97-01 XJ steering column setup

Is there some hidden nuts/bolts under the dash that i'm missing out on? I tightened all the visible bolts/nuts behind the knee panel and my steering column still rattles and shakes. When I close the door the column shakes. It's almost like those bobble heads, it bobbles for a second when you slam the door. When I go over a rough terrain or road it does the same thing. It's so annoying and tires out your hands when you gotta hold it tight to keep it from shaking. it's not tire/steering related because it does it with the jeep parked. You can visibly see the steering wheel shaking while the dash is at a standstill. Something is obviously out of whack or not tight but I've tightened everything under there. There has to be something I'm missing. The column goes through the dash and bolts onto a big web-like metal or aluminum bracket that's bolted to the firewall and seems like its bolted to something above the steering column but I can't get a good look cuz the dash is in the way. Anyone successfully taken apart the dash and seen where this bracket connects to above the column? There's gotta be bolts that i'm missing or not seeing.....

There are four, two per side, if I recall correctly. Two that are against the back (like the firewall) and then two that are going up, as if into the instrument cluster.

Maybe its the tilt feature?

kellen said:

There are four, two per side, if I recall correctly. Two that are against the back (like the firewall) and then two that are going up, as if into the instrument cluster.

Maybe its the tilt feature?

Click to expand...

Those i tightened. I remember seeing a diagram that showed that there were two way up in side the dash behind the instr. cluster but I dunno how to get access to those. The tilt feature seems to be fine. When I pull up and down on the steering wheel the entire aluminum c-channel that it's attached to moves along with it. The bracket that it's attached to also moves. It's not a real tight setup. The whole assembly would shimmy when you shut the door.

yeah there is another set right above the kick panel when you remove it.

I guess make sure what ever its mounted to is tight as well