Steering box weirdness

All the ball joints, tie-rods, and unihubs are tight and the car still wants to "dart" left or right when I make steeering input even on good quality roads. It feels like the steering input is slightly delayed or something...which maybe prompts me to input MORE...then the car darts over.

It isn't bad enough to keep me from driving the jeep but I would not want my wife & kids in the car.

I am thinking steering box. Does this sound like I could adjust the problem away or is a new box in order?

Could it be something other than the steering box?

The shaft from the wheel to the gear box has u-joints in it. Might check those.

This has been covered many many times here. Do a search.

We would also need to know what you are driving.....

For instance, 91to99 said to check the u-joints.... My 98 only has 1 u-joint.

If you are thinking of adjusting the box, the only right way to do it is on the bench with the proper tools.... Do it wrong and your Jeep could kill you by not letting the steering return to center while you are driving it.....

I did a search: three million pages of stuff that DNA.

It's a '94 with 212,000 on the clock. U-joints are a possible...I will look them over tomorrow.

Also, I jacked up the front end and, holding the left and right wheels at 12:00 o'clock and 6:00 o'clock, vigorous reefing on the wheel produces maybe 1/8" of play. Could this be the source? I keep on top of the unihubs, etc., but have not had the front end off the ground since the last time I rotated tires. When I checked, I did find a smidge of play - nothing to write home about, but it's there.

Also, I took it for another roll and found that whether or not I input steering changes it will "dart". No huge drama but enough to keep wife out of the driver's seat.

Finally, I have a Detroit Locker in the back end that does produce some impetus BUT I cannot believe that is the cause...the steering issue is there whether I am on/off the throttle - it is always there.

Best way to find this problem is to have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth while you scope out things from underneath. Ever replace the track bar?

cruiser54 said:

Best way to find this problem is to have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth while you scope out things from underneath. Ever replace the track bar?

Click to expand...

I'm going to have my wife help with that this weekend. The last time I checked, the track bar seemed OK...but that is a good idea. I looked on the internet - looks like you just buy the part and bolt it in...there is a write-up on replacing the bushings but it seems like a TON of work to save $100.

If you haven't replaced the track bar, that's where I'd be looking. Also observe the bracket that it bolts on to at the frame rail.

The track bar could have a worn TRE on the frame side and/or a worn bushing on the rubber side. Like you said, you basically just unbolt the old one and bolt the new one in. However, you have to remove the press-fit ball stud of the TRE from the frame bracket, and both times I've done this it tooked prolonged beating with a BFH and a pickle fork. There's no room to use any kind of puller there.

When you get the old bar off, take a look at the bolt hole in the axle end. It is common for that hole to wear and become oblong, which will introduce a small amount of slop in the trackbar. There are few ways to deal with this.

When you go to install the new track bar, install the frame end first. Getting the cotter pin in can be kind of a pain. When you go to install the axle end, you'll probably find that the holes in the axle bracket and track bar bushing do not quite line up. Just have someone turn the steering wheel slightly, which will shift the axle side to side, until you can get the bolt through.

Thanks for the step-by-step it is a big help. I've had the whole front axle out of this thing before and if memory serves, it was a PITB.

I'm going to have my wife woggle the wheel while I look it over this weekend. It seems to me the last time I looked the TRE on the track bar was fresh...but the previous owner had replaced quite a few parts and failed to tighten anything down. He just tossed the parts in and parked it...that is the condition it was in when I bought it, literally, out of a barn. I tightened everything up and have been driving it for a year. I can stand it as is but my wife is worried so I'm going to fix it.

Thanks to all for the pointers. Let me try u-joints, track bar, and some general snooping around and I'll report back. I researched the steering box adjustment and do NOT want to mess with it. I'll replace it if necessary.

Is your Jeep lifted or stock?

If the jeep is lifted, you may have screwed up your caster. Caster is there to keep the vehicle wanting to go in a straight line. If you reduce the caster or in the case of many lifted vehicles, have the caster go negative, you end up with a vehicle that wants to do anything but go in a straight line.

There are 1 and 3/4 inch pucks installed in front...not enough to change the caster I wouldn't think. In any case, it was doing the same thing before the pucks.

I've got 31 x 10.50's on it which is why I stuck the pucks in there. Before those tires went on, it had 235 75r 15's and had the same exact problem. In fact, I have had three different sets of wheels & tires on it in part trying to correct the problem.

The 31's I got from a friend - brand new Goodyear RTS mounted on American Racing aluminum wheels for $200. Could not pass that up so I put pucks in to help the clearance...and did a little strategic knife work on the wheel lip surrounds.

Great idea though - negative caster would sure cause the problem. How do you check...just to make SURE?

Take it to an alignment shop.

My truck wanders a bit as well.... 4.5" long arm lift. My caster is 3.6* it should be somewhere around 7-1/2*

If you have checked everything else out, it might be worth it to take it to an alignment shop and have it checked. I just did and it was 90 bucks. Aside from checking the alignment, they checked all the components for excessive wear.

And I've got 90 days to have it rechecked for free if I decide to tinker with it.

The alignment shop is an excellent idea. I wound up working on my hay baler all day Friday and digging French drains all day Saturday and Sunday. The XJ sat in the barn.

Besides, the alignment shop will have a ton more experience diagnosing what is wrong that I ever will.