Loose steering after lift

Last night, I added 2" onto my lift, giving me about 4". I went to get it aligned today and the steering is really loose and my Jeep is all over the road. It seems like there is a lot of play in the steering, and there is also a lot of bumpsteer. I searched and found the article about steering box adjustment, but I think it's more than just that since it appeared after the lift.

My lift is a 3" rough country with the add a leaf, but it sagged pretty bad since i've had it for a few years, so I added 2" extended shackles and 2" coil spacers. I put on rough country control arm drop brackets as well. The track bar is stock(for now until I can afford an adjustable one) but I did put on a track bar drop bracket. The steering stabilizer was replaced about 2 months ago with an OME one.

What can cause this and what are some things I should check?

Did you check all your front end components?

TRE, Ball joints, Trac bar joint at frame end, etc.

Also, at that height and the way I'm imagining it, the drop bracket for the track bar is probably hurting things. If anything you should have a drop pitman arm along with it or nothing at all.

Not to mention you should really get an adj track bar at that height.

Your trackbar is loose at one end.

You don't need a drop pitman arm.

RedHeep said:

Your trackbar is loose at one end.

You don't need a drop pitman arm.

Click to expand...

Note how I said "or nothing at all". I'm just trying to imagine his angles in my head with a dropped trac bar bracket.

Instead of staying at a steeper angle with the drag link, it now has a reduced angle.

Without a picture of the front end it's impossible to say.

I noted what you said.

I just wasn't all wishy washy when I said what I said.

I had 3" of lift on a stock trackbar with a drop bracket and there wasn't enough of an angle difference to create bumpsteer. The stock steering isn't at such a steep angle to cause a loose steering feel at that height either. I don't need a picture to tell me that.

I would imagine that the track bar bolt is loose where you added the track bar drop bracket. You don't need that drop bracket, which I assume is on the axle end, it will increase bumpsteer. Start by loosing the bracket and make sure everything is tight.