92 Wrangler - 2 Questions

[dgibson]

I own a 1992 Jeep Wrangler SE, good condition, 102k miles, with a new transmission installed at approx. 75k miles. I've only had it for about a week, so I'm still learning about it. I have two concerns:

1. When I am driving at somewhat higher speeds (45mph+) and run over a small bit of non-flat pavement, i.e. small pavement imperfections (but not full-on potholes), the body of my Jeep begins to "shake and shimmy," so to speak. I suspect that it is because the wheels are not gripping entirely, because 1) the steering feels different, a little less controlled, and 2) if i shift into a lower gear it seems to stop, presumably because of the engine slowing down the wheels. It doesn't always stop when I brake, but occassionally it will. Is this a common problem and what do you suggest can be done about it, if anything?

2. The other concern is my turning radius. If I turn the steering wheel as far as I can in either direction, my front wheels begin to rub against some kind of bar that runs across the front undercarriage of the vehicle. Is this normal, or caused by oversized tires, or something else?

Thanks for your help

[goinbig]

1) it is known as the "death wobble." Check the allignment, all joints, steering stabilizer, suspension, balance of wheels, tighten lug-nuts, etc.

2) What does this bar connect to? Is it the sway bar? It is very common for larger tires, or wheels that have a fairly positive off-set, to rub on the leafsprings or other areas around there. Don't worry about it, just learn to not turn the wheel all the way-but it can't really hurt anything anyways.

[dgibson]

I think the information regarding the rubbing tires should be sufficient - so long as I'm not making the tightest turns possible, it's not even a problem. Thanks.

Regarding the "death wobble," however, after looking up a great deal of information regarding fixes for it it seems to me that only the WJ, XJ, ZJ, and TJ are mentioned, not the YJ (which I believe is what I have, since it's a 92SE). Do the same fixes/remedies apply, or do I need to look somewhere else? Thanks again

[goinbig]

The solutions for the wobble will be pretty much the same. Check the things I mentioned, starting with the easiest/cheapest. This problem has no specific solution, it's just a problem that can can occur for many different reasons.

If you don't want the tires to rub, then you can either purchase different wheels with a more negative offset. Or, you can adjust the steering stops, which is fairly easy but does require a little welding.

Hope this helps a little.