Diagnose my frustrating issue

[Keith C]

Background: 2019 JLUR. Metalcloak 3.5 Game changer. 37" tires.

Had 3.5 MC Gamechanger installed last year. Developed death wobble shortly after. Replaced ball joints, installed MC tie rod and drag link, got alignment (2x). Seemed to be good.
Did Rubicon train in late July. Snapped inner axle shaft, tore boot an may have deformed rear driveshaft. On trail repair took out passenger axle shaft and drove home 7 hours without major issue (some vibration above 55 mph, probably from driveshaft not being perfect) Installed new inner axle shaft.

On test drive, 2 wheel drive is fine, when I shift into 4 wheel Hi and turn wheel sharply the wheels had a pretty bad hop. Felt like maybe the lockers were on. Tried shifting in and out of 4hi/4/lo, turn lockers on/off. Still had wheel hop when turning hard.
Ordered RCV axle shafts, keeping FAD. Installed passenger side just fine. Went to install driver side and found out that they shipped 2 passenger side axle shafts (it is thicker than the passenger side and has the extra knob on the end). I reinstalled the OEM axle shaft on driver side and went for test drive.

Same issue when turning hard in 4 wheel drive.

I don't know what to check now and I am fully open to suggestions. Any help is welcomed.

I have not been able to wheel since the Rubicon Trail in July and my wife now tells me that the trail was not worth it since I have had so much frustration and trouble since.

Sponsored

 

[NWJeepr]

Maybe I'm missing something, but this sounds like crabbing/binding and it's 100% normal even with your axles unlocked. It happens because 4hi/lo lock the front and rear driveshaft together at the same speed, which means the traction wheels on the front and rear axles must also turn at the same speed. When turning, those wheels follow different radii through the curve and one must compensate to keep up or go as slow as the other wheel with traction.

 

[Gorilla57]

Maybe I'm missing something, but this sounds like crabbing/binding and it's 100% normal even with your axles unlocked. It happens because 4hi/lo lock the front and rear driveshaft together at the same speed, which means the traction wheels on the front and rear axles must also turn at the same speed. When turning, those wheels follow different radii through the curve and one must compensate to keep up or go as slow as the other wheel with traction.

Exactly. 4H/4L locks the t-case to where front and rear driveshaft HAVE to spin the same speed. So, turning sharp will cause the front and rear axles to bind a bit. This results in a tire or 2 hopping or chirping in order to relieve the bind.

 

[Keith C]

Maybe I just never turned that hard in 4Hi in my cul de sac before and never noticed it.

 

[Bkilby]

You shouldn't be driving in 4wd on dry pavement. That's how you break stuff. If it's driving fine in 2wd drive on dry pavement, you don't have a problem.

 

[Keith C]

I drove in 4Hi, and 4Lo, on the pavement because I was trying to see if my 4 wheel drive would engage after installing the new inner axle shaft. I test drove in 2 WD for a few miles but waited until I got back into my cul de sac to shift into 4WD just in case something went wrong, I did not want to be broken down miles from home. I guess I have never actually used 4WD in the cul de sac before and was surprised by how much wheel hop and binding I got.
Once I can get the other side of my RCV corrected and get my death wobble figured out, again, I will hit a trail and see what that feels like.
Thanks to all for the replies and help.

 

[Upnorth73]

How much longer are the lower front control arms set up compared to the factory arms? If you can lengthen them a little it helps a lot to stop death wobble.

 

[DaltonGang]

You must be new to 4WD vehicles. It's common knowledge that you don't drive on pavement in 4H or 4L, unless its very slick and wet roads. And then, only in a straight line. What you are doing WILL eventually break something. Try to rationalize all you want, but what you are doing is harmful to your Wrangler.

 

[Wabujitsu]

You must be new to 4WD vehicles. It's common knowledge that you don't drive on pavement in 4H or 4L, unless its very slick and wet roads. And then, only in a straight line. What you are doing WILL eventually break something. Try to rationalize all you want, but what you are doing is harmful to your Wrangler.

@Keith C I strongly agree with the above post and the previous, similar posts here. This is not a slam on you; we are all trying to impress on you just how bad it is to be in 4Hi and 4Lo while driving on, and especially only making mild turns on dry pavement. Heck, even on wet pavement your Jeep will most likely bind and crow-hop in 4Hi while turning. Mine will bind just on hard-packed dirt/shell roads while turning.

As it drove fine in 2Hi, with no death wobble, you clearly fixed your death wobble issue previously, with the new ball joints, etc. Death wobble has zero to do with the front axle shaft being engaged with the transfer case into 4WD. It has everything to do with suspension and/or tires and/or steering components and/or damaged, bent wheels and/or a bad alignment.

 

[FreedomFur]

Agree with the above posters, anytime you're in four-wheel drive on payment you're going to get hop. Also, anytime you engage four-wheel drive and go back to two wheel, make sure you put the Jeep in reverse and back it up five or six feet. It will make sure that the gears and everything else unbind.

 

[Maverick909]

that bind is normal on the road. all solid axle 4wd will have that bind on the road. glad you made it back form the rubicon safely. Sounds like the Jeep is beefed up with the new parts too!

Sponsored