MJ slop steering & very bad wobble incident

Just picked up a Comanche yesterday. stock 2.5L 2wd w/ manual 4sp tranny.

Steering is very sloppy. I can turn the wheel almost freely from the 10 to 2 o'clock positions. Driving straight down the road I can hold it at 10 or 2 untill the road curves the opposite way etc. It does not have power steering, just a little pully deal where it would be. What should I check?

Second the wobble incident, I was cruzing along perhaps 60 mph or so on a downhill bumpy section of freeway that begins a gentle left turn (see above), started to slow down for traffic at the same time, can't remember if I just let off the gas or touched the brakes. When all of a sudden the whole truck was shaking. :shiver: It felt like it was the driver side rear tire, like it went suddenly severely out of balance or had a chunk missing. got over and got it slowed down (the shaking didn't change much while slowing down), at 20 mph or so the wobble just disappeared. Got out and everything looked fine. My bro was behind me, he said he saw that tire wobbling. took the next exit and side streets the rest of the way getting up to 45 mph without problems. could it be related to the steering issue? Any ideas? TIA

A rear tire wobbling is not related to a steering issue. Could be loose lug nuts? Bad shock absorbers? Dunno.

Does the steering wheel have that much free travel when the vehicle is parked and you turn the wheel, or is it just when driving? If it happens when parked, the steering box needs to be adjusted -- but with that much play I'd have to say it may be beyond adjustment.

Remove the air filer housing. Look on the top of the steering box. There's a cover, held on with three screws, and a fourth screw with a locknut in the center. That fourth screw is the over-center adjuster.

Be sure the wheels are pointed straight ahead, and confirm that the pitman arm also pints stricht fore and aft. Loosen the locknut. Slowly tighten the adjuster screw in while gently turning the steering shaft with your other hand until the free play has been removed. Then hold the adjuster in position while you tighten the lock nut.

If the slop is there when driving but isn't in the steering box ... replace the track bar.

Thanks Eagle! I believe it moves freely when parked as well. Will check again to be sure. I won't be suprised if it's beyond adjustment.

I'll check the lugnuts, however the shocks don't look so good, that may be the culprit, probably should replace them all around anyway. I've got some in good shape on the XJ being replaced this weekend if they fit, the MJ has longer shocks in back though doesn't it?

I have the exact same truck...HAD exact same problem, dead spot from 10 to 2 o'clock...your manual steering gear is shot, do not bother trying to adjust your gear, it won't work, it needs replacing. I drove mine like that for a few years but only becuz I knew how to drive it and got used to it....anyone elses who drove it freaked out. Rough spots on the road were a bit fun...had to "catch up" with the steering.

My advice...do a power steering swap like I did...it was relatively simple and it makes it drive like a whole different truck, I got a donor pump, new hoses & a rebuilt gear box...about $250 in all for parts. You wil need another pitman arm, the manual output shaft is SMALLER than the power output shaft, so the manual's pitman arm wont fit on the power box. A fellow er and I swapped my idler pulley where the power pump goes for a pitman arm (THANKS A MILLION AGAIN!). If you need any help, shoot me a message..I just did this in December.

MJ shocks are longer than XJ's.

Any other questions, feel free to ask me, or anyone else, but I have the exact truck you have and have done a whole lot to it so maybe I can pass along what I have learned the hard way so you don't have to.

BlueMJ said:

Rough spots on the road were a bit fun...had to "catch up" with the steering.

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Yeah, I was "having a blast" driving it home! I would settle for just another manual steering box for now if it's cheaper (or just get used to it) :shiver: .
Thanks for the info BlueMJ. I'll keep you on my growing list of knowledgeable resources.

xjblue said:

Yeah, I was "having a blast" driving it home! I would settle for just another manual steering box for now if it's cheaper (or just get used to it) :shiver: .
Thanks for the info BlueMJ. I'll keep you on my growing list of knowledgeable resources.

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Actually, the manual gear boxes are more expensive than the power boxes....unless you find one out of a scrapper

Oh, and try tossing a new steering dampener on, it may help the wheel/center link looseness...I noticed with the new power box, my dampner is toast from the old box killing it.

I would check the lugs...

I bought an MJ that the previous owner I'm guessing removed some nicer rims/tires...

Drove it home ok...then off to drop it off elsewhere...front drivers side wheel fell off whilst going 45, muckered up the rotor, stripped 2 lug studs.

Lugs loose, checked the other 3...all hand tight.

Now, when I buy a used jeep, I tighten all the lugs before I drive it.

I also recently learned, it's not a bad idea to remove the rear diff fill plug to see if there's perhaps even a drop of fluid in there.........

Also check the track bar and the "frame mount" track bar bracket.
They're known to wear out enough to have an elongated oval hole with a lot of play. With around 15 running MJs/XJs I've had, I've replaced 3 brackets due to this problem. 2 part out vehicles also had bad brackets(out of...10 or so).

Teron

don't know if the xj and mj boxes are the same but i have an xj and recently put a new pitman arm shaft seal in ad had the same prob sloppy stearing i realized that i had not tightened the adjustment screw on the top of the box.
if you drew an imaginary line down the pitman arm shaft on top you will see a threaded rod with a spot for an allen wrench and a nut if you back off the nut and turn the rod down into the box (tightening it) you will take the slop out of the box. i didn't read into doing it but i jsut tightened mine till i felt resistance backed it off a little and then tightened the lock nut down and my steering is wonderful now!! good luck pm me if you ahve any questions.

o yea i almost forgot to get to the nut and stud i was talking about you have to remove the electric cooling fan and then there is plenty of room to work

again this was on an xj and i am not sure how similar the mj boxes/acces is.

ps i jsut joined so if you want' some pics give me a few to figure out how to post here.

bj-666 said:

don't know if the xj and mj boxes are the same but i have an xj and recently put a new pitman arm shaft seal in ad had the same prob sloppy stearing i realized that i had not tightened the adjustment screw on the top of the box.
if you drew an imaginary line down the pitman arm shaft on top you will see a threaded rod with a spot for an allen wrench and a nut if you back off the nut and turn the rod down into the box (tightening it) you will take the slop out of the box. i didn't read into doing it but i jsut tightened mine till i felt resistance backed it off a little and then tightened the lock nut down and my steering is wonderful now!! good luck pm me if you ahve any questions.

o yea i almost forgot to get to the nut and stud i was talking about you have to remove the electric cooling fan and then there is plenty of room to work

again this was on an xj and i am not sure how similar the mj boxes/acces is.

ps i jsut joined so if you want' some pics give me a few to figure out how to post here.

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This is worth a try, but I would be 99% sure it isn't the long-term solution. I had the same problems and all tightening the adjustment screw did was make the steering harder, plus if you tighten too much you can damage the worm gear...IIRC anything more than a 1/2 turn is too much. I didn't dissect my old gear box cuz I needed it for the core return, but I would've assumed the worm gear itself was damaged.


Oh, and yea XJ & MJ boxes are the same...even YJ for that matter....I believe the gear box is one of many parts that is common to almost all1980s + XJs, MJs, ,YJs, TJs....I don't know about ZJs, WJs, or KJs though

BlueMJ said:

This is worth a try, but I would be 99% sure it isn't the long-term solution. I had the same problems and all tightening the adjustment screw did was make the steering harder, plus if you tighten too much you can damage the worm gear...IIRC anything more than a 1/2 turn is too much. I didn't dissect my old gear box cuz I needed it for the core return, but I would've assumed the worm gear itself was damaged.


Oh, and yea XJ & MJ boxes are the same...even YJ for that matter....I believe the gear box is one of many parts that is common to almost all1980s + XJs, MJs, ,YJs, TJs....I don't know about ZJs, WJs, or KJs though

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you could go way more than half a turn if it has come lose i know i turned mine like 3-4 times if it comes loose it could vibrate way loose.

Seems we are condeming the steering box without even checking tre's and ball joints. I would be takeing a hard look at those also. The tre at the pitman arm seems to be the quickest to go away and will cause lots of "free play" in the steering. I think that may cure your death wobble at the same time. Don

Thanks for all the posts! I'll be getting to it starting today, been under the XJ all weekend preping for the IC Moab run. I'm waiting to hear on a power steering setup from an 89 XJ but will check everything mentioned.

This is real basic, but since it was suggested... I have none, zip, zilch experience when it comes to TRE's and Ball Joints. My guess is if they bind or rattle then something is wrong :dunno: a quick tutorial would be great.

One more question, heard that Mopar clutch fluid as opposed to regular brake fluid will increase life of master/slave cylinder seals?

Last one (for this post) I promise, last night when I started it up, the fuel gauge needle was just laying over all the way on the right side looked like it was working before... I've got the idiot light gauge cluster with no tach.

xjblue said:

Thanks for all the posts! I'll be getting to it starting today, been under the XJ all weekend preping for the IC Moab run. I'm waiting to hear on a power steering setup from an 89 XJ but will check everything mentioned.

This is real basic, but since it was suggested... I have none, zip, zilch experience when it comes to TRE's and Ball Joints. My guess is if they bind or rattle then something is wrong :dunno: a quick tutorial would be great.

One more question, heard that Mopar clutch fluid as opposed to regular brake fluid will increase life of master/slave cylinder seals?

Last one (for this post) I promise, last night when I started it up, the fuel gauge needle was just laying over all the way on the right side looked like it was working before... I've got the idiot light gauge cluster with no tach.

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I dont know about the MOPAR fluid but I have to replace my slave cylinder and I am going to use a Lucas DOT 4 or 5 brake fluid. This weight fluid has more water repellency than normal DOT 3 fluid, plus it keeps the seals lubed a bit better...maybe that's what the MOPAR clutch fluid is too.

Re: MJ slop steering & very bad wobble mystery

Moab IC trip is done yada yada.... Finally got under the MJ tonight. Took the suspect wheel and drum off, all seemed well however the tire had some disturbing cuts on the inside tire tread and wall :dunno:, maybe I or previous owner hit some debris? but nothing else explained the wobble I experienced driving it home. :dunno:
there is a mystery bracket just behind and above the rear axle next to the bracket holding a brake line block above the axle. it is attached by one arm and has one arm kinda hanging from some sort of a joint but looks like it should attach somewhere with a kind of tiny ball joint on the other end, but there is nothing for it? I'll have to get a pic posted but any ideas?
hope to get it on the road tomorrow, XJ needs cooling system fixed.

Re: MJ slop steering & very bad wobble mystery

That's a brake proportioning valve - but that's all I remember about that doodad.

Re: MJ slop steering & very bad wobble mystery

Yucca-Man said:

That's a brake proportioning valve - but that's all I remember about that doodad.

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that makes sense, looks like brake lines going to it, I found a simular type small ball joint on a bracket attached to the diff, must be a missing arm that would connect them? now I wonder if that is how the inside wall of my tire got cut....

Re: MJ slop steering & very bad wobble mystery

Yucca-Man said:

That's a brake proportioning valve - but that's all I remember about that doodad.

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Yeah, it's the load-sensing proportioning valve. The upper end is a valve with an actuating arm, the rod goes down to a little ball-stud on the differential. As you add load to the bed, the arm presses up on the lever and that's supposed to allow more pressure to the rear brakes.

Steering is tightened! thanks for the help.
took it in for inspections, don't know yet about Emissions but safety failed. :tears:
the driver side rear brake cylinder showed evidence of leaking - "could fail any time without warning" so he wouldn't pass it, he showed me were paint one of the springs was peeling off as a result of the brake fluid. How does this sound? This is the first time I've tried this shop so I anticipated but they seem to be very picky so far!

Brake Fluid (Re: BlueXJ)

Upgrading from DOT3 to DOT4 is one thing (good upgrade- gives a bit higher boiling point), but you cannot just drop in DOT5 fluid. It is completely different, and requires different seal material in the entire brake system. Brake failure will result from using DOT5 fluid in an unmodified system meant for DOT3/4, just a matter of time. I'm not sure if this would apply to the clutch or not. DOT 3 or DOT4 brake fluid interchange, DOT5 is not compatible with DOT3/4 (unless Lucas has come up with something completly new!). 4xBob

Re: MJ slop steering & very bad wobble mystery

xjblue said:

there is a mystery bracket just behind and above the rear axle next to the bracket holding a brake line block above the axle. it is attached by one arm and has one arm kinda hanging from some sort of a joint but looks like it should attach somewhere with a kind of tiny ball joint on the other end, but there is nothing for it? I'll have to get a pic posted but any ideas?

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My 1984 XJ came with such an arrangement, don't remember what it was for. It included a compressor inside the engine bay and some pipes running (probably) to the rear shocks (which by the time I got it, were replaced with standard shocks, so I got rid of the whole mess).

Some height adjustment or leveling system I think. Go figure.

Rgds
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John SV1CEC