Newbie w/steering issues

Hi, names Geoff. Bought a 2000 XJ Classic 4 weeks ago. Have had a few problems. Latest one is the fact that the steering wheel now "ratchets" back to center when coming out of a turn. It feels notchy and you can actually see it move in steps, not smoothly. I can feel no play in any of the steering components when it's up on jacks. I greased all the fittings yesterday but that made no difference. Any one have any ideas?? TIA!

1) Confirm that you are in 2WD, not 4WD

2) Check fluid level in power steering pump

Have checked both. Fluid looks fine, level was fine. Jeep was not in 4wd. This is my wifes ride, and she mentioned that the steering wheel is not "straight" when you're going straight. Sure enough, it is off center (I guess you'd call it) with the wheels pointed straight. We do not recall it being like this when we bought it. Can something have shifted?
My old '57 never pulls these stunts. But it only goes 48mph, maybe 50 with the windshield down.

The last time my steering wheel went crooked, it was the upper trac bar ball joint. Have read some threads about the upper trac bar mount, coming loose also. The ratcheting could be a dry front axle U-joint, seem to fairly frequently dry out and fail.
Might have more than one problem at once. Might not be the problem at all, but worth a look.

Aha! The dealer replaced the track bar last week. Maybe it was not torqued correctly on the chassis mount side. Can't see the nut from underneath. Is there a trick to getting at it?

Tell you what --

Hop over to the North Atlantic Chapter forum and check out the thread about Bass Harbor. The chapter will be having a campout weekend at Bass harbor Campground on Mount Desert Island the last weekend of October. That's what, about 35 miles from Bangor? Come on down, and I'm sure the collective brain trust can help diagnose it.

I really don´t know, if all trac bars are created equal, meaning there may be some difference in length. Another possibility, is the front end, was aligned, with a loose trac bar and now that it´s new/replaced, the steering wheel location or steering geometry is different.
I pulled my steering wheel and recentered it after installing a new trac bar. I´ve been watching the wear pattern on my fronts, closely.
The only guarantee, I received with my XJ, from the dealer, is that he would give me a parts discount. He´s been as good as his word so far (and I´ve left him alone for the most part). I´d take it back, have them center the steering wheel and check the alignment. An alignment check is no big deal, if nothing needs to be changed.
Motion in the top and the bottom of the trac bar is fairly easy to see, with the tires on the ground and turning the steering, half turn or so left and right, with the motor running.
A serious alignment problem, could cause the tires to kinda walk (left/right) back to center (probably notice a squeal on some road surfaces/wet cement), it would probably feel somewhat like the transfer being in part time, in a turn. When you said ratchet, front axle, U joint distress, popped into my mind, feels kinda like a shudder, hang, shudder.

Apparently not all track bars are cerated equal. When I replaced the track bar on my '88 the steering wheel was suddenly cocked almost 45* to the clockwise position. Easy fix -- just crack the adjusting sleeve on the drag link a bit, but it shoudn't have happened.

But in my case it did not create any binding or ratcheting in the steering, so there's something else going on, too.

Great input guys, thanks. It goes to the dealer Friday for replacement brake pads (I have the bad aftermarket pad problem) and they are going to have a look-see at the steering too. Hope they figure it out and don't just say they see nothing. Our 30 day warranty is up this week and it'll be tough to get any free work out of them soon. That's the only reason I've been using them and not my usual mechanic, who will get all the stuff I can't do to it later on.
Bass Harbor is pretty darn close by and it would be a ball to visit the get together, but unfortunately the boot/shoe shop I manage has our annual huge sale that weekend so I can't make it. I'll look for a pile of XJ's on 395 as I head to work that weekend. You'll all go within a mile of the place. Leaves will be awesome then.

I forgot to ask... how does the track bar affect the steering gear? It links the body to the axle I know, but it has no direct connection to the rest of the steering parts. Enlighten me please.

Shoeman said:

I forgot to ask... how does the track bar affect the steering gear? It links the body to the axle I know, but it has no direct connection to the rest of the steering parts. Enlighten me please.

Click to expand...

The trackbar holds the axle in place laterally. The UCA and LCA aren't triangulated and only locate the axle as it moves up and down in its plane. I don't profess to know all the intricacies of steering angles and what-not but the trackbar and draglink should be parallel or as close to parallel as possible to reduce bumpsteer. I know I've seen some lengthy thoughts on the matter from 'satan' that may halp as well.

So maybe a replacement bar of slightly different length than the original will cause the whole assembly to shift to the left or the right and in doing so change the relationship of the pitman arm to the axle? Would make the steerwheel shift it's position a few degrees? Or am I dreaming?

I´m no steering guru. When I replaced my trac bar, the steering wheel moved almost a 1/8-1/4 turn to the left. I believe part of it, was the lenght of the bar. The difference in the play, plus the difference in the manufactured length. With all the bends in the trac bar, the geometry or sum of the angles (equals length) could be a little off (probably). I also noticed an increase in body height (and spring rate), not a lot, but noticeable. (probably fell of the high point of the springs, to one side or the other, with the worn trac bar). It all adds up.
I did count the number of turns from stop to stop. The center was a near a quarter of a turn to the left, so I moved the steering wheel, to center.
On my old 87 (died in a rollover), worn trac bar, slightly toe in condition and a little play in the steering box added up to quite a bit of wander. Never did move the steering wheel, when the trac bar was replaced. Did notice a slightly stiffer sring rate though.

Shoeman said:

So maybe a replacement bar of slightly different length than the original will cause the whole assembly to shift to the left or the right and in doing so change the relationship of the pitman arm to the axle? Would make the steerwheel shift it's position a few degrees? Or am I dreaming?

Click to expand...

That's exactly what happens. If the replacement track bar is a different length, the axle shifts sideways and obviously the steering knuckles have to go with it. The drag link (which attaches the passenger side knuckle to the pitman arm on the steering box) then gets pulled or pushed with the axle, which moves the pitman arm and leaves the steering wheel off center. Adjusting the sleeve on the drag link brings it back.