On Wed, 24 May 2006 00:31:12 GMT, maleemi <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
>month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
>very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
>It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
>of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
>minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
>lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
>What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
>causing the shimmy?
>
>Thanks and Best Regards,
>
>Marcel

Track Bar Bushings Worn
Tie Rod Ends Worn
Drag Link Bushings Worn
Tire Balance and Roundness
Front End Alignment
Steering Stabilizer

----

 

On Wed, 24 May 2006 00:31:12 GMT, maleemi <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
>month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
>very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
>It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
>of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
>minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
>lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
>What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
>causing the shimmy?
>
>Thanks and Best Regards,
>
>Marcel

Track Bar Bushings Worn
Tie Rod Ends Worn
Drag Link Bushings Worn
Tire Balance and Roundness
Front End Alignment
Steering Stabilizer

----

 

On Wed, 24 May 2006 00:31:12 GMT, maleemi <maleemi@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
>month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
>very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
>It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
>of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
>minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
>lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
>What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
>causing the shimmy?
>
>Thanks and Best Regards,
>
>Marcel

Track Bar Bushings Worn
Tie Rod Ends Worn
Drag Link Bushings Worn
Tire Balance and Roundness
Front End Alignment
Steering Stabilizer

----

 

maleemi did pass the time by typing:
>> A few questions to start this off.
>>
>> How old are the shocks?
> They are the original shocks that came with the car (125,000 miles).
> FWIW even though they have a lot of miles on 'em they seem to be in
> pretty good shape, when I depress each corner of the jeep and release,
> they stablize quickly....no excess bouncing.

I'd bee thinking new shocks. My originals only lasted about 50,000 miles.
New shocks will help loads in crosswinds.

>> How old are the tires are are they properly inflated?
> The tires have 40,000 miles on 'em and are showing a little more than
> 1/8" of tread. I realize they'll need to be replaced in the next
> 5,000-10,000 miles. They are properly inflated.

Any "cupping", "feathering", or odd wear patterns.
ref: http://www.partsamerica.com/MaintenanceTireProblem.aspx
Pictures, but actually for big-rigs
http://www.kaltire.com/commercial/me...es/cupping.php

On solid axles you will see cupping on the tire opposite of the
weak shock. Think of it this way. One tire is going up/down
which is acting on the axle to cause the other tire to scrub
side-to-side.

>> How old is the steering stablizer (shock looking device on the steering
>> linkage)?
> It's never been replaced (125,000 miles)

Also up for replacement. It's hard to tell with the unit in place.

>> How long has it been since you ballanced the tires?
>
> I had them balanced when I bought the tires (40,000 miles).
>
> Should I rebalance the tires first and see if that clears things up or
> should I replace the steering damper first? Is it possible to test the
> damper without replacing it? How difficult is it to replace the damper
> on a '96 Grand?

I'd have the tires rebalanced/rotated and replace the damper.

Far as I know it's not possible to test the damper before removing.
Replacement is fairly easy if you have the tools. You need a pitman
arm puller http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis41900.html to press the
stud out. The rest is just basic nuts and bolts. Most AutoZone,
PepBoy, Canadian Tire, etc will loan tools. Some tire shops have
reasonable rates to replace the damper. All depends on how much
work you want to do.

While your looking under the front end you should go ahead and check
the CV boots and sway bar/track bar mounts.

I've had problems with the antisway bar mounts breaking on my ZJ.
It usually sounds like creaking/popping on turns and when it lets loose
the vehicle tends to dive more to one side than the other on turning
or under braking. http://revbeergoggles.com/swaybar/

--
DougW

 

maleemi did pass the time by typing:
>> A few questions to start this off.
>>
>> How old are the shocks?
> They are the original shocks that came with the car (125,000 miles).
> FWIW even though they have a lot of miles on 'em they seem to be in
> pretty good shape, when I depress each corner of the jeep and release,
> they stablize quickly....no excess bouncing.

I'd bee thinking new shocks. My originals only lasted about 50,000 miles.
New shocks will help loads in crosswinds.

>> How old are the tires are are they properly inflated?
> The tires have 40,000 miles on 'em and are showing a little more than
> 1/8" of tread. I realize they'll need to be replaced in the next
> 5,000-10,000 miles. They are properly inflated.

Any "cupping", "feathering", or odd wear patterns.
ref: http://www.partsamerica.com/MaintenanceTireProblem.aspx
Pictures, but actually for big-rigs
http://www.kaltire.com/commercial/me...es/cupping.php

On solid axles you will see cupping on the tire opposite of the
weak shock. Think of it this way. One tire is going up/down
which is acting on the axle to cause the other tire to scrub
side-to-side.

>> How old is the steering stablizer (shock looking device on the steering
>> linkage)?
> It's never been replaced (125,000 miles)

Also up for replacement. It's hard to tell with the unit in place.

>> How long has it been since you ballanced the tires?
>
> I had them balanced when I bought the tires (40,000 miles).
>
> Should I rebalance the tires first and see if that clears things up or
> should I replace the steering damper first? Is it possible to test the
> damper without replacing it? How difficult is it to replace the damper
> on a '96 Grand?

I'd have the tires rebalanced/rotated and replace the damper.

Far as I know it's not possible to test the damper before removing.
Replacement is fairly easy if you have the tools. You need a pitman
arm puller http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis41900.html to press the
stud out. The rest is just basic nuts and bolts. Most AutoZone,
PepBoy, Canadian Tire, etc will loan tools. Some tire shops have
reasonable rates to replace the damper. All depends on how much
work you want to do.

While your looking under the front end you should go ahead and check
the CV boots and sway bar/track bar mounts.

I've had problems with the antisway bar mounts breaking on my ZJ.
It usually sounds like creaking/popping on turns and when it lets loose
the vehicle tends to dive more to one side than the other on turning
or under braking. http://revbeergoggles.com/swaybar/

--
DougW

 

maleemi did pass the time by typing:
>> A few questions to start this off.
>>
>> How old are the shocks?
> They are the original shocks that came with the car (125,000 miles).
> FWIW even though they have a lot of miles on 'em they seem to be in
> pretty good shape, when I depress each corner of the jeep and release,
> they stablize quickly....no excess bouncing.

I'd bee thinking new shocks. My originals only lasted about 50,000 miles.
New shocks will help loads in crosswinds.

>> How old are the tires are are they properly inflated?
> The tires have 40,000 miles on 'em and are showing a little more than
> 1/8" of tread. I realize they'll need to be replaced in the next
> 5,000-10,000 miles. They are properly inflated.

Any "cupping", "feathering", or odd wear patterns.
ref: http://www.partsamerica.com/MaintenanceTireProblem.aspx
Pictures, but actually for big-rigs
http://www.kaltire.com/commercial/me...es/cupping.php

On solid axles you will see cupping on the tire opposite of the
weak shock. Think of it this way. One tire is going up/down
which is acting on the axle to cause the other tire to scrub
side-to-side.

>> How old is the steering stablizer (shock looking device on the steering
>> linkage)?
> It's never been replaced (125,000 miles)

Also up for replacement. It's hard to tell with the unit in place.

>> How long has it been since you ballanced the tires?
>
> I had them balanced when I bought the tires (40,000 miles).
>
> Should I rebalance the tires first and see if that clears things up or
> should I replace the steering damper first? Is it possible to test the
> damper without replacing it? How difficult is it to replace the damper
> on a '96 Grand?

I'd have the tires rebalanced/rotated and replace the damper.

Far as I know it's not possible to test the damper before removing.
Replacement is fairly easy if you have the tools. You need a pitman
arm puller http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis41900.html to press the
stud out. The rest is just basic nuts and bolts. Most AutoZone,
PepBoy, Canadian Tire, etc will loan tools. Some tire shops have
reasonable rates to replace the damper. All depends on how much
work you want to do.

While your looking under the front end you should go ahead and check
the CV boots and sway bar/track bar mounts.

I've had problems with the antisway bar mounts breaking on my ZJ.
It usually sounds like creaking/popping on turns and when it lets loose
the vehicle tends to dive more to one side than the other on turning
or under braking. http://revbeergoggles.com/swaybar/

--
DougW

 

Before I started wasting piles of money tossing parts at it I would get
down under and watch the moving parts while someone else turns the
steering wheel pin to pin.

I would first be looking for the whole axle moving side to side because
of a worn out track bar bushing on the axle end or a dead ball joint on
the frame end of the track bar.

I then would be checking the tie rod ends for movement up and down as
the steering pins side to side.

I then would look closely at the steering damper shock to see if it
looks like the fluid has leaked out.

If all this passed, I would jack up each front tire and give it a good
shake to see if the bearings are going out and spinning the tire to see
if it has gone out of round.

And then, just because it can make the strangest shimmy, to the point I
thought I was going to have a tire fall off, I would grab the radiator
fan with a cold off engine to see if it was floppy or loose feeling. I
had soft engine mounts and the shimmy drove me nuts for a while until
the fan finally started eating the shroud.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

maleemi wrote:
>
> I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
> month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
> very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
> It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
> of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
> minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
> lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
> What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
> causing the shimmy?
>
> Thanks and Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

 

Before I started wasting piles of money tossing parts at it I would get
down under and watch the moving parts while someone else turns the
steering wheel pin to pin.

I would first be looking for the whole axle moving side to side because
of a worn out track bar bushing on the axle end or a dead ball joint on
the frame end of the track bar.

I then would be checking the tie rod ends for movement up and down as
the steering pins side to side.

I then would look closely at the steering damper shock to see if it
looks like the fluid has leaked out.

If all this passed, I would jack up each front tire and give it a good
shake to see if the bearings are going out and spinning the tire to see
if it has gone out of round.

And then, just because it can make the strangest shimmy, to the point I
thought I was going to have a tire fall off, I would grab the radiator
fan with a cold off engine to see if it was floppy or loose feeling. I
had soft engine mounts and the shimmy drove me nuts for a while until
the fan finally started eating the shroud.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

maleemi wrote:
>
> I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
> month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
> very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
> It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
> of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
> minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
> lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
> What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
> causing the shimmy?
>
> Thanks and Best Regards,
>
> Marcel

 

Before I started wasting piles of money tossing parts at it I would get
down under and watch the moving parts while someone else turns the
steering wheel pin to pin.

I would first be looking for the whole axle moving side to side because
of a worn out track bar bushing on the axle end or a dead ball joint on
the frame end of the track bar.

I then would be checking the tie rod ends for movement up and down as
the steering pins side to side.

I then would look closely at the steering damper shock to see if it
looks like the fluid has leaked out.

If all this passed, I would jack up each front tire and give it a good
shake to see if the bearings are going out and spinning the tire to see
if it has gone out of round.

And then, just because it can make the strangest shimmy, to the point I
thought I was going to have a tire fall off, I would grab the radiator
fan with a cold off engine to see if it was floppy or loose feeling. I
had soft engine mounts and the shimmy drove me nuts for a while until
the fan finally started eating the shroud.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

maleemi wrote:
>
> I have a '96 6 cylinder Laredo Grand with 125,000 miles on it. Last
> month I thought I noticed an occasional slight shimmy in the front end,
> very slight wobbling and a bit of feedback through the steering wheel.
> It wasn't constant and seemed to be somewhat dependent on the smoothness
> of the road. It's gotten a bit more pronounced over time although still
> minor but I'm concerned it may indicate a problem. I've checked the tire
> lug nuts and they're all tight.
>
> What else should I be checking? Does anyone have any idea what might be
> causing the shimmy?
>
> Thanks and Best Regards,
>
> Marcel