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Brake Problem (Only in Reverse) this cant be good!!

7K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  RoSs 
#1 ·
Ok this only happens when I'm backing up...... When im in reverse and hit the brakes I hear a loud "thud". You can feel it in the steering wheel and in the jeep its self. When this happens the steering wheel jerks to the right then goes back to where it was. I got my girl to get in the jeep and do this while I watched from in front of the jeep and when the brakes are hit it looks like the whole front axle housing shifts or kinda sucks up tight towards the belly of my jeep. Also when this happens the front tires jerk in very violently. Its like there is some kind of slack in the front end and when you hit the brakes it pulls the tires in and the axle housing up and tightens everything up. I've never seen ne thing like this. Thanks for any and all help.
 
#2 ·
Probably a bad bushing, possibly in a control arm. Try watching the front-end and control arms for unwanted movement while a friend turns the steering wheel back & forth. The Jeep must be on the ground for this to work, don't jack it up for this test.
 
#5 ·
I was looking at my control arm bushings the other day and they all seemed pretty solid. There wasn't any play in them when I was pulling on them but I will try that Jerry. And if there is a broken bolt in the caliper it should be pretty obvious right. There's just 4 that hold it on correct.
 
#6 ·
Yep just two bolts per caliper. Make sure if you remove them not to tighten them too hard when you reinstall them, 13 ft-lbs is the spec. They only thread into aluminum which has been stripped out by more than one Jeeper using their 1/2" ratchet drive. :eek: If you don't have a torque wrench, just tighten them so they are good & snug using nothing bigger than a 3/8" drive ratchet wrench or a short box-end wrench. :)
 
#7 ·
I checked for any play in the control arms and it all looked pretty solid. The only time this can be reproduced is if I get in the brakes hard. Regular stopping won't make it do that. I looked around behind the wheel to the back of the caliper and they both feel snug and look to be ok but I'm gonna pull the wheel to get a good all around look and so I can pull the bolts to check them out. Ill keep yall posted. Thanks for the help, guys like yall make the forum what it is.:punk:
 
#9 ·
ok, so now that im paying more attention to the front end of my jeep ive noticed that whenever i hit a pothole or washboard in the road i get the same sound from the front end that i do when i am in reverse hitting the brakes. CLUNK CLUNK!!! I am fairly sure the problem is control arm bushings. The calipers are very snug and so are the bolts. I have another thread with pictures of the control arms. If yall wouldnt mind hitting that one up to see if u can put a brand on my lift that the jeep came with. Are bushings brand specific??? The thread is called "control arm woes!!!"
 
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