Ok so I have a pop / binding feeling that feels like it is driver side that I feel in the gas pedal. It almost feels driveline related. I can only feel it when I am going 40 mph or more dont feel it at slow speeds and I don’t feel it making turns. This is what I have done and checked. I have a 2.5 lift and have rechecked and torqued all CA’s track bar checked all steering components. Have taken off front driveshaft and the feeling is not as prodominant but still there. I have jacked up front end and turned steering wheel and no popping. I did find however a slight bit of movement in my axle joints. Could this be my culprit? To feel a slight pop/bind at 45 mph going straight and no popping on turns? Also the pop feel is never audible I can only feel it. Also it is not constant it is very intermittent.

please any advice would be appreciated I feel like I am chasing a ghost.

 

Any suggestions?

 

You said your axle shaft u-joints have play? They would clunk more in turns vs a straight line. Driveshafts (assuming they're stock and not aftermarket with u-joints) will make a clicking sound when they go bad.

I know you've already done it, but this does sound like something torque related. I had a similar issue recently, I would feel a pop after backing out of my garage and driving forward. I had already checked the torque on all my control arms and track bars twice. It finally went away after I broke all 16 control arm bolts loose (actually back the nut off a few turns), track bars loose, violently bounced the Jeep front and rear, and torqued every bolt back to spec. Check all your shock bolts as well, usually the fronts loosen up at the top mount. Double check your sway bar links.

How many miles on your Jeep? 6 speed or auto? Stock axles? Check your pinion bearings too; grab the driveshaft with your hands and push up and down. If there's any play where the driveshaft mounts to your axle, your bearings are blown.

 

So yes I have already done the loosen and shake and retighten everything. Also double checked shock bolts. The pinion bearing would be out of play due to I have the front driveshaft off at this time trying to isolate the source. Jeep has 93k miles on it. I will be changing the ujoints this weekend due to feeling some play there and will pull the diff cover and inspect gears. I just think even though the ujoints have some play in them that it wouldn’t cause a pop/bind feeling going straight. Again the feeling is not audible I can only feel it at higher speeds 40 mph and higher don’t feel anything when I turn and nothing abnormal when hitting bumps? So don’t know. Again the ujoints are going to be replaced anyway due to the play I feel in them which isn’t much but it’s there.

 

So yes I felt it not long after having axle seals replaced. I am not taking it back to them. So they may have screwed my diff. I would hope not with just axle seals. It’s not like they replaced gears. Either way will be looking into this week end and inspecting the diff. I would think of it was the diff I would feel it at all speeds and not just 45mph + and it would be more constant not so random.

 

Theoretically, you could screw this up if you did not put the carrier shims back in exactly as they were (which would alter the backlash), but that is HIGHLY unlikely to be what happened. What you have going on here is pretty odd since it's not an audible noise. If there was something wrong in the diff, and u-joint, or really even any joint, you typically either get a noise or feel it in the steering wheel. Feeling it in the skinny peddle is very strange IMO.

 

I'm certainly no expert at all but with the higher speed feeling..have you looked at your rear drive shaft? They are balanced and with something getting loose it could cause that at higher speeds. It seems logical to me especially with everything you've tried but again I'm no mechanic. Weird problem for sure.