Drive Shimmy, and a bunch of noise, and some missing parts?

[drcomanche]

Well, after getting the Comanche on the road, there are some small thing(some not so small), that I have noticed. Overall, for a vehicle that hasn't gone over 35 mph for about 3 years, it handles 55 quite well.

#1 At about 45, there is a rapid vibration that lasts until I hit about 48. It vibrates the hell out of the truck, but no real death wobble results from it.

 

#2 The truck DOES have death wobble, but it really takes quite a bump to coax it out of the truck. I have had the unfortunate experience of it only a few times, but it's never very often. Slight bumps don't really do anything to it, except one time when I was going around a broad left hand turn at 50 or so.

 

#3 While driving, whenever I come to a stop, the engine stays revving at about 1500 rpm for a few seconds and then drops back down to 1000.

 

#4 Every time I turn, I can hear a popping sound from drivers side underside of the truck. I had heard this before and noticed that my track bar drop bracket bolts were a bit loose, and it was moving up and down on the upper bolts. I tightened them down enough that I broke multiple tools to do it, but got it. I still hear a popping from that area though.

 

#5 I'm not sure if it's just the age of the transmission, but sometimes, I have a REAL problem getting it out of a gear or into another. Like I have to full on jam it in. It doesn't grind, it's just tough, like it's locked into gear. When I'm driving, on occasion the shift feels a bit rough, but general slides right into gear.

 

#6 There are a whole slew of noises from the engine and that area that. One is whenever I let off the gas while going maybe 30 to 50 mph, I can hear a very light grinding or tapping noise. It's not valve tap(although the truck does have that) but it also happens whenever I get it up over 2000 rpms at those speeds too.

 

#7 Lastly, does anyone know where I can get the plugs that go into the floorboards and firewalls. I have one on the drivers side, but the passengers side plug is missing, and I have no firewall plugs. It would help a lot with keeping noise out of the cab and the warm air in for the upcoming winter.

 

Thanks for the help in advance, and hopefully, with a little work, this will be a minor process.

:cheers:

[shawn]

i think it will be mostly a minor process. --- its a great truck that needs to be driven to get the bugs out ( although a few dollars may have to be spent). a few things i would look at right away are getting the front tires balanced, check the trac-bar at both ends, and see about the steering u-joints. ( is there rusty coloured dust around one or both of them --that was the popping sound that my 89 made -they were shot!).

as far as being difficult to shift goes, that may be caused by the fact that its revving higher than it should ( mine was doing that too) and that in turn is most likely a sensor that needs replacing. get it diagnosed.

drive it alot and good luck.

[carnuck]

Check the tracbar nut isn't loose on the frame on the driver's side.

[mvusse]

My best guess on the popping sound is a wallowed out hole on the frame end track bar bracket allowing the track bar to move when enough force is applied. This would also explain the death wobble. But it can't hurt to check the steering box mounting bolts as well as the frame around them and the tie rod ends.

 

The vibration at 45-48 mph is probably tire balance.

 

The hard shifting could be because of the clutch not or barely disengaging fully. Might be a problem with the slave cylinder, or could just need bleeding.

 

Check your front axle u joints at the wheels.

[Dirteatr717]

My track bar bolts are all wallowed out so I just tack welded it at every corner, for the plugs your best bet is getting one from a Cherokee at the junkyard