than the rear Dana 35C. I've actually seen MANY more blown front u-joints (locked or not) than broken rear shafts/clips.
- With the longer wheelbase of a Cherokee, the locker will be much less of a concern on the street. First, it will tend to lock up much less frequently than on a short-wheelbase truck (Jeep TJ), and when it does it will be much more controllable. You will still get some tire chirp/scrub on dry pavement in tight turns, and it will still get loose if it locks on slick pavement in a tight turn. It won't do the lock/unlock "dance" during normal driving, though.

Just my

These are the two opposing viewpoint I've been reading on the internet and can't make up my mind. Dick, any way you could ask your brother if I could drive his xj to get a feel for Aussies?

 

[eldirector]

I think Kludge on here has a welded diff (spool) in the rear of his XJ. It is his daily driver and wheeler. Maybe see if he can meet up somewhere for a test drive?

 

[lovemachine]

I have read on all the forums, wrangler forum and jeep forum, that locking the rear is the best way to go.

Most people who can't afford to lock both usually lock the rear.

 

[kludge]

If you were putting locker in a stock cherokee and decided on aussie's...would you put it up front or out back? Why?

I wouldn't put a locker on a stock Cherokee. You'll get much farther than ground clearance will allow. (i.e. stuck )

On a lifted Cherokee, I would do both (but I have only done the rear).

I've run two years without lockers (the first year on 235/75R-15 and a 2" budget lift, the second year with 3" lift and 31"s) and one year with a welded rear.

I think Kludge on here has a welded diff (spool) in the rear of his XJ. It is his daily driver and wheeler. Maybe see if he can meet up somewhere for a test drive?

Trust me you don't want a welded rear on the street. Even in a "long" WB Cherokee. Traction is amazing though. Until your tires wear out.

I would put a locker in the rear first. On steep hills, the weight will be on the rear and that's where you want the traction. On steep downhills you don't need the traction (as much). On "flat" stuff either will add traction. So you have one that matters and two that don't, so go with the one that does.

The downside of no front locker is that ledges are harder to climb. The downside of a rear locker is the rear gets loose sometimes when you don't want it to. you really need a locker in both end. If you can only afford one at a time, I would do the rear first. If you can afford an Ox or ARB, etc, definitely do that.

I've got to decide what to do next, but I think the welded diff is coming out... it's just way too hard on the tires and street manners are pretty bad. My wife almost refuses to drive it... she loved it before. I put less than 10k miles on it a year... probably 7-8k and... in 16 months I have gone from ~70% tread to 0% (and I mean total slicks).

Before I do anything else I have to decide if I'm putting on larger tires ($$$$). If not, then the rear diff is getting replaced by an Ox, ARB, or some other selectable locker - those might be the only two available for the C8.25, and the front will probably get a Lock-Right or Aussie.

If you have a D35 rear... don't put a locker in it. It's junk. Get a 29-spline C8.25" (at least) or go with an Exploder axle (F8.8"). The 8.8" is a big pig and will take 35" tires on a light Cherokee. The 29-spline C8.25 is no slouch... it goes under Durangos and Ram 1500's. It's good for 33"s.

As for the front... if you have a 2000-up... forget locking the front low-pinion D30 axle. Swap it out for a 1999-down high-pinion D30 from the mid-90's to 1999 (don't want the central axle disconnect and you want the big u-joints). It is as strong as the low-pinion D44 from the TJ Rubicon (same axle size and u-joints).