why cant I go past 45mph?

So im a newbie here and i cannot figure out why my Jeep wont go past 45 Once I hit about 40mph it feels like i am floating and starts to swerve everywhere is this normal? I have a v8 that has tons of power and the engine wants to go faster but the body of the jeep doesn't...

 

Lifted? Details about suspension and overall conditions?

If you search there are lots and lots of old posts about this. I'd suggest you look through the old posts so you can focus your question a little more.

A stock condition '72 can be driven well beyond legal speeds with no difficulty or uneasiness; they are plenty stable at highway speeds.

 

as tim suggests, see if you can be more specific regarding how your cj's set up.

could be alignment needs to be set. tires not inflated enough, even type of tire, excess play in steering although these would show up to some extent at lower speeds.

check everything from the body mounts to the springs. make sure all is tightened down to spec's.

until we have more information on your cj's condition and set up it's hard to make any suggestions.

one thing for sure is that if there's a problem there will at least one or two regulars on this site who will be able to help you with it. other's have helped me through some tough problems on mine. although i'm still not confident in my 69 over 60 to 65mph. but then when i'm in my cj, i'm really not in that much of a hurry to get anywhere.

don't worry about asking too many questions.

 

heres something simple to check - are you out of low range in the transfer case? that makes a BIG difference in top speed!

 

Not to mention that if he is in low range, he would also be in 4wd which could account for the funny handling he is experiencing.

 

Maybe the speed limit of the road is 45. Try a faster road!

 

Not if the front hubs aren't locked in....
I run that way all the time in my F-250 yard dog pushing the other junkers around.
At one time I ran it (for 2 years) with 4:10 gears front and 3:73 rears. as long as it was not on asphalt, you couldn't tell. Never goes on the street, so no problem.

 

The fact that he said the engine wants to go faster but the body of the Jeep doesn't leads me to believe that he's not in 4-low. The engine would be screaming at 45mph in 4-low.

Besides that, the symptoms he describes are floating and swerving, which are poor handling characteristics but totally unrelated to low-range vs. high-range.

I suspect worn suspension parts: worn wheel bearings or ball joints, worn tie-rod ends, worn spring bushings, worn steering box or something similar. Oversized or biased ply tires can cause wander too, especially on uneven road surfaces.

 

well heres everything my jeep has
amc v8 36, t-18 4 speed tranny w/6:32 1st gear, dana 44 rear w/ 3.73 gears/ 30 spline axles, 6" total lift (2" body / 4" suspension) and tires are 33X12.50X15 procomp Xterrans which have about 35-40% thread the jeep isn't in 4wd at all ive checked that as well im guessing it might be shocks but worn shocks wouldn't cause it to be that bad would it?

 

Sounds to me like steering might be worn out.

 

Donnie and I just recently experienced said Death Wobble that you describe. After doing some research, we discovered that it was worn bearings in the ball joints. Put your front axle up on blocks and pull yourr wheels, disconnect your steering rods from the front wheels and use a regular fish scale to pull your wheel joints back and forth. left to right. the resistance should measure somewhere near 16 lbs per wheel side. If it is much lower, you will certainly experience said symptoms you described.

The solution then is to replace the ball joint bearings and add or remove shims as necessary to create the proper resistance. I know it sounds like an unlikley culprit, but Donnie and I have fixed death wobble in two jeeps the past few months with this same cause.

 

With that much lift you want to make sure the spring bushings are in top condition as well.

 

I know this could be a bit of a stretch, but it almost sounds like he's getting 'air lift' under his rig. When I was young, (Long, Long Ago, In A Galaxy Far Away...) I had the same thing happen in my 'Special Services' Fury III. At 120mph the front end just felt like it was floating. (Then power steering belt jumped, made instant lane change, slowed down to pull over and change shorts, cop caught up with me... long story!)

 

I used to have a Dodge Dart that did that at about 145 (yes. verified), all steering feel went away. I think it would be tough to get a Jeep airborne at 40mph, though R)

 

With a decent head start at a dirt pile it's the easiest and most natural thing in the world.

I'm thinking ignition advance. Don't these things have goofy switch on tranny that senses third gear and routes the signal to some other vacuum switch to retard timing in road gear with high vacuum? I can't remember how it was supposed to work but I used to know. Does "used to knowing" count?

Chilly

 

Wait a second. I re-read his post and I may have interpreted it wrong. Does it feel like you run out of power as if you're dragging a sail, or does the engine have all sorts of giddayap left but you're skeered to unleash the beast because it's all over the road? If it's purely a handling problem I guess I don't have to tell you that ignition timing won't correct that.

I'm banking your spring eye and shackle bushings are beat. Fix what's cheap and easy first. They're a consumable item. They wear out. Even if that isn't the only cause they're probably still due. Wanna set of black poly ones that'll fit your rig? PM me if yours are shot and you want replacements real cheap. If you intend to install lift springs anytime soon they'll probably come with a set so maybe now is a good time to do the kit. Save some repeat work later.

Chilly

 

yea it feels like the engine has a ton of power but once i hit 45 I pretty much **** my pants since it goes all over the road and with wind especially it feels like im going to tip over.. It will drive fine on dirt but on HWY its a living hell haha.. I am replacing the shocks today maybe that will help but the bushings do look worn ill pm you for a price