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Cant turn wheels after lift?? HELP ASAP

Y

Yuke175

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Scituate MA
Just finished buttoning up the front of my XJ's 4.5" Zone lift and got it back on the ground ready to install the track bar. Directions say I need to turn the wheels to line it up. Well my steering wheel is locked??

I can turn the ignition on so I cant figure out why my steering is locked?

Any help is really appreciated.

Thanks
 
The steering wheel should unlock with the ignition in the running position. No reason it shouldn't. Maybe your steering column is screwed? Shake the wheel from side to side should unlock it, sometimes it takes more force than others.
 
may want to jack the front end up, you may have bound up the steering column.
 
nick86 said:
may want to jack the front end up, you may have bound up the steering column.
Click to expand...

Yea if that thing is in the air you might have the steering in a big bind at the pitman arm or right tie rod end - with that lift you will have stock steering at about the limit in those two places, just sitting on the ground. If wheels are unsprung you could be bound up real good.
 
So I can turn it slightly to the right and nothing to the left (acts as if when ignition is also locked) but I can easily start the truck.

Jacked up the axle and tried turning free, nothing

What could it be?
 
the key wasnt in the ignition when you lifted it so the steering wheel locked. Then you continued lifting the jeep and bound up the column and set the tires down on the ground.
your column is probably screwed
 
Can you get some pictures of those two joints for us?

Jack up the right front tire by the axle, like 6 inches, and see if it takes those two joints out of a bind.
 
I dunno, try popping the drag link off of the pitman arm....that way you can determine if it's binding in the column or somewhere else (steering box?).

Maybe taking the load off of it might free it up too.

Hans
 
Will take pictures and pop the drag link off tomorrow for you guys, appreciate the help...

Do i need a pitman puller fork?

I jacked the truck up about 2-3 inches on both sides to free the load on the wheels and same result still locked cant move to the left at all and to the right only like an inch or so...
 
you dont need to take the pitman arm off, just take the nut off the tie rod end that goes into it and whack the end of the pitman arm (NOT THE THREADED PART OF THE TIE ROD END) good and hard a few times with a hammer, it will fall right out.
 
Yuke175 said:
I jacked the truck up about 2-3 inches on both sides to free the load on the wheels and same result still locked cant move to the left at all and to the right only like an inch or so...
Click to expand...

No don't do this.

We need weight on the front coil springs - get the axle Closer to the body to relieve that bind.

Jack up under the front axle housing, Not by the body ok?

Like Grimm said you can pop out that pitman arm joint - a 4 lb sledge works great for this. If you are afraid you'll whack the threads, put the castle nut back on just enough to see the top of the first thread. This also keeps the linkage from flying out or hitting you in the chops when it pops loose. :arrowl:
 
My column will lock sometimes also. While forcing the wheel to the left try turning the ignition key at the same time and see if it unlocks. It might take a little force on the steering wheel since it is locked to the left but that usually does it for me.
 
jeepme said:
My column will lock sometimes also. While forcing the wheel to the left try turning the ignition key at the same time and see if it unlocks. It might take a little force on the steering wheel since it is locked to the left but that usually does it for me.
Click to expand...

Does your key turn at this point if you dont unlock the column? The confusing part to me is that I can start the car... Normally when a column locks so does the ignition...

So after jacking up the axle and no results I popped the drag link off with help of the pitman fork, jacked the axle up so the wheels were free and with the drag link free of the pitman arm everything turns fine.

Left the drag link off and went to try to turn the wheel, still nothing so that eliminates the suspension being bound up holding the wheel?

Reinstalled the drag link and am back to the drawing board...

confused...:helpme:
 
if it were my jeep i would say F*** it and take the column apart and pop the pin out that makes the locking mechanism work and drive my jeep

I guess you can disengage the shaft from the steering box to ensure that its the column thats locked up before you do that.. lol
 
Tacedaddy said:
if it were my jeep i would say F*** it and take the column apart and pop the pin out that makes the locking mechanism work and drive my jeep

I guess you can disengage the shaft from the steering box to ensure that its the column thats locked up before you do that.. lol
Click to expand...


any write ups on how to do this? I would gladly just pull a stupid pin, working on the rear lift now then time to register it. Winters approacing, mustang wont get too far lol
 
put key in ignition, and try to turn wheel while trying to turn key to on to unlock it.
make sure if you put new rims/tires , that your rims arent getting into the steering knuckles. if the knuckles are jammed into the rims, it wont go anywhere. also, pull the drag link off the pitman arm just for fun and see if it turns. pics would help.
 
Eliminated

Well good you have eliminated the steering bind part of it. Maybe the pin in the column is sheared off mid length.

Yea try that turning the key while wiggling the wheel that was suggested - maybe a bit roughly even.

You might be able to tell if the restriction is at the box or column end by wiggling the little u-joint above the steering box (like you would wiggle the steering wheel) and listening for knocking in the box.

Barring that I suppose pulling the steering wheel and digging into the column if you hear chunking sound coming from that end.

Geez I hate trying to troubleshoot this through text! Everyone who replied could give you an answer if we could get our damn hands on this thing hehe. :looney:
 
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