Yet another budget bucket mystery

G

goodwilljeeper

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Pleasanton CA
Hello all!

I realize I haven't been on the forum for over a year now so I will have to update my build and page this weekend. Hope all has been well and sierra fest was fun


I do have a question that has stumped my friends, myself, and my research.


THE PROBLEM:After my last rubicon trip, when steering to the right or left the steering is normal and easy. When I am returning back to center from steering mainly right, the steering wheel has a Uniform stutter. meaning that it feels like the steering is bouncing back and forth. (ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS DOES THIS HAPPEN <30mph) I can complete the turn but it worries me.


WHAT I HAVE DONE:
  • I have checked my hubs and ball joints by trying to shake the tire while off the ground and its stiff as can be.
  • I replaced the j20 steering box with another one from orioles thinking it was a loose sector shaft. that box leaked and was very stiff to turn AND the problem kept happening so i threw in the old j20 i originally pulled, back into the jeep.
  • I replaced the fluid in the system as well as fixed a large leak in the power steering reservoir. it now only leaks minorily.
  • i bleed the system as i always have until no bubbles are coming out from the fluid even after sitting.
  • I checked TRE's and called Currie enterprises and they said a TRE would not cause that problem..
  • I replaced bushings on my lower control arms that were showing major wear, I also fixed the track bar bolt hole that wobbled itself into an oval on the axle side
  • greased all TREs for track bar, LCA's, and TRE steering




My thoughts...
  1. - Power steering pump possibly going out? (but wouldn't i feel the stutter 24/7 or both ways and wouldn't i have different problems?)
  2. - i am running the Currie xj beef steering with a flipped driver knuckle insert. I am thinking that if there really is a TRE that is shot and I can't feel it when doing it with my hands; by having it flipped over the knuckle it does something weird under load? but then wouldn't i have death wobble on the freeway?
  3. -lines will not bleed all the way? I am running an extended cooler to the front of the radiator and possibly thinking that theres a small bubble in there? (wouldn't i feel it all the time and back and forth?)


Also This only happens under load. the only noise that happens when I am feeling my steering and someone else is turning the wheel back n forth; is a minor clunk coming from the pitman arm but the sector shaft does not seem to be moving side to side or back n forth and everything is tight bolt wise.

I appreciate any help since I am stumped and Need to have a complete and safe driver for the academy coming up in a week.:anon:
 
Why is there no like button for that last paragraph?
 
Something tells me you havent thoroughly checked out the entire front end
 
Loose lug nuts, bent rim?
 
no all orings on the lines are new but the box direct connects don't seem use origins strangely enough, the lines bolt in and don't have room for an orange nor do they leak.

will check u joints and lugs again.

new thought could be that my oil cooler is higher then my pump so maybe the air can't comeback to the reservoir

thanks for the help and ideas guys
 
Check trackbar too and all tres
 
They always use o rings
 
Man, talk about sending a guy a million different ways....

Jack up the front end, both front tires off the ground. Steer all the way to the right, since that seems to be the main problem. With the steering turned all the way, spin the wheel by hand and check for any binding while spinning the wheel. Do this with both front wheels, turn to the left and repeat. While it is up, check for any looseness in the axle joint. Look for any rust around the u-joint cap seals where they meet the center cross section of the joint.
 
Last edited:
Wow i just reread that haha. I must have spaced. ALL 0 rings at the pump are new, but down at the box it never had/came with any so I didn't think I needed any, i guess Ill throw some in there down the road since its not leaking.

and yeah bryan, its always nutty asking a general question on here. i just wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas that I am not chasing down yet


831_xj said:
hopefully im not the only one confused by this lol.. may be the beer:wave1:
Click to expand...
 
Bryan C. said:
Man, talk about sending a guy a million different ways....

Jack up the front end, both front tires off the ground. Steer all the way to the right, since that seems to be the main problem. With the steering turned all the way, spin the wheel by hand and check for any binding while spinning the wheel. Do this with both front wheels, turn to the left and repeat. While it is up, check for any looseness in the axle joint. Look for any rust around the u-joint cap seals where they meet the center cross section of the joint.
Click to expand...

I'd go with this^ If it still stutters jacked up you can pull shit apart to isolate it.

If it doesn't stutter jacked up well you have a few more things to check. like recheck ball joints. linkage may be binding but not binding at droop. make sure your fluid isn't contaminated and you're getting enough pressure. Throw your steering box into a fire and pray to jibbers crabst.
 
AIbandit said:
I'd go with this^ If it still stutters jacked up you can pull shit apart to isolate it.

If it doesn't stutter jacked up well you have a few more things to check. like recheck ball joints. linkage may be binding but not binding at droop. make sure your fluid isn't contaminated and you're getting enough pressure. Throw your steering box into a fire and pray to jibbers crabst.
Click to expand...



haha i like that last part. its just weird since it has never done it before this last rubicon trip.

so is not tires or lug nuts cause I just rotated them. dropped my ps cooler to the bottom of the radiator to help flush out any bubbles and that didn't seem to work. did the tires in the air trick and checked everything while the tires were off and nothing out of the usual was found and nothing usual is bad. it still drives so I guess I'm going to just go until failure of whatever it is. possible bad grease joint on the trackbar, somehow a buble still in der, bad box, or tre/a ball joint since i didn't unbolt the whole front end just to rotate tires.

Gordon came over and hung out and checked steering and drove it little and didn't see what the problem is ahaha but seemed everything checked out ok

a new thought of another possibility... would the ujoint on the steering wheel shaft cause a bounce like that? i didn't really check it but was thinking it could be a possibility.

anyways thanks everyone for helping me out
 
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