Loose Axle

BBD · May 7th 2004

I was helping to do some work on another jeep last night.
and I needed to pull a part off my Jeep blown motor to fix his.

As you know the grill and fenders are off mine so as I was wrenching
I dropped a socket and went down to get it as I got up I grabbed the drivers side tire and pulled on it.

The tire moved to the rear about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I then grabbed the tire and attempted to rotate it. It moved again. Not the Jeep but just the axle on the drivers side.

Looks like the axle U bolts are loose and it is allowing the axle to jump around.

This explains the broken degree shim and the bad tire ware I have been having on only this tire.

**Slimer** · May 7th 2004

Thank God it didn't let go while you were driving down the road!

**astape** · May 8th 2004

I have had u-bolts loosen on me. I just make a habit of checking them once and a while.

fatfarm · May 25th 2004

mine drive me nuts, i have the stupid bump stops on top of the axle and they always roll forward making the u-bolts very loose. I've had to stop worrying about it or i would have to tighten them twice a week. just an excuse to toss those bump stops i guess.

scramblejim · May 25th 2004

If the nuts on the ubolts are unthreading, you can try what we did in the Army to keep track block bolts from loosening due to vibration: booger up the threads right at the nut with a chisel and hammer. Dont get too carried away, it will make it difficult should you have to remove them (we used to just use a 1,000 ft lbs hydraulic impact wrench to break them off) but you wont have to worry about them walking off again. and its better than drilling a hole in the bolt and putting a cotter pin through it.

Loose Axle

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