LJ with a wiggly rear end

Lilnuts

Lilnuts

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 24, 2018
Messages
171
Location
US Denver, CO
My 05 LJ has steel bumpers, wench, roof rack, 33's with spare. I recently installed Rancho 9000 shocks in effort to firm up the rear. Previous owner installed a BDS 4" lift.
The problem I'm having is it handles poorly, the rear feels soft and vague. I installed a roof top tent on the rack, previously it was bad and now it is un-drivable. Was thinking I would install a stiffer (Hellwig) rear anti-bar in effort to lessen the wiggle. I don't know what the rear springs rates are so I don't know what to replace them with. I want to use my LJ for some remote camping in the Colorado mtns but the way it drives now it's too dangerous.

I recently replaced the front ball joints, upgraded to a currie corecttrac steering, new Goodyear tires, new shocks, adjustable rear trac bar, (have front already) front steers fine, but the rear feels like its riding on a water bed.

I know an LJ is heavier then a TJ and a loaded LJ is ever heavier yet.

Any help would be awesome.

Thanks,

Jim In Colorado
 
Roll the jeep forward and backward and let someone slam the brakes while you watch the control arm connections for excess movement .

Check every bushing , including the sway bar link bushings.
 
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Has the stock sway bar, looks to be maybe 9/16" od, seems small for a larger LJ. Compared to the front sway bar which is over an inch
 
jjvw said:
The RTT will always be troublesome. If there are any decent vehicles for that kind of expo-ing, an LJ will never be one of them.
Click to expand...

I understand that a RTT might not ever work with my LJ (narrow wheel track) high COG) but even without that it, still handles poorly in the rear. I did recently take the track bars off and inspect them for wear, all looked really good.
 
What happens when the 9000's are cranked up?

Widening the stance of the shocks on the axles would help add stability, but that is an involved project.

A stiffer rear sway bar can't hurt, but if the complaint is about body roll, it isn't just the rear end that is rolling.
 
Last edited:
Can you expand on what “soft and vague” means to you more? Maybe expand on how it feels and when (corners with roll, wandering while straight, etc)?

Right now there’s not a ton to go on other than assumptions about the phrasing.
 
Grab a GoPro, suction cup mount it to the rear of the tub, and record what you’re talking about. Could be lateral movement, yaw, or pitch, each meaning a slightly different thing.
 
I'd look at the trackbar while it is ON the jeep. While it may look good on the bench, it may be sloppy at the mounting points. Is the relocation bracket in tight? Is the axle square to the frame? Adjustable control arms can locate the axle crooked if not done right.
 
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So the rear end feels like a fat lady on a water bed. if I steer into a corner the rear floats to the outside, so I steer to the inside (even more) to offset the drift to the outside, now I seem to be over correcting because the rear has reacting to my steering input and now over cuts to the inside. It's a constant correction process that never seems to end.
 
Lilnuts: listen (or read) to what AndyG and Goatman are saying! Most likely something is loose back there! I found my problem was a loose nut on the control arm where it mounts to the body! Such a small thing made it wiggle when I either stepped on the gas or really wiggle when I let off the gas!
I had my wife ( great helper) move the shifting lever from drive to reverse-finally saw the movement! Good Luck!
Let’s us know what you find
 
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How long did you drive it with the shocks cranked up. My ranchos seem to take a bit to stiffen up when changing the settings.
 
The ranchos on #9 should be very stiff with zero body roll. If the problem persists I would think it is not spring/ shock related.
 
I didn't notice much improvement with the shocks cranked to #9.
The rear track bar is a new adjustable Currie, the bracket is for a 4" lift and is welded. I was thinking the non-adjustable track bar was part of the problem. Installed and adjusted the Currie didn't make any improvement.

My handling problems are at speeds above 60 mph. If going through a mild curve and it has a dip in it the rear suspension compress's and the rear does not track with the front. The front end feels fine, steering is good, the rear "floats" is the best way to describe it.

The roof top tent has magnified the problem to the point I don't like driving it and the Mrs refuses to drive it.

The jeep has 54K miles. Only the upper control arms are adjustable.

2005 LJ Jeep RTT.jpg
 
Outboard the rear shocks. Raise the fronts. Tunable shocks. Get a real shock tune that can control all that shifting weight. Stiffer sway bars. Reduce and lower the weight.
 
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