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Pitman Arm / Drag Link Question

GAJeep

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Georgia
Steering slop and wobble (at 50-55 mph) on a 1992 4.0L 4WD with 255K miles. I'm not much of a mechanic and new to the this vehicle, but I am trying to figure it out on my own and do as much of the maintenance / work as I can. After researching steering slop and death wobble and doing the below:

Leave the wheels on the ground. In fact, let some air out of the tires. You want the tires to resist turning so that when your helper turns the steering wheel there is resistance. That's what makes the play show up.

This is best done with an assistant. Park the Jeep with the wheels straight ahead. Have your assistant turn the wheel about 1/4 turn to each side of straight -- maybe not even that much. You don't need or want to actually move the tires, you just want to put load on the steering components. Look at each one carefully. It may help to put on a surgical-type glove and hold each fitting -- sometimes you can feel it flex even if you can't quite see it.

Don't try to watch the whole suspension at once. Do one component at a time or you'll miss something. Also be sure to check the steering box itself, both where the pitman shaft comes out of the box, and the box itself where it mounts to the frame. Also check the upper track bar bracket where it bolts to the frame.
there seems to be a problem where the pitman arm attaches to the drag link. Not sure what the correct terminology is, but when the steering wheel is turned, the pitman arm part of the connection turns (a lot) before the drag link becomes engaged and actually turns the wheels.

From what I have read, I think that I can replace just the bushing on this end and not replace the whole drag link and tie rod. Does this sound correct?

If I can replace this bushing, what do I actually order and what are some good suppliers of stock steering components?

With so much slop at this point, it is hard for me to tell if there is a problem with the tie rod ends. What should I look for on these or do I need to fix this first problem before troubleshooting any further. My concern is that I will end up replacing the bushing and then find out that I should have just done the whole drag link / tie rod assembly

With regards to bushings in general, are poly bushings better than the traditional rubber busings and does anyone sell some type of kit that would include bushings for the majority of the front end components?

Lastly, is replacing the bushing in question (or other aspects of the tie rod assembly) pretty straight forward? Can anyone point me to a writeup or point out any potential issues?

Thanks...
 
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