I am the new owner of a 2003 Liberty! I am enjoying this vehicle especially after the blizzard we just got.

Anyway, while driving on the highway, the suspension handles the bumps in the road quite smoothly. However, on large bumps, there seems to be a large bang or thunk coming from the rear. I believe I have heard it occasionally from the front as well.

I've been searching your forum and have noticed some ball joint problems. Could this be it?

To me, it almost sounds like its bottoming out. What could cause that? Weak springs/shocks?

Thanks. Great website.

Could very possibly be balljoints. Have you had the recall done on the lower front baljoints yet? The rear upper A -arm also has a balljoint that could cause some noise if bad.

I do not believe the suspension bottoming out could cause any loud banging noise, mine never did at least. But you can very easily feel it bottom out.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

I used get a "thump" from the front end of my Jeep on those really cold days - it was not related to the sway bar that I could tell. However, my drive has changed to/from work and I haven't been able to find a large enough dip to create the same amount of compression in the suspension as before (after my LBJ recall)

I would say the first task would be checking to see if you have the new LBJ's on your Liberty

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02 Liberty Limited
Silver Outside & Taupe Inside
Heated Seats, Sunroof & Infinity speakers
USA Spec I-Pod adaptor, Mopar Sub, Garmin GPS
Tow Package, Select-Trac
Rock Rails, Tow Hooks

It very well could be bottoming out. If you bottom out hard enough it will bang and you can almost feel the whole Jeep shutter. The stock setup on the KJ is pretty darn low. On some there is only a few inches before it bottoms out. If it is bottoming out some new shocks may help. However, I'd really recommend a lift. Something small like the OME lift would give you a little travel and better shocks and struts.

Hmmm. It was -34C this morning. It has "warmed" up to -26C. I'll let you know what happens after the weekend when it's supposed to be a balmy 0C!

I used to get a bang in the rear going over bumps. It was the rear swaybar hitting the vibration dampener on the diff. I solved that problem by removing the rear swaybar.

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David
Bel Air,Md
2003 KJ Patriot Blue Sport w/mods R.I.P.
2005 Wrangler Unlimited not so stock
L.O.S.T. #082670
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/803306
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2399643
More mods planned than money.
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"Roads, where we're going we don't need roads."

Ι have the same problem. It started 6 months ago, from the driver's side, and now i can hear it from the co-driver's side. A friend of mine using the SKYJACKER 2.5'' lift like me,had problem with the UBJ. He ordered (after 2 changes of the upper control arm) a new upper control arm from jeepinal, and the problem solved.
Question. Is there a serious safety issue, if the UBJ wear out?
Gregory. Greece

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KJ 2.4L 2004 - K&N FILTER-SEBRING MUFFLER-JETCHIP-ROCK RAILS-FULL SKID-ROCK CRAWLER 51 SERIES-SKYJACKER 2.5''-CLEVIS LIFT-BFG AT 245/70 www.cardomain.com/ride/2232437

Well, it's -19C this morning and the problem has pretty much gone away. I guess it was the shocks that lost their absorbing power in the severe cold.

Any recommendation on new shocks?

In the winter my shocks bottom out on the smallest of bumps, in the summer no problems. The shocks on the libertys are really really bad, I want some new ones too.

I haven't replaced mine yet - it hasn't even been that cold this winter... What are some replacement shock / strut packages?

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02 Liberty Limited
Silver Outside & Taupe Inside
Heated Seats, Sunroof & Infinity speakers
USA Spec I-Pod adaptor, Mopar Sub, Garmin GPS
Tow Package, Select-Trac
Rock Rails, Tow Hooks

My wife's 2003 Liberty was doing this and we thought the struts were gone so we had them replaced. Next time she hit a big pot hole though...BANG! I checked it out myself and both her bump stops (large rubber curves) were gone (completely). I got new ones for about $12 each and pressed them in by hand. They are located on the body just above the struts. No problems now.

Due to worn out springs and shocks

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited