Rear alxe counter weight? and hard shifting

[NHWK05]

Is the hanging thingy near the yoke of the rear axle a counter weight or sumtin?

I have also noticed that my jeep seems to shift hard once in a while under certain situations only where it feels like its shifting hard in to 2nd gear. Usually only when i drive it hard.

Could this be like Joe's tranny mount issue? or CPS?

BTW, i only have a major drive train warranty, so i dont think its covered if its a small part type of thing. But i will have to check the details of my warranty, its only a 2/20k extended warranty i bought when i bought the jeep.

[Scottina06]

show me a pic....my jeep is not here right now and I cant picture in my mind what you are speaking of....

[NHWK05]

I dont have any pics right now but its basically a flat arm arched from the pinion to the pass side with 2 round things on it that look like small free weights. Mine happen to have oil on them and the gas tank as i have a small pinion seal leak. i will snap a pic tomorrow.

[Scottina06]

the sway bar?

[NHWK05]

the sway bar?

Um, No.

damnit, i just went out to take a pic and my camera battery died. WTF.

Oh snap, gonna go borrow my dads digital slr, pics momentarily.

[LTrainGC]

I dont have any pics right now but its basically a flat arm arched from the pinion to the pass side with 2 round things on it that look like small free weights. Mine happen to have oil on them and the gas tank as i have a small pinion seal leak. i will snap a pic tomorrow.

I know what you are talking about... I've always wondered what that thing is too - there is one on the front as well IIRC.

[NHWK05]

I know what you are talking about... I've always wondered what that thing is too - there is one on the front as well IIRC.

I dont remember seeing one on the front, but i didnt really look either. i am uploading pics now.

[NHWK05]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/xtremejeeper/Random%20Jeeps%20and%20stuff/thingy.jpg
Yes i know i have a pinion seal leak. lol

[Scottina06]

hmmm....no idea

[LTrainGC]

I gotta assume it is some kind of balance weight.

[NHWK05]

Thats what i think, I figure the weight is in the opposite of the spin direction so it may just be a counter weight.

[Dylans3960ccs]

It could be a bump stop of some sort?

[NHWK05]

Highly doubtful.Its all metal and there is nothing near it to contact. I have seen similar things on HD pickup trucks.

[jkram]

It's a vibration dampener. My '05 had it. They didn't use them after 05.

Oh, it has nothing to do with hard shifting, but I've read allot of threads about WKs shifting hard.

[NHWK05]

OK thanks. thats weird that they stopped using them after 05 b/c alot of people complain about vibes in WKs.

the hard shifting part was an add on to the thread, i knew it had nothing to do with that thingy.

[Scottina06]

maybe in 06 they went with a different drive shaft

[jkram]

maybe in 06 they went with a different drive shaft
My early '05 had all kinds of vibrations and shift issues. I think they thought that thing would help, it didn't help mine. My '06 is so different, so they changed something.

[jkram]

Oh, I just reread your post. I can make mine shift hard if I "lift" at just the right time. Kind of when it's just ready to shift. The more computers they put in these cars the more weird things happen. The old mechanical trannys shifted nice.

[Dylans3960ccs]

^^ x2