New to the forum & have major problems...Help!

[Star]

I am new to the forum and came seeking help, my baby has issues.
I have a 2003 Yukon SLT 4x4 with a 4" Superlift and 33" Dick Cepeks.

The problem: When i accelerate from a stop it sways very bad, more like jerks left & right. It also jerks hard back and forth when I hit a bump. The ABS grabs when I'm braking going over small bumps and my service stability keeps turning on, but goes away when I turn the engine off and re-start it. It's very unstable and am being told I should not drive it.

My problems started about a year ago with a clunk in the front end. We've been working on it non-stop ever since. Everytime we fix something a new symptom appears. I will spare all the details leading up to my current situation but just tell you that we've changed the following:
Sway bar bushings and end-links
Upper ball joints
wheel bearings
Tie rod ends
pitman arm
Also have had it aligned several times.

One shop said my rear dif posi-lock governor was stuck and it was causing the problem. They also diagnosed the upper ball joint problem, which we fixed.

Chase Chevrolet says there's nothing wrong with my front-end but they wanted to open my rear-dif and look at it. The day after taking it from Chase, big o tires said my pitman arm had play so we changed it.

I was told today after the new pitman arm was installed that they've never seen anything like this before. These mechanics, who are my husbands friends and he trusts, say we may just need to keep throwing parts at it, eventually we'll find it. They say it may not even be the front end, it may be in the rear-end causing the front-end to sway. But after further inspection they said the control arms look like they're moving, which my husband observed. Those will be changed tomorrow.

So now I have 2 places saying rear dif and another that says it could be rear-end. Yet we keep changing front-end components!! If the new control arms don't work I will take it to a rear-end shop and have it popped open and looked at.

Has anyone out there experienced this problem? Please, help!!! I love my truck but I'm about to drive it off a bridge!!

 

[BOSS]

Welcome to the forum! We don't have many ladies so BIG WELCOME!

Does it sway in 4x4?

BOSS

 

[Star]

Yes it sways in 4x4

 

[BOSS]

What codes are you pulling?

Does it still happen when you disable traction control and stabilitrac (I assume your has both)? (Hold button for 5+ seconds)

B

 

[cam3439]

Is it more of a wobble? Does this happen all the time or only during acceleration? I've heard of the "Death Wobble," and I would look at the provided link if I were you...

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=261532

Did this happen after the lift (or soon after) or have you had the lift for a while? Did you get some extended end-links? Is the steering column itself fine (is it all tightened down)? While parked, do you have play in the steering wheel?

I'm also a member of other forums that might be helpful.

http://z71tahoe-suburban.com/ or http://chevroletforum.com/forum/

 

[Star]

What codes are you pulling?

Does it still happen when you disable traction control and stabilitrac (I assume your has both)? (Hold button for 5+ seconds)

B

Chase didn't pull any codes.

It does have both, My husband is going to disable it right now and I'll get back to you.

---------- Post added at 09:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

Is it more of a wobble? Does this happen all the time or only during acceleration? I've heard of the "Death Wobble," and I would look at the provided link if I were you...

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=261532

Did this happen after the lift (or soon after) or have you had the lift for a while? Did you get some extended end-links? Is the steering column itself fine (is it all tightened down)? While parked, do you have play in the steering wheel?

That link didn't work but I pulled up some videos and that's not really what it's doing; the whole front end jerks to the right then back to the left but it doesn't wobble like that.
I didn't mention that when i accelerate my front tires pull in and squeal like they're breaking traction.
The truck was lifted when I bought it and had none of these problems the first year I owned it. There is no play in my steering wheel when I'm parked. I do have a noise coming from my column but, from research I've done about that I do not think it's related.

---------- Post added at 09:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 PM ----------

What codes are you pulling?

Does it still happen when you disable traction control and stabilitrac (I assume your has both)? (Hold button for 5+ seconds)

B

Yes it still does it with it turned off.

 

[BOSS]

Damn...sounds like a tough one.

Tonight's not a busy night here, hopefully since I copied this into the 99 section some of those guys can help.

B

 

[Star]

Thanks, I can use all the help I can get

 

[BOSS]

Detail pics would definitely help if you can take some in good light

B

 

[BOSS]

WHat does it do in reverse out of curiousity?

B

 

[Star]

Pics of what exactly?

Never paid much attention to it in reverse, husbands going to see right now.

 

[BOSS]

Pics of what exactly?

Never paid much attention to it in reverse, husbands going to see right now.

I guess at this point, pics of everything

B

 

[Star]

My husband says it feels normal in reverse. but the guy at chase had mentiooned that the drivers side wheel was pulling in in reverse. I tried to look as he backed up but it's dark and the headlights blinded me.

Looking at the control arm bushings they are definately dry and have cracks, one side actually has a small chunk missing. It also looks like there's some rubbing as there is a shiny spot in the bracket that it mounts to.

My husband is taking the day off work tomorrow and changing the control arms. If that doesn't solve the problem I will send pics. Either way I will be back and give an update.

 

[cam3439]

the whole front end jerks to the right then back to the left but it doesn't wobble like that.
I didn't mention that when i accelerate my front tires pull in and squeal like they're breaking traction.

What exactly do you mean by this? Have you tried lifting the truck and trying to move the wheel? When the truck is lifted (in the front, one wheel lifted at a time), check for play from the wheel. Grab your wheel on the right and left and pull the left side and push on the right side then vice versa. Do the same for the top and bottom. Does this do anything?

Another thing to check is to lift the whole front end up and try to turn one tire at a time (as if steering to the right or left). Check if the other tire is moving at the same time or has some delay.

Would you be able to post up a video on Youtube and link it to us?

 

[Star]

Had a change of plans today, my husband did not change the control arms because I took it to another 4x4 shop and they said that's not my problem. They did say they're a little cracked but not bad enought to be causing the problem.
This is what they've found so far:

1) Passenger uper ball joint is shot (was just changed 3 weeks ago)

2) Outer tie rod ends have alot of play (inner was changed previously, not outer)

3) Front torsion bars need to be replaced because they are fully extended and no adjustment left in them

They also recommend new shocks and think my rear springs may be weak and need to be replaced with a heavier-duty set. They say they won't be sure about the rear-end until the front end is tightened up.

It's still at the shop right now so I can't get any pics or video posted at this time.

Any thoughts??

 

[cam3439]

"The third cause is the track bar. My lift kit didn't feel the need to supply a longer track bar, they felt all that was needed was for you to merely drill a new hole in the axle bracket, this is not a permanent solution at all. I managed to blow out the ball joint at the end of the track bar within weeks of installing my lift. This blown-out joint allowed for side to side play in the steering and would only help the shimmy along. Get a track bar with a beefy heim joint that is adjustable in length. This makes for a very solid mount and should you ever wear out your heim, you can easily replace it. Several companies make track bars that are heim jointed, and they are not very expensive. Plus, you do gain a little more flex with a track bar that is properly bent to fit large lifts, and we all know you can't get enough flex."

...this is from the link I had provided before, but I don't really understand what you're trying to describe. To me it sounded like the wobble. Since you don't have the truck, you can't perform the "tests" that I described above. Does this only happen during acceleration? Have you noticed a humming noise from the front end other than the tires?

Here's the link again...

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=261532

...if it doesn't work again type "death wobble" into google and click on the link that has a title with "remedies for jeep death wobble"