Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wanders)

[Kuffar762]

Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wanders)

Jeep wanders all over the road but almost threw me in the ditch 20 minutes ago after an occasional popping sound became a loud pop and lost control of vehicle for a second.

Here's my Heep's frontend specs..

1993 Jeep XJ(120,000 actual miles)
5.5 Lift Coils[2yr old]
35x12.50R15 Tires
RE Drop Brackets[6yr old]
RE Fixed Superflex Arms[2yr Old]
RE Heavy Duty Track Bar[2yr Old]
RE HD Track Bar Mount(Welded to Frame)[New]
IRO OTK Steering(5/8)[New]
Alloy USA Ball Joints[2yr old]
Timken Hubs[New]
Borgeson Chromoly Steering Shaft[4yr old]

The Heims and Jam Nuts are TIGHT
Steering Box Bolts are TIGHT
Superflex Joints are SOLID
Trackbar is SOLID
Trackbar mount is WELDED and BOLTED

Thing wandered BEFORE and AFTER the OTK installation but now it's WORSE and tried to kill me on the way back from the store tonight.

Could this be my steering box?

 

[Hypoid]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

Has it been on an alignment rack?

 

[Redxj5150]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

It most likely is the steering box, especially if there's a bunch of play in the steering wheel before the wheels turn.

 

[Kuffar762]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

Has it been on an alignment rack?

Yeah, I aligned it myself with a tape measure but it was still wandering and I took it to Jim at Alignment Shop in Santa Fe and he said I was perfect 0+/0-. he builds race cars and mud racing rigs with all custom steering(heims, chromo tube, etc).

He checked the torque on all my bolts and jam nuts and they were all super tight.

He suggested a little toe-in but said that he'd need a couple of days to have the time to go through it thoroughly so I just drove back up to Los Alamos and figured i'd just go through it myself rather than try to find a ride home.

It most likely is the steering box, especially if there's a bunch of play in the steering wheel before the wheels turn.

It only wanders a little, not like a Chevy with a bad steering rag-joint or anything it's when the pop happens on a left hand turn or curve that the steering wheel will turn and the wheels don't but only after it pops and only sometimes.

 

[Hypoid]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

Loosen the bolts holding the gear box, look for cracks in the frame where it mounts. That is not likely the problem, but one more thing to scratch off the list.

 

[Kuffar762]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

Loosen the bolts holding the gear box, look for cracks in the frame where it mounts. That is not likely the problem, but one more thing to scratch off the list.

Will do, I am gonna stick a Durango box on here anyway with a C-Rok spacer and supports so I will tear it all down, look for cracks and maybe weld some 3/16 on there for good measure.

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

Loosen the bolts holding the gear box, look for cracks in the frame where it mounts. That is not likely the problem, but one more thing to scratch off the list.

And check to make sure the spacer hasnt turned to dust

 

[akendal4]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

have the caster checked. A low/negative caster will cause it to wander. The pop very well could be the steering box. Swap the box with a known good box and see if that fixes the popping.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

how is your caster and your toe in ? Are your ball joints brand new ?- no they are 2 years old. those alloy ball joints could be shot.

 

[Kuffar762]

Re: Jeep Tried To Kill Me! New Steering, New Trackbar with Welded Mount(pops & Wander

how is your caster and your toe in ? Are your ball joints brand new ?- no they are 2 years old. those alloy ball joints could be shot.

Toe in is neutral, caster could be a little more more positive but the pop and all hell breaking loose is my main concern at this point.

I' m stretched about 1.5" in the front and haven't put on adjustable uppers to get the sweet spot between caster and pinion angle yet.