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About steering gear boxes

Rodrigo_XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tenerife(Spain)
Hello XJers,

My steereing box is working fine with no leaks but each time I turn the steering makes a very bothering cracking noise. Firstly I tought It was not tightly screwed to the unibody but thats is not the problem.

Any idea?....................I think I will have to swap it. For that case I´ve been browsing on Ebay and there are some of them for Grand Cherokees or XJ post-90 (non Renix). I wonder if they will fit and work on my 88 Wagoneer.

Any entries welcomed

Kind regards
 
Have you tried putting your xj on jackstands and have someone move the steering while you watch/listen for the problem?
 
I'm fairly sure it isn't - but it's easy to test, and you don't even need to lift the vehicle.

1) Grab each joint in your steering setup with one hand to either side of the joint (just a few inches away should do.) Try to shake the joint - you should be able to turn the parts relative to each other (that's the ball stud inside the tie rod end working properly,) but there should be no loose play (think "rattle" - it shouldn't make any noise, but you should get the idea) when you move it about. Do this for each joint - including drag link to Pitman arm (at the steering gear) and at each wheel.

2) Grab a big pair of pliers (something akin to the picture below) and compress each joint, one at a time. The joint shouldn't compress more than about 1/8" (it is spring-loaded) and should fully rebound. You don't have to, but it's useful to repeat the "handshake" test in step (1) after the rebound test. This ensures that the spring under the ball stud hasn't lost tension.

Channellock_Tongue_and_Groove_Pliers_428_Shop_Tools-resized200.jpg


This is a simple test, the pliers are the most complex thing you'll need, and you should have them anyhow (a large pair of pliers is useful for many things.) And, you're done in about 20 minutes.

This also applies to the track bar-to frame rail ball stud joint, if you suspect it (and your pliers are large enough.) The lower end of the track bar is a bushed joint, and the two checks for that are torque on the screw and checking to see if the rubber has gone soft on you (you can use a medium-sized knitting needle to check this. The size about 1/4" thick in the handle should be about right.)

The best tests are cheap, easy, and quick!
 
Thank you very much!!!!!

Hope you´re right..............now I will have to translate your explanation as my english isn´t good enough to understand it completely :((((((

After translation I will check it.

Thank you very much again
 
I have read it again and I think I understand what I have to do.

So do you think it is a joint issue?

I will do it but I tried to locate the noise while my brother was turning the steering and the noise came from the gearbox.

Anyway hope you are right.

Ummmmmmmmmmmm..........a Grand Cherokee gear box will fit and work on my Waggy??
Excuse me but im pessimist with that..........I had to swap it on my old XJ :(

Thanks!
 
Just for grins I checked the part number for a 1995 GC against a 1988 XJ and they have the same part numbers.
 
Just for grins I checked the part number for a 1995 GC against a 1988 XJ and they have the same part numbers.

Makes sense - Jeep vehicles have used Saginaw steering for donkey's years. ChryCo likes Saginaw as well - the oddball was Ford, with their TRW steering setup.

The XJ and MJ use the metric Saginaw setup, so it stands to reason that the ZJ would use it as well (probably the YJ and TJ while we're about it - the ZJ would also use the same ratio, which was indicated by the common part number.)
 
Just for grins I checked the part number for a 1995 GC against a 1988 XJ and they have the same part numbers.

The 92-1/2-98 ZJ steering gear boxes are not the same steering gear boxes and do not carry the same part numbers in the AMC/Mopar part manuals. They will interchange however, both have the same 3-bolt Saginaw mounting. But the internals are different. XJ boxes have a steering ratio of 14.1:1 or higher; the 92-1/2-98 ZJ boxes are 12.7:1 and are much quicker.

The pitman shaft sweep (full lock to full lock) on all 1992 1/2 through 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee power gears will be a sweep 87 1/2 degrees.

The number of input shaft turns (full lock to full lock) will be 3.1 revolutions. XJ boxes are almost 4 revolutions lock-to-lock. But some have internal limiters, so starting it up and counting the revolutions lock-to-lock is not a valid test.

With all that being said, the 92-1/2-98 ZJ boxes are a bolt-ins for XJs, but the steering will be quicker. I have a ZJ box in my MJ, and definitely prefer it over the stock box. And both are variable ratio boxes.
 
mine was making a cracking noise everytime i turned and it ended up being that stupid aluminum spacer between the frame rail and gearbox, it was broke and letting everything move around, i replaced it and there was no more noise.

just a thought
 
mine was making a cracking noise everytime i turned and it ended up being that stupid aluminum spacer between the frame rail and gearbox, it was broke and letting everything move around, i replaced it and there was no more noise.

just a thought

Makes sense!!!

I will pull oyt the gear box this afternoon to check that.....as I told the noise came from the gear box and the strange thing I noted after tight the 3 screws was a little gearbox movement.

Could be, could be..........

Thanks jmax and everydody!!!!!!!!
 
I am going to suggest an alignment, just to throw it out there. I had the same "pop" noise and got an alignment and it was gone!
 
Also check your trackbar mount, if its flexing it can cause the same noise.
 
The 92-1/2-98 ZJ steering gear boxes are not the same steering gear boxes and do not carry the same part numbers in the AMC/Mopar part manuals. They will interchange however, both have the same 3-bolt Saginaw mounting. But the internals are different. XJ boxes have a steering ratio of 14.1:1 or higher; the 92-1/2-98 ZJ boxes are 12.7:1 and are much quicker.

The pitman shaft sweep (full lock to full lock) on all 1992 1/2 through 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee power gears will be a sweep 87 1/2 degrees.

The number of input shaft turns (full lock to full lock) will be 3.1 revolutions. XJ boxes are almost 4 revolutions lock-to-lock. But some have internal limiters, so starting it up and counting the revolutions lock-to-lock is not a valid test.

With all that being said, the 92-1/2-98 ZJ boxes are a bolt-ins for XJs, but the steering will be quicker. I have a ZJ box in my MJ, and definitely prefer it over the stock box. And both are variable ratio boxes.

Good info. Sounds like a "to do" upgrade when mine heads south.
 
Also check the u-joints in the steering shaft between the column & the box. My 90 XJ had these joints binding & I soaked them down with PB Blaster & they stopped making noise. Eventually I have to change the shaft.
 
Hello again.
Finally I pulled out the steering box............bad and good news.
The good one is that the steering gearbox is perfect so I won´t have to spend a lot of money in a new one :). The aluminum spacer/adapter is perfect too, all the joints are pretty good......so whats the problem? (see the bad new)

The bad one.........the unibody structure is cracked or broken.

Let me show you some pics:

Here my brother showing the aluminum spacer for those who never have seen this piece...I think he believe is a model ;)
Imagen012.jpg


The thing is that someone repaired the unibody structure welding a small steel plate:
Imagen013.jpg


The problem is that they doesnt welded any plate inside and there is where the noise came from.

I bought some rubber rings and putted hem between the frame/spacer/gearbox:
Imagen014-2.jpg


Of course this is not a solution but the bothering cracking noise has disappear :)

I will order this thing tomorrow :)

PlateKit.jpg


http://www.c-rok.com/sb.html


Thanks again for your help!
 
Last edited:
Glad you found it.

Nice C-Rok setup.
 
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