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Steering Adjustment

sserafin

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lakewood CO
What needs to be adjusted if I can turn the wheel too far one way, and not far enough the other? When turning the wheel all the way left my tire pushes hard into the lca, when turning the wheel all the way right the passenger tire comes about 3-4 inches away from lca, but cannot be turned any further.

What stops the turn? I recently took off my Pitman Arm, is it possible that it wasn't centered when I put it back on?

It is not contacting any adjustment bolts, it has WJ Knuckles and OTK steering.
 
Yes, it sounds like your steering wasn't centered when you put the Pitman arm back on.
 
I don't know what exactly is screwed up. On a stock steering box the pitman arm only goes on one way, it has a keyway. I really don't know if an after market steering box and/or after market pitman arm has the same keyway, it seems likely they would.

You do have to center the input shaft. Disconnect the steering column input and disconnect the pitman arm. Turn the steering box input shaft by hand (I find a socket that matches the input shaft splines, close enough) all the way one way, then all the way the other direction, count the number of turns, divide by 2, then center the steering box input shaft. Reconnect the steering column shaft with the steering wheel centered. Every other steering part in your front end is indexed to the input shaft of your steering box being centered. Locking the steering all the way to one side without the input shaft being centered and/or a steering stop can damage stuff.

Most every knuckle I've ever seen has a steering stop built in. Maybe the stop is letting the knuckle turn too far and the tire to contact the LCA on one side, but that doesn't explain the other side from stopping short of full lock.

Maybe your trac bar is worn out or if you have a lift, way too short and/or has out of whack geometry. In effect your whole front end has shifted to one side.

I've bent a trac bar before. I've had the top joint wear out also. I've seen them shift a little with the wrong bottom bolt. And have heard of the trac bar top bracket coming loose.

Just some ideas.
 
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that's a big variance from one side to the other, but check and make sure the axle is centered under the Jeep as well. If it's been lifted, the axle will get pulled to the side from the increased distance that the track bar needs to cover.
 
Steering stops should be checked as well.
 
My axle is pretty much centered, within 1/4"... I wouldn't think it would need to be much more centered than that?

As for my drag link, if when wheel turned all the way to the right, and no steering stops are being contacted, and I cannot turn it anymore, would i need to extend or shorten the draglink to turn the wheel far enough?
 
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