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[VIDEO]Maybe you guys can help fix my steering wheel looseness?

P

PUNISHER VETTE

NAXJA Forum User
Location
University of Illinois
1998 sport
I've been chasing this problem for months now, since i bought the car. Thinking it was going to be an easy fix....i was wrong.

This along with a "few" other "minor" problems i've had have driven me to hate the Jeep and i've already begun the process of selling it. I figure the only hope the car has of staying is if it gets fixed...and soon.

It has a lot of slop in the wheel, BEFORE any linkage after the pitman arm begins to move. Even though i've replaced: upper/lower ball joints, U joints, all tie rod ends, track bar, put in 2 used steering boxes and a used steering shaft before i put in a re-manufactured steering box.

I took a video.
It shows me going down the road perfectly straight but how much slack the wheel still has.
 
Well, from the video I see you moving the wheel back and forth, but cannot see how the Jeep reacted.

Jeeps are not sports cars, and don't have tight steering (it's not rack-n-pinon). My '89 has about that much play with original steering, and I also wish it were tighter.

So, of you replaced steering box, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc., you've done all the typical things. The steering box is "adjustable"...just beware of over-tightening as it affects the return (not fun to have to manually return the steering to straight).

Hope you get an answer...hate you see you toss a Jeep just cuz it doesn't steer like a porsche.
 
Flyfisher said:
Well, from the video I see you moving the wheel back and forth, but cannot see how the Jeep reacted.
Click to expand...
It's going perfectly straight down the road in the video. As you can see i was at about 35mph so if it had been moving i would have been all over the road.

Flyfisher said:
Jeeps are not sports cars, and don't have tight steering (it's not rack-n-pinon). My '89 has about that much play with original steering, and I also wish it were tighter.
Click to expand...
If this is as tight as the steering gets i can't imagine why anyone would EVER own one. VERY dangerous and annoying to the point of pulling my hair out. To correct directions i have to anticipate the 30degrees of slop...

Flyfisher said:
So, of you replaced steering box, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc., you've done all the typical things. The steering box is "adjustable"...just beware of over-tightening as it affects the return (not fun to have to manually return the steering to straight).
Click to expand...
The adjusting of the box was pretty straight forward. Tighten it until it doesn't go back on it's own to center after a turn....still does this.

Flyfisher said:
Hope you get an answer...hate you see you toss a Jeep just cuz it doesn't steer like a porsche.
Click to expand...

Since i've been to multiple mechanic shops with little help, posted on multiple forums many times, and still have the problem.. it's not looking good so far. I don't expect it to handle like a sports car...but it needs to handle like a car should. If this is as good as they come then people who drive them must be easy to please as it's HORRIBLE.
 
thats not how its supposed to bestock, i run 33's, at 5" of lift, with custom steering and have no problem keeping her straight at 90.

have someone start the jeep, and with it in park, you crawl under the front end, have the driver turn the wheel lock to lock, look for things jerking, or delayed movement. slop will be evident, somewhere.

random guess, but does it have rust issues? check the frame behind the steering box, maybe its cracked or rusted out. (not likely on a stock rig, but who knows who owned that thing before you)

maybe its the box itself? i tend to remove/replace, and this is not something to r/r quick... but if youve gone thru the other stuff to no avail...

at least sell it to a jeeper who can fix it!
 
They are a little sloppy in general, but that looks like a bit much. Verify that there is no slop from the column shaft at the u-joints and the sleeve that's up closer to the firewall. If you have eliminated that possibilty then make 100% sure that the movement is not sloppy after the box, have a trusted friend help you verify this.

A ZJ box is a little tighter, but it sounds like you are a little to picky for even that.

Does it wander at all?
 
88 Wagonman said:
They are a little sloppy in general, but that looks like a bit much. Verify that there is no slop from the column shaft at the u-joints and the sleeve that's up closer to the firewall. If you have eliminated that possibilty then make 100% sure that the movement is not sloppy after the box, have a trusted friend help you verify this.

A ZJ box is a little tighter, but it sounds like you are a little to picky for even that.

Does it wander at all?
Click to expand...

I've checked the shaft plenty of times. It doesn't wonder like it used to when it had bad ball joints so it's manageable to drive. Just unpleasant, annoying, and dangerous.

I guess it almost HAS to be after the box as it can't be the box after trying 4 different ones. Even though i replaced new all the steering parts and know there isn't slack i guess i'll have to try looking again for what seems like the hundredth time.

o and i looked at the frame when i put the last steering box in and it looked fine. The car has no body rust and the underside isn't that bad.
 
check your lower track bar bushing I know mine was all over the road then i found out that was loose. just a thought.
 
after watching the video, I can say that yes, your steering is loose. Best way to find it is to physically test it with a buddy as mentioned. How many miles are on this rig? What condition are the tires in, how much air pressure do you have in them? Have you checked to see that your wheel bearings are solid? I know, you most likely been there, but just asking.
 
962drrhino said:
after watching the video, I can say that yes, your steering is loose. Best way to find it is to physically test it with a buddy as mentioned. How many miles are on this rig? What condition are the tires in, how much air pressure do you have in them? Have you checked to see that your wheel bearings are solid? I know, you most likely been there, but just asking.
Click to expand...

It was the same with my old rims/tires as well as when i bought a pair on craiglist that had newer tires. I doubt both were bad.

the car has about 120k miles

I guess i'm just going to have to drop it off at a shop and have them give it a looks over as i've just been getting nowhere with it. I just hope they don't charge me an arm and a leg for finding the problem.
 
punisher vette: My jeep does this exact same thing,
it has since i bought it stock 5 years ago. It's a little annoying, but you get used to it. I too however have been trying to remedy this. I tried everything you have plus i replaced steering colum with one from the parts heep...still there. I'm assuming it is the steering box itself. just haven't had the time to rip it out and replace it.
Good luck with yours. Please post up any info if you get it sorted out.
 
If you can turn the wheel without the intermediate shaft moving then it's in the wheel/column. Maybe it was in an accident and the colum wasn't replaced. I'll have to look at the video later, it's filtered at work.
 
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