Why Does it seem like the KJ always acts up before a trip?

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:53 pm

Alright, i'm planning on going to visit my Dad this weekend up in NH, being as his birthday was the 9th, i'm way excited to bring the Jeep up there since he hasn't seen it since I put the lift, tires and driving lights on it...

however, i was driving around in all this snow that we got, and there was quite a bit piled up at the parking lot of the building i work at...so i decided to have a little fun, probably about 30sec. worth tops...i went through a couple of piles no more the 12" high...and not even big ones, we're talking about the stuff the plow missed...anyway, now i'm starting to hear a little creaking and groaning when stopping or accelerating, even when steering at low speeds...at first i thought it was just a swaybar bushing thing considering i had just bombarded them with snow, but they wouldn't make any noise when i steer right :?:

I've got some white lithium grease lying around somewhere that i'll try to shoot into all the bushings tonight...(swaybar, upper and lower control arm, tie rod etc.) but i'm going to try to jack it up tomorrow night after work to see if i can tell if the ball joints are going and if so how bad...

Does anyone have any other suggestions on what to look for/how to fix it, i've got to make a 280mi. trip up and 280mi. back, should i just take another vehicle or what?

Thanks,
-Savage-

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:01 pm

Let's see: Snow is water. Roads get salted in the East. Drive on the roads, get salt built up around the whole vehicle. Add snow/water.

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:06 pm

ok, little confused by that....i'm asking if this is a serious problem and/or how i can check to see if it's a serious problem....thanks

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:20 pm

It's your bushings. Lube 'em up Heck-spray the whole front end down with WD-40 for all the other nooks and crannies you washed clean with snow.

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:26 pm

Dave,
Thanks for the clear-up, that's what i thought, but i wasn't sure...

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:57 pm

I had to take the clamp off the bushing and clean it up good to get it to stop. Now its doing ti again, im not going to worry about it.

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:02 pm

Would you mind giving me a quick run-down on how to do that? or do you have a link to somewhere where there is one? Thanks...

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:30 pm

I don't know dude I think its a mental thing....
Not that your insane or anything your just hearing "stuff" that you wouldn't think anything of it before...I know I hear that stuff after I take her out on a run for a weekend or something....

You did come out 4 wheel right....Friend of mine did that with his jeep...

Other than that why not take it to a presure washer and spray out the underside a bit...gonna be warm enough tomorrow......

I'd say take the Libby... based on what we know here seems like it should be fine...

Mike

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2006 11:40 pm

That's the funny part, i never put it into 4 wheel....hehe, that KJ's a BEAST!!! Yea...i think i'll just take it up there...just finished lubing all the bushings i could find...lol, so hopefully that'll shut 'er up...

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:09 am

n3vqh wrote:

I don't know dude I think its a mental thing....
Not that your insane or anything your just hearing "stuff" that you wouldn't think anything of it before...I know I hear that stuff after I take her out on a run for a weekend or something....

You did come out 4 wheel right....Friend of mine did that with his jeep...

Other than that why not take it to a presure washer and spray out the underside a bit...gonna be warm enough tomorrow......

I'd say take the Libby... based on what we know here seems like it should be fine...

Mike

I hear something new everytime I go out and play. I think I hear these things because I want to. :shock:

dog_party · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:59 am

SavageSS27 wrote:

That's the funny part, i never put it into 4 wheel

I'm beginning to think that noise you're hearing is your front diff crying. :lol:

"You always take the rear out to play, but you just push me around all the time. I never get to do anything fun! You love the rear diff more than you love me, don't you?" :cry:

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:14 pm

HAHA, good point...it's only because i was going from gravel to asphalt in a constant circle and didn't want to stress the driveline by shifting in and out of 4WHI, since i have the 231, i don't have a full time option, so i didn't want to risk hurting anything before a big trip...lol....But i lubed up all the bushings that i could find last night with some white lithium grease...that shut 'em up...but regardless, i'm going to be jacking the front end up to check all the ball joints and do a better lube job tonight anyway...

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:37 pm

It should be fine. Do check those balljoints before you go on the trip!!

PCTim · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:02 pm

What part of NH are you going to? I'm right on the border in MA. If you want to drop in and say hi, let me know, and I'll PM you my number.

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 8:09 pm

Going up to Mont Vernon, about 45 min WSW of Manchester...why don't you drop me your address and phone number and i'll let you know if i'll be able to swing by...

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:47 pm

from the first reply - RUST/corrosion.......hose clean, spray and lube, move parts around and drive around until dry (unless roads are still salty, snowy, and/or wet).

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:42 pm

My bushings started making the noise again today. Man it is loud! I can even feel it in through the floor board! Will the poly bushings stop this? Ive heard ppl say it makes it even worse.

SavageSS27 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:16 am

Jeepster, yea...i can feel mine through the floorboards too, and it happens even when i'm sitting still, but turn the steering wheel a little bit, that's why i'm afraid that it isn't one of the swaybar bushings...but first thing tomorrow i'm going to jack the KJ up and see what the deal is before i leave on my trip...

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:26 am

the poly bushings are made to last longer and firm up everything. They shouldn't squeak any more then rubber if you lube them when you install them (i know it sounds stupid to mention that but I have seen plenty of folks NOT do this).

Savage-I know how you feel, 3 days before my last trip up to the Iron Range Off Road Park, I blew up my brake line. Of course it happened after my parts departmen closed. Napa doesn't carry it. I love www.newmoparparts.com (as many of you know) but even they can't work miracles. Luckily my parts department was able to get it to me 4 hours before I had to leave giving me 1 hour to install and bleed the system. It happens to all of us.

Why Does it seem like the KJ always acts up before a trip?

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