STEERING HELP

HI,I JUST GOT MY FIRST JEEP.ITS A 2000 5-DOOR XJ.I JUST HAD THE FRONT END ALIGNED.IT IS BETTER THAN IT WAS BUT IT HAS A BIT OF STEERING WONDER.TIE RODS AND BALL JOINTS ARE GOOD.DONT SEE ANT PLAY IN THE TRACK BAR EITHER.IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY STEER SIDE TO SIDE.ALMOST LIKE THE STEERING IS TOO TIGHT.ALSO WHEN MY RIGHT SIDE FRONT TIRE HITS A BUMP,IT SEEMS TO JERK THE WHEEL THAT WAY.THE LEFT SIDE DOESNT.ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT.THE STEERING BOX SEEMS TO NOT HAVE PLAY IN IT.I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC MY WHOLE LIFE,BUT I KNOW THESE HAVE SOME STEERING ISSUES.I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I START IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.THE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS LOOK LIKE THEY COULD BE REPLACED ALSO.THANKS AGAIN.

Any lift? Also, try turning off your caps lock. It makes your question harder to read, therefore people are less willing to help.

k,bad habit.no its all stock

You might check for side play in the pitman shaft of the steering gear, a common source of steering looseness when all else is tight. Also even if the track bar looks good, make sure there isn't wear in the mounting hole at the axle end. Finally, make sure there's no play in the steering shaft itself. The rubber joint at the top can get sloppy, and so can the U-joint at the bottom. It helps if you can get someone at the steering wheel to wiggle it back and forth while you check down below for lost motion. Some tires also contribute to that dead center feel, especially if they've been run for a while with bad alignment.

Oh, and your caps lock key seems to be stuck. It makes your post very difficult to read, and some here may ignore it altogether as a result.

i did have someone shake the wheel.i didnt see anything loose.i also put the rear tires on front because of course they were chopped.i will check the steering shaft.hopefully i can track this down. i hate to drive something that drives like that.ive had dozens of 79 f150 4x4 s.they have the same basic set-up.so i am a little familiar with some of it anyway,thanks for all the input.sorry for the caps.

Adjust the caster.

93gc40 said:

Adjust the caster.

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x2, what are the alignment numbers?

Per 90 FSM the acceptable caster for the XJ is 5 to 9 degrees, and the set to number is 6 degrees.

I run mine at 7 degrees.

how do i adjust the caster?

Theres shims in the pocket for the LCA on the body side. Add or subract shims to get where you wanna be

is it normal not to have any shims from the factory?mine doesnt.thanks