2003 WJ Wheel Bearing and Trailing Arm Replacement

[markredgum]

Hi

Had my WJ in for a service and asked them to have a look at the suspension as it was clunking a bit in the rear.

Report has come back with:
- LH front and RH rear wheel bearings having movement
- LH and RH lower trailing arm bushes are cracked
- Rear upper trailing arm bushes are cracked
- Rear lower link-pin bushes have movement

So, it appears I need a bit of work done on the suspension.
Before I get the mechanic to do the work, I was wondering if there are any higher quality (or cheaper) after-market parts that I should consider?

I carry a bit of weight in the back with a drifta camp kitchen, fridge, dual battery, recovery gear etc.
I already have the OME 2" lift with the heavy duty springs fitted.

Any tips?

[bodgie]

The original bushes are fine, you can go for poly bushes but these can make the ride harsher or so I'm told.

The easiest way to buy the bushes is to buy replacement lower and upper control arms /A-arm. Wooders sell them at a very reasonable price, or you can import from RockAuto et al, or buy from Jeep.

While you are there replace the rear a-arm balljoint as it is likely to be shagged. It will be a bit higher when you get it back and it will drive loads better.

HTH,

Jason

[Turismo07]

Be careful of the control arms (CA) from Rockauto, the Dorman brand def but the other's aren't any diff apparently are cheap as they are made out of stamped light grade sheet metal that is welded to form the tubular design of the stock WJ CA's and weigh literally half the weight. Whereas the stock CA's are actually true rectangular tubing and made from much higher grade steel and are quite beefy in stock form.

Nick Kolak in the US can hook you up with stock CA's that are legit for a fair price or talk to Wooders like bodgie said as his are most likely legit as well. Or just replace them with aftermarket CA's that are even stronger and have more durable bushes (can choose rubber type if you prefer) for fairly decent pricing in the states. The reason I mention to get complete replacement CA's instead of just the bushes is because in my experience the bushes here in Aust are massively expensive to buy and then have fitted, its actually cheaper to buy aftermarket adjustable CA's and have them shipped then replace the stock bushes...

If you are going to replace the rear upper balljoint which is a good idea, they're quite cheap from IRO, and so are their CA's. Check them out.

The WJ's and most US 4wd's/trucks have a sealed 'unit bearing assembly' for the wheel bearing/hubs on the front. These can be purchased quite cheaply from the states or eBay. Check out Rockauto for these. I've heard that the eBay ones can be cheaper quality made in China. I have personally purchased a set before on eBay and they 'seemed' fine but who knows what their longevity was like as I sold my Jeep not long after fitting them. Same goes for your rear wheel bearing, check Rockauto.

You could save yourself some coin as well by doing the work yourself as your list of parts to replace are actually quite simple to change.

[bodgie]

Originally Posted by Turismo07

Be careful of the control arms (CA) from Rockauto, the Dorman brand def but the other's aren't any diff apparently are cheap as they are made out of stamped light grade sheet metal that is welded to form the tubular design of the stock WJ CA's and weigh literally half the weight. Whereas the stock CA's are actually true rectangular tubing and made from much higher grade steel and are quite beefy in stock form.

The arms Wooders sell are OMIX ADA and are like this. Personally don't feel there is a quality issue or that they are any weaker than the original arms for normal offroad use.

If you are going to rock hop then this may create some problems for you

Jason

[markredgum]

Thanks for the advice
I'll definitely get the rear a-arm done at the same time.
While I appreciate that it is fairly straightforward to change these parts, I've neither the tools or experience to do it. I'd doubtless end up with one seized nut that I'd proceed to strip!