Too Bouncy for beginners

[Dvaltz]

Just purchase my 5th jeep (93 YJ 4cyl 5 spd) but it has been almost 10 years too long since my last. It was a work in progress and the previous owner has replaced the springs (stamped Canada?) Problem is it is extremely bouncy!!! It bucks like a bronco until you back off the gas and put in the clutch. My 16 and 17 year old sons cannot even drive it as it takes a man of experience to keep it on the road. I recently had the shocks changed to stock as this was going to be a strictly street jeep for them but not much difference.
Do I replace the springs back to stock? Wife won't ride in it and frankly it will knock the fillings out of your teeth if you dont prepare for potholes etc. I feel like I am riding my dirt bike and have even noticed myself rising off the seat a little when approaching obstacles LOL Any advice??

 

[Sine Deviance]

:lol:

Well... I don't know where to start... I'd guess that you should swap in some stock springs first. You might want to replace the shocks with OEM recommended as well. Those two together should bring it back to normal.

 

[Rubiconrich]

check your air in your tires should not be over 30 PSI.

 

[Dogbytz]

Aren't they "supposed" to be bouncy? To me, thats half the fun...

 

[Sine Deviance]

Aren't they "supposed" to be bouncy? To me, thats half the fun...

Yeah, YJ's are pretty bouncy regardless. Still, I don't think it should be so bouncy it's uncontrollable.

 

[xt master]

Are the tires balanced correctly?
If it stops bouncing when you leave off the gas maybe the problem is in the drive train.Could also be steering causing death wobble.

 

[jfrabat]

Could be a number of things... Including spring warping, loose components, tires overinflated, shocks that are just too hard, or lift springs that are too rough. Sorry I cannot be of much help, but have you ridden a YJ or CJ to compare it? That could be a benchmark to hit...

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

To me, bouncing and 'bucking like a bronco' are two different things. YJ's will 'buck like a bronco' if you have too much foot on the accelerator, the bouncing jeep makes your foot bounce and the problem continues to escalate. To fix this, back your foot off so only your toes are on the gas pedal, makes driving much more manageable.

If it's bouncing wildly when you hit holes, it could be the springs are too stiff or they were installed improperly. The springs won't flex and absorb bumps if the shackle bolts were overtightened. Loosen the shackle bolts a bit and flex the suspension, easily done by driving over a shallow ditch at an angle.

BTW, welcome to the Z. Stick around and ask lots of questions, great place to learn.

 

[camsyj95]

What size tires are on the jeep? PSI in them is also important. Only other thing it could be is leaf springs need replaced, like mine have flattened out over time so theres not much flex left in them, and they need replaced but havent had time or money to do so lately so I've learned to put up with it for now!

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Is there a lunch box lock in the pumpkins? That will make the road manners bad. Also, check and see if longer shackles were swapped in for lift. They are always bad at best. A teenager should be able to comfortably drive a YJ when in proper order. The others advice on steering system etc is spot on too; check it all.

 

[Dvaltz]

Thanks to all who have contributed insight into this issue.
I am currently investigating all solutions and will report back with the results. This is an awesome sight! Wish it would have been around for my first CJ7 back in 1973 it would have helped save a lot of wasted effort trying to resolve issues. THANKS TO ALL !! Dvaltz 8)

 

[Collin the Hen]

my first CJ7 back in 1973 8)

You can time travel?! :shock:

"Quickly Marty, get in the Delor... er, Jeep CJ7!"

 

[Saddle Tramp]

You can time travel?! :shock:

"Quickly Marty, get in the Delor... er, Jeep CJ7!"

Devaltz-

What Collin is trying to say is the CJ7 didn’t exist until 1976 so it must have been a CJ5 you bought in 1973. (Or you time traveled.)

 

[Dvaltz]

My mistake or Oldtimers disease
> Bought it in 77 it must have been then a 1976 6 cyl w/ auto trans. One of the first I had seen.
I made the following mods
> Offenhauser intake manifold and small Holley 4 bbl carb w/ hooker header set up by JEGs in Columbus to match their notorius AMC Pacer 1/4 miler. Western turbine mags w Mickey Thompson 31in tires 4 in lift kit and a Hickey full roll cage to the frame.
> Very strong runner on the street and at the beach but in the woods low end left little to be desired!

 

[buckshot500]

Does it ride better when loaded down with weight?

If you put a winch on the front, & something heavy in the back & it rides perfectly then you'll have a winch & the ability to tote large amounts of tools & spare parts when wheeling! Plus you can add goodies like a full cage & bumpers & a tire swing.


I run my R235/15LT's around 26-28 psi.

My stock springs are too wheezed to haul much gear & I'll be looking for stiffer ones when I do the axle swap.

 

[Alacran]

Does the Jeep still have the trac bars? You might consider removing those. I removed mine and noticed an immediate improvement in the ride. If you don't like how it handles or rides you can always put them back. Won't cost anything but time.