Steering symptoms... help please.

What are the major symptoms outside of tire wear you'd experience if you had too much or too little toe?

My rig has gotten "squirrely" on the road, hard to keep centered. Compensating the steering wheel it feels like steering is late to respond. I did the garage floor alignment thing by measuring. No help really. Before I take it to the shop for the computer reading and drop $100 bucks to adjust toe, I thought I'd pick the brains. I did a 1/8" toe in.

I did the GF alignment after putting on a new Rusty's track bar, new Monroe steering stabilizer, and adjusting and tightening my trackbar to spec. (RE Adjustable) Axle IS centered, I think. I measure from the middle of the upper bumpstop to the outside of the tire. Each is almost identical.

Ball joints are solid, caster is on spec at about 7*.

Ideas??

screwed up toe will do it, although 1/8" is what i'm running via the tape measure method, and it's perfect. excessive toe, in or out, will make for a very wandery, unstable feeling. after a quick front housing swap, and not re-checking the toe, the freeway handling was squirrely as hell; as a wonderful bonus i picked up a hellish death wobble. all from being toed-in about an inch 'n a quarter....fixed it the next day. now it's totally stable well into the illegal area of the speedo.

Did you check your draglink, tierod, TRE's, Pitman arm, steering box, or maybe even the frame where the steering box is mounted??

My track bar did the same thing, I'd take a close look at it and make sure both ends are is good shape. Make sure the mounting holes are not egged out as well.

All steering components are solid or even new. Pittman arm is solid. Gear box is solid to the frame. (C-ROK reinforcement) Track bar is a brand new replacement as my old RE's heim joint seized up and would not adjust. Had to overnight a new one from RE. Even the torch didn't loosen that bitch.

I have NO noise, no clinks or clunks. Just squirrely at almost every speed. At tollway speed it gets almost spooky, like you are in a high wind.

slop in the steering box?
rag joint worn out in the steering shaft?

87manche said:

slop in the steering box?
rag joint worn out in the steering shaft?

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Searching rag joint came up with several posts saying it doesn't exist on an xj. People mention it but it might me mis-id'. My intermediate shaft's u-joints aren't real tight. I bought a spare a long time ago after discovering noise there. Maybe I'll install now.

OK... bear with me. Should there be ANY play in the steering box? If I turn the steering wheel should the pitman arm move with even micro movements?

87manche said:

rag joint worn out in the steering shaft?

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x2

I could just reach to hold the steering wheel in one hand and the steering shaft in the other, wrapping my arms around the A pillar. This was the only way I could narrow down my loose rag joint, cost was about $130 at the dealer for a new one, took a few minutes to put in with a 13mm wrench and a 2lb sledge.

Again, check the mounting locations for the track bar, any slop at all might only be seen under a load (not just moving it with your hands) but have a large effect. I have fought my track bar quite a bit-

with the motor off I can mve my steerin wheel maybe an inch of linear movement and the tires don't move and there's little resistance.
Motor on, tires move in reponse to the slightest steering input.

87manche said:

with the motor off I can mve my steerin wheel maybe an inch of linear movement and the tires don't move and there's little resistance.
Motor on, tires move in reponse to the slightest steering input.

Click to expand...

pretty much the same deal here. although if i have someone turn the wheel while i watch the pitman, even with the engine off the pitman arm moves with just the slightest touch of the steering wheel.

I find a nice chunck of wood block and use a C clamp to clamp the pitman arm to thre drag link (I think). Turn the steering wheel slightly left and right, you will feel real quick how much play is there. If there is little or no play, it's somewhere after the pitman.
UCA ad LCA bushings can cause it to wander (mostly on uneven road surfaces). Mine used to drive on the interstate, using only my thumb, I have to work it a little now. I can feel a little give in the front under certain braking conditions, I'm guessing it's time for control arm bushings, at least the uppers.