Bad body roll/rocking ?

Jeep99ster · Jul 12, 2014

I was hoping if some of you could point me in the right direction with this body rocking.

My 99 XJ has new trackbar, sway bar endlinks and shocks. It travels great down the road and has basically no typical body roll when I go around curves or turns. However when I go over train tracks ( they are kinda angled to the road and not 90deg ) the jeep rocks side to side real bad. I have to slow down to almost a rolling stop to take them on without shaking my liver out. I notice all the other cars and trucks can traverse them with minimal side to side rolling.

I noticed that I have no bump stops..at all. But I was thinking weak coil springs was possible?

Oh and just to mention that when I put in my end links that the sway bar was up higher on the drivers side when putting it back together. I had to drive over a chunk of concrete on my drivers side just to compress the thing to be able to put the top nut on the end link. I have no idea if this is normal.

Thanks for any input on the rocking side to side..

CJ7-Tim · Jul 12, 2014

Most of that is simply the result of a 4x4 truck with solid axles instead of independent suspension like more modern 4x4's. Shocks absorbers that are too firm on compression may also be to blame.

When you come to the tracks, sit up/lean forward slightly, and the Jeep will rock underneath you, instead of the seatback tossing you around.

Jeep99ster · Jul 12, 2014

Thanks Tim. Yea I kinda forgot that I had that solid axle deal going on. I think next time Im gonna go over them at 30mph like everyone else just to find out what happens :laugh:

93gc40 · Jul 12, 2014

The out of level sway bar could signify you have some BENT or broken components. Which could also lead to exesive body roll. Is your XJ lifted or on big tires?

rugsucka · Jul 13, 2014

You might have bumpsteer if you're lifted and not running a track bar that is parallel(ish) to the draglink.

cbenez1 · Jul 13, 2014

If you had to jack up one side of your axle to get the swaybar link bolt on then you have pressure pulling down on one side and pushing up on the other. That could definitely be contributing to the symptom you described. The sway bar should not be preloaded with up or down pressure when installed on a level vehicle. The easy solution would be to install adjustable end links or replace the bar.

93gc40 · Jul 13, 2014

Now if you tighten 1 endlink of a swaybar, before at least starting the the bolt on the other. You will have to jack the second side to get the second nut on. You have to start the securing bolts/nuts at the same time .

CJ7-Tim · Jul 13, 2014

Unless the sway bar end link mismatch is 1 inch or more, I would consider having the end links not line up perfectly, as normal. Neither my XJ nor my CJ ever line up perfectly when I reconnect the quick disconnect sway bar end links.

Jeep99ster · Jul 15, 2014

Thanks for the replies guys.

Sorry for getting back so late but I do fiberglass repairs on boats..and well this is a seriously busy year for me

Anyways getting back to the answers..

Im not lifted and I think i have 235/75r-15s that I just bought 2 months ago.

Here is the strange part. I replaced the frame bushings the next day after posting this thread.. and when I unbolted them the bar evenly moved up and down and aligned to the frame without any problems or twisting. So I dont know what the deal was when I put the end links on. The drivers stud was about 1" shy being able to put the nut on when I did the links.

Oh and I did end up driving over the tracks at 30mph and it was very smooth. I think Tim was right about the unibody thing. I wasnt letting my shocks do any work. I guess it was just the truck going through the valley/channels of the tracks thus swaying the truck side to side.

Im very excited about my new to me jeep and when it slows down I will take some pics of the mods I have done to it already

The only down side of buying this thing is how much $$ I can see myself putting into her lol.

Thanks again guys !

Bad body roll/rocking ?

Jeep99ster

CJ7-Tim

Jeep99ster

93gc40

rugsucka

cbenez1

93gc40

CJ7-Tim

Jeep99ster

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