As I was pulling into my parking spot yesterday I noticed it felt weird while I was braking in reverse. Almost like something was moving. I got my brother to pump the brakes in reverse and sure enough the front axle is rotating a good inch or so. I doesn't do it nearly as much while moving forward. I've never noticed this before in any of my other 4x4 trucks, but then again I've never been looking. Is this type of movement normal or do I have something wrong? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Its hard to see the axle rotate in the crappy video, but you can tell it is by the movement in the front drive shaft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbbdvsbF18

 

Wow that's cant be right. Looks like that 6 inch lift has the 4 link arms at a very steep angle. This coupled with compliance in the bushings may be causing the movement.

 

Sure looks like a lot of play to me! Wouldn't want mine to move that much at least. Looks like there has to be play in the control arm bushings. Since it doesn't do it forward, probably more upper than lower. The video doesnt show real well how much is the truck actually diving. The axles will rotate like that when the rear suspension travels a lot.

 

I was thinking the control arm bushings would have to be what is causing this kind of movement. I don't know of anything else that would cause this???

 

Did you just install the lift? Or had it for a while?

Did it just start doing that, or has it done it for a while and you just now got to see what was happening?



As far as I know mine doesnt do that, but ive never had anyone else drive the truck, so I couldnt tell you. Maybe ill have my girlfriend back it up tonight and see...

 

From the video it looks like the upper link is also moving with the axle while the lower link might be stationary. Definitely looks like the 4 link is not doing what it is supposed to.

 

The kit has been on the truck for awhile. It was already on when I purchased the truck. I haven't had it that long so I haven't driven it all that much, but if I had to guess its been doing it for some time now and I just was never in the position to see what was happening. It would be cool if you (or anyone else) could check your trucks out and see how it compares to mine. Thanks in advance!

 

Have you checked all the bolts to make sure they are tight?(as well as all the other front end bolts)

I installed my lift a while back, and about 4months afterwards, the upper control arm/frame bolts were actually quite loose, still drove fine down the highway(and wasnt in any danger of falling out, the nuts wont back off enough to come off all the way, and the bolts are LONG) but it was enough slack to have a slight rattle over small bumps, etc.
BUT I doubt that has anything to do with the axle rotating up like that.

Ill see if I can check mine tonight when the mrs gets home...

 

2 things come to mind.
1. like everyone else said, check your bushings, or do a video of that again, but let us see the bushing.
2. Have such short arms, and at a steep angle, you do get some "Jacking" out of the front end. Its very common with Jeep TJ's with short arms.

 

from what i can tell in the video it looks like there is coil spring spacer on top of that 6 inch lift maybe that is putting the arms at just enough angle to get them to act that way.

 

My best guess is the upper control arm on the axle end, the torque from the braking action (especially pumping like that) is probably distorting the bushing. Are they poly units or rubber?

 

The bushings look like they are rubber, I'm going to call superlift today and try to get some info (what material they are, how much are new ones?) When I was watching it while my brother drove it, and it really didn't seem like the connection point where the bushings are was moving. It just seemed like they were rotating like they are designed to for suspension travel. This may just be the nature of the beast with a 6" lift and 2" spacers.

 

If that's the case I think I'd look into a long arm kit!

 

That's scary looking!

Never seen axle wrap like that with a link system. Those arms really should be much longer with that big of a lift, but that still shouldn't cause it to wrap that much. Would just bad bushings let it wrap that much? Hard to imagine there would be that much play unless the bushing are missing altogether.

Can you get another video showing where the links attach to the axle?

 

Yeah, it is hard for me to believe that just worn bushings would cause this. I'm really at a loss why it would do it in the first place. I will try to get some more video at better angles. Frustrating to say the least...