98 XJ Alignment questions

I took my XJ to NTB to get an alignment check. My jeep is wearing on the front inside tires (more drivers side than passenger side), slightly pulling to the right while driving, sometimes it makes a "knock" noise once, when Im pulling into my driveway, and my steering wheel is crooked from a previous wreck.

I wanted to get all the stuff that needed to be replaced done and get it aligned because im planning on installing a 3" lift on it soon.

NTB told me I need steering box, front U-joints, sway bar links, and steering stabilizer.

My local Jeep club told me they highly doubt the steering box is bad, and that I could adjust the drag link to straighten out the steering wheel. What do you guys think??? Ive been told that rarely steering boxes go bad and if they do you can definately tell somethings wrong. thanks!

If it has been wrecked it could be any number of things causing it to pull.

If a steering box is bad, you will know. Usually they leak, grind, or bind.

Knocking could be about anything. Work joints, track bar, etc. You will have to isolate it and watch for unusual movement.

Steering wheels are easily straightened and don't affect tire wear.

I had a steering box, well, not perform as it's supposed to. It still worked and I drove a few hundred miles with it before attempting to get it through the now-extinct NJ safety inspection. I had four or five inspection techs all trying their turn at the steering wheel, laughing as they did so. Basically, there was NO resistance in the steering box. If I gave even the slightest bump to the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel would spin around until it hit the hard stops. I guess it was pretty comical to them, but I honestly got used to it. I put a reman box in, but it seems to have a lot of slop in it, although, it could be other things like rod ends, ball joints, etc...