All TJ Owners and YJ Read Please!

Ok I took my YJ On a 7 hour road trip this weekend to the coast. I held on for dear life the whole time. I didn't even get up to 70 mph/110 km/h. I have a 3" body lift with 235/75 tires (winter yokohamas, haven't changed over yet) and a removed rear track bar. The wind roars, and throws me all over the road, the whole jeep vibrates, and it sometimes wanders wherever it want to. Why is it handling do crappy?? I want to buy a new TJ and Jack it up and put 33X12.5" meats on it, but I wont ever do it if it is this scary to drive on the road. How do I fix this problem with my Jeep and is the TJ a better handler? How bad would a 4" lift and 33s be on the road? Also with a 4" suspension lift and 33s will I need to put a CV shaft in and lower gears if it's not going to see to much off-road? On YJ and TJ. Thanks again guys!!

87 YJ (aka muny pitt)

If it's an '87, the front end is probably worn out and loose. The steering shaft joints on my '88 are worn and that makes the steering a little freaky at those speeds. Get underneath and grab hold of each front end component, one at a time and give them a couple of good tugs to find out which joints are loose. Jack up the front and grab each front tire and tug at them, from side to side and top to bottom and check for movement. The short wheel base and boxy build makes the Jeeps wobble in the wind but the shake is likely worn out steering. .02$

'88 Sahara, 4.2, auto, 4.0 head swap (finally).

everything's tight as a nun

87 YJ (aka muny pitt)

[3/4tonYJ]

odds are something (more likely alot of little things) have wear, it's possible for a YJ with a 3" body lift to drive good.

but a lifted shortwheelbase jeep with oversize tires will never drive like a dream.

<font color=red>3/4tonYJ</font color=red>

http://www.geocities.com/yj3qtr_ton

First of all you are trying to have a multi use vehicle but not rigging it for each use when it's time. By that I mean an off road slow crawl handler is different from high speed on road. You took off the track bar. Why do you think they made it? It's for on road handling and stabalizing at higher speeds.

Also any time you lift, you change drive train geometries and you can impart vibration and steerng alignment problems. Not so much with just a body lift but the suspension lifts will start to change the behavior quickly. Body lifts will allow a different air flow across and under the jeep too. So as you get going faster the "air" will start to move you around. And on a windy day you're going to know it.

You need to check each modification you did for it's impact on your handling. There are lots of details on cures or improved handling for the mods on the tech pages and from some of the regular BBS guys on their own home pages. Remember, it's a trade off. To get some off road features, you're going to loose some on road features and vice versa. Some of those mods can be made part time. A good example is track bars wich can be disconnected with a pin for off road then put back for street driving. Good luck and be thorough when you research a mod. It's not just a simple bolt on or cut job. Sooner or later it can become dangerous if you don't do your homework.

Tread lightly and stop to smell the roses - Traveler

My 94, although substantially newer than the 87 still drives like a dream. Not a good dream but it's a Jeep not a porsch. I went with a 3in suspension lift and 33's fit decent. I dropped the Tcase and my angles are fine. I dirve 13 miles each way to work and I can break 80 easily.

I love my country, but fear my government

[yjdave]

removing the rear track bar hurts stability at freeway speed. i have noticed with mine, that if you have a hardtop and you take off the doors, it tends to make the back end really light at speed. the faster you go, the hairier it gets.

paw print

[InfantryYJ]

I don't know about that rear track bar thing. On my 95 I had, I took off both the front and the rear track bar and had a four inch lift with 33 BFG/MT's and had no problems at high speed. So, I don't think it would be the track bar. Hell, CJ's didn't even come with track bars.[img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

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Semper Jeep<font color=blue>
http://www.jeepgod.net<font color=black>

[Sycho15]

CJs have much stiffer springs than our YJs do. I also removed both track bars and my sway bar. I have a stock suspension and 31s though so I still sit lower. I've gone 90MPH like this and did notice some swaying around and a little shimmy here and there, but it wasn't something I couldn't deal with....

I can do 90 mph but usually run between 75 and 80 but......on a windy day I have had a few scares when I get nailed by a gust.

Florida mud-maniac:'97 Sahara TJ, lift, 2"suspension,maybe body later, Tomken rear bumper,trac-loc rear,free-flow exhaust, K&N filter,32x11.5 M/T's