7:58 pm
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline
Education time!
What are the symptoms of various front end problems?
Bad ball joints?
Failing unit bearing?
Loose/worn front control arm joints or bushings?
Bad/loose/bent track bar?
I know the answers to some of these. Also, how do you test each condition to verify each problem?
8:52 pm
Club Member
January 20, 2009
Offline Is this a quiz?! 
I'd say loose anything or bent anything. I'm very sensitive about my steering and I like it firm and tight. I'm trying to find the cause of a very slight dead spot right now. Things I've noticed:
- loose sway bar links increase the dead spot on road.
- lower front shock bolts had a little bit of play. Swapped them out for the largest ones that would fit. Made a noticeable difference.
- i notice when the synergy sector shaft nut comes loose. I bought my own 1-1/4" wrench and check it regularly now.
- i need to loosen and reset my front track bar when I have time as it vibrates when turning slowly.
- warn steering gear? I need to find out how to check this.
A bent tie rod might pull the tires slightly inward. A bent track bar might pull the axle more to the drivers side.
Raise one front tire and see if it wiggles top to bottom to check ball joints and/or unit bearing. (Can't remember which one or both)
9:14 pm
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline Axle specific? Sterling can always cause issues too. Worn tie rod ends.
Kevin is correct, for ball joints jack up a tire then use a pry bar and see if you can raise and lower the tire. Any play up and down would mean worn ball joints. With the tire off the ground grab and shake it. If you hear clicking or movement, worn unit bearing. They are some good YouTube videos out there demonstrating testing these issues.
If your having specific issues with your jeep, I would think its your unit bearings. You had some sweet chamber at Barrett. That would make me nervous to drive on. I wore through a set of tires once in 3000 miles cause of a camber issue.
Um...what?
9:20 pm
Club Member
September 3, 2008
Offline Here's a video demonstratin the technic.
Um...what?
12:05 pm
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline 
Yes, I had the camber problem, but not the on road issues. I believe it is because my hydro assist steering greatly reduces any death wobble or bump steer.
I'm mainly curious.about testing ball joints.
For the sector shaft brace I also carry the same wrench Kevin references. I used green lock tite on mine and I haven't had it loosen.
If it's unit bearing problems again, that's 3 sets in 10k miles.
Oh, I ordered a stainless ARB line to solve my rear locker problem, and new hubs so I have 4wd again.
2:36 pm
Club Trailmaster
March 13, 2015
Offline I jack up the front end and give things a shake every once and a while to identify various clunks. Lengthening my wheel base with adjustable arms caused some steering bind that required adjustment. I have yet to have an issue that couldn't be identified visually or by feel within a few hundred miles of starting. With the rig off, have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth against the resistance of the tires. Most bad issues will be easily visible. More difficult issues may require putting a hand on each joint to feel for minor movement or the extra force of the power steering to get noticeable movement out of a worn part.
Unit bearings will get harder to turn as they approach then end of their life. Best to check without the axle shaft in but generally you can tell with the rotors are off when doing brakes. Squeal on corners or rough feel under heavy breaking are also symptoms of unit bearing failure. I have had good luck with the Precision brand on the Diesel and Timkin on the LJ.
Bump steer is caused by an unequal and un-parallel track bar and drag link. Bent parts will change this relationship causing bump steer. Long arms and hydro assist change the harmonics of the steering and suspension system, making deathwobble unlikely until something is seriously out of spec and at the same time increase the forces involved with steering and track bar components.
3 Sets of Unit Bearings in 10K seems like something else is out of spec putting extra forces on them such as ball joints, bad alignment, camber/bent C, improper torque on the outer axle shaft nut (spindle nut?), or tons of hydro use in the rocks.
6:15 pm
Club President
April 2, 2003
Offline kris_olof said
I jack up the front end and give things a shake every once and a while to identify various clunks. Lengthening my wheel base with adjustable arms caused some steering bind that required adjustment. I have yet to have an issue that couldn't be identified visually or by feel within a few hundred miles of starting. With the rig off, have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth against the resistance of the tires. Most bad issues will be easily visible. More difficult issues may require putting a hand on each joint to feel for minor movement or the extra force of the power steering to get noticeable movement out of a worn part.
Unit bearings will get harder to turn as they approach then end of their life. Best to check without the axle shaft in but generally you can tell with the rotors are off when doing brakes. Squeal on corners or rough feel under heavy breaking are also symptoms of unit bearing failure. I have had good luck with the Precision brand on the Diesel and Timkin on the LJ.
Bump steer is caused by an unequal and un-parallel track bar and drag link. Bent parts will change this relationship causing bump steer. Long arms and hydro assist change the harmonics of the steering and suspension system, making deathwobble unlikely until something is seriously out of spec and at the same time increase the forces involved with steering and track bar components.
3 Sets of Unit Bearings in 10K seems like something else is out of spec putting extra forces on them such as ball joints, bad alignment, camber/bent C, improper torque on the outer axle shaft nut (spindle nut?), or tons of hydro use in the rocks.
And my front end has manual hubs...
