Steering dead spot

Ok, I just finished replacing basically all my steering components and now I have a small dead spot. When going straight I have maybe 1/2" of steering wheel play side to side with zero resistance. It feels really squirrelly and loose with the wheel movement like that. Everything is torqued per factory specs and my alignment is as good as I can get it, I'm taking it to be aligned this week. I have a slight pull to the right, which I had before all the new parts but no vibrations.

What should I be looking at since it's a new reman box? I hate to start messing with the box adjustment screw since I could kill the box easily by over adjusting it, although it has a life time warranty. I also went with the traditional(UTK) steering style just HD to avoid having a dead spot. Track bar is old and worn out and next on the list but can that cause steering dead spots? I was also going to rotate my tires but not expecting that to solve it.


97 country 4.0, auto,
stock height HD springs(recent)
Upper / Lower ball joints
Napa(parts master) steering box, with new lines
JCR steering box spacer with new hardware
IronRock HD tie rod with new ends
Moog OEM style tie rod with new end(pitman arm to driver side)
New steering stabilizer
Power steering fluid flushed and bleed with mopar clear fluid

Have you had someone dry-steer it so you can see where it is? IF your trackbar is loose, it will definitely affect on-center steering response.

If it's the box, adjust the screw tighter in 1/8 inch increments, driving after every adjustment. If it starts to lose return-to-center before it gets tighter, you'll probably need a box.

only 1/2" of play????

lucky.

Thanks for the replies, in my mind I was having hard time seeing how the track bar would effect it. I think I can see how it would though. If the track bar allows easy movement then the steering box is pushing the body side to side before it's pushing the wheels basically? It's just odd I had no dead spot before all these new parts. Could the new parts made everything solid and now the track bar is the weakest link causing this?

If you said you haven't had it aligned yet and it feels squirrely, pulls to the right and has a loose feeling then I would say you need to get the alignment done first before you look anywhere else. If the alignment isn't close enough all of these symptoms could be normal, pulling could be the track bar, draglink or toe adjustment and the squirrely, looseness could be the caster. Get the alignment done then go from there.

robsjeepxj said:

If you said you haven't had it aligned yet and it feels squirrely, pulls to the right and has a loose feeling then I would say you need to get the alignment done first before you look anywhere else. If the alignment isn't close enough all of these symptoms could be normal, pulling could be the track bar, draglink or toe adjustment and the squirrely, looseness could be the caster. Get the alignment done then go from there.

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Well all the loose feeling comes from the steering wheel have a 1/2" of dead space. I turn the wheel and the jeep doesn't turn right away which creates the squirrelly feeling.

I did just get off the phone with the local alignment shop so I'm not putting it off or anything. Just trying to get an idea of what's going on.

Yes, the trackbar could be causing these symptoms exactly as you described.

Have you laid in front of the jeep while someone rocks the wheel back and forth? That is the first thing you should do. Check every tie rod end and both ends of the trackbar for movement before the tires. If something is loose you should see it fairly quickly.

Ok, had the ole lady work the steering wheel while I laid under and watched things. Turns out the track bar is moving all around. I was kind of surprised the axle end was moving a lot because I just replaced the bushing. It almost seemed as if the bolt was too small for the bushing sleeve. The bolt didn't move at all just the bar/bushing. I cranked it down a little tighter and it stopped that movement.

Also the upper track bar end was moving and looks like that joint is shot. The track bar mount showed no sign of moving at all so I was glad at least with that. It was crazy to see the body of the XJ moving side to side though because of the play in the track bar.

I'm going over kill and putting an ironrock double shear track bar in and call it good.

Not sure I like the frame side bracket they have on that kit, but it otherwise looks great. A pair of small gussets/braces welded from the plates for the track bar joint up the face of the plate that bolts to the side of the frame rail would greatly improve its strength.

Materials to do this would be really cheap, if you have a friend who can weld, just have them slap a pair of 1/4" thick 1/2" to 3/4" tall strips edgewise on that face of the bracket and you can forget about it completely.

Well just got back from the alignment shop.

Steering box has the dead spot in it, sucks reman napa box I guess isn't worth it.

Also the ironrock tie rod doesn't have enough adjustment for stock height(well I'm 1/2" lift). We could just barely get the toe set within the range but just barely in range. The bar is a little too long for stock height even though they say it works at stock height. I need to level out my front to match the rear so hopefully that will free up some adjustment room.

why not try adjusting your box ? its not hard to do.. it does require special tools, but you can get by with just guessing. The input shaft adjuster nut would remove that dead spot when you tighten it. Heres a link with info how to adjust the box. http://www.chevelles.com/techref/PowerStrgGear(4).jpg

Yea, but why should I have to adjust a box I just bought. Most info I read about adjusting these boxes say it's just a temp fix for a worn out box and it will only last a short time. Having one that has just been rebuilt should mean it's good to go not needing adjusting all the time.

The guy who did my alignment said they usually rebuild the boxes so many times that the actual box is out of spec. They just throw new internals in them and hope for the best. I'm wishing I had just put up the cash and got a PSC box.

They said the tie rod is too long? That sounds very strange. I don't see why you can just cut an inch off of it and get it perfect though. As for the steering box, if it was just rebuilt it's probably good, I would guess that maybe it was just not re-adjusted properly during the rebuild process. Like way said already adjusting it is very simple (compared to R&R'ing it) just go an 8th turn at a time and stop when the dead spot is gone. It's up to you, I'd try tightening it first.

I was standing there with the guy as he tried to adjust it on the rack. The tie rod was running out of threads we couldn't toe it out far enough, it's in the range but at the low end. Sure, we could have pulled it out and started cutting it up. I am just going use it as an excuse to lift though rather than cut it up.

I may try to tighten it, but still I am just disappointed with buying a box and having issues with it. I also don't mean to sound ungrateful for useful input, just been a long day

iwannadie said:

Sure, we could have pulled it out and started cutting it up. I am just going use it as an excuse to lift though rather than cut it up.

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Sounds like a good enough excuse to me. Jack that bitch up.

If you try to adjust the box by the adjustment screw ontop, it will not help your dead spot. You will have to drop the box and do it on a table or vise.

For the tierod.. it would be the same size regardless of lift you have... as it only adjusts the toe in/out. Is the tie rod end about to fall out, as it isnt long enough, and you cant bring the toe out ? if thats so.. you need a longer tierod.

dan89XJ said:

If you try to adjust the box by the adjustment screw ontop, it will not help your dead spot. You will have to drop the box and do it on a table or vise.

For the tierod.. it would be the same size regardless of lift you have... as it only adjusts the toe in/out. Is the tie rod end about to fall out, as it isnt long enough, and you cant bring the toe out ? if thats so.. you need a longer tierod.

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It's the other way around, the rod is too long and was pushing the toe Out, there isn't enough room to bring the toe fully in. If it's lifted the tie rod needs to be extended which I have plenty of room to adjust.

Oof.. you cant bring your toe in enough. Hmm.. is this the one you bought ? http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merc...=IROR&Product_Code=IR-SHDTR&Category_Code=XST

Depending on how deep the threads are.. I'd say its ok to grind the ends off evenly to make it shorter, and just enough to get your toe in. Also.. regardless of lift, the tierod toe adjustment is not effected. It goes from knuckle to knuckle. The draglink on the other hand would be effected if you are lifted.. and this will not adjust your toe in/out.

dan89XJ said:

Oof.. you cant bring your toe in enough. Hmm.. is this the one you bought ? http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merc...=IROR&Product_Code=IR-SHDTR&Category_Code=XST

Depending on how deep the threads are.. I'd say its ok to grind the ends off evenly to make it shorter, and just enough to get your toe in. Also.. regardless of lift, the tierod toe adjustment is not effected. It goes from knuckle to knuckle. The draglink on the other hand would be effected if you are lifted.. and this will not adjust your toe in/out.

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That is the one I have and it does not go from knuckle to knuckle. It retains the stock steering setup. Unless I am completely confused on this. I've seen the setups that the tie rod connects directly knuckle to knuckle and I can see how that would clearly not be effect by lift. The stock setup I see lifting would raise the drag link and extend the distance of the tie rod.

Maybe more pics would make it clear, from a review.

Again, I am in the proper alignment range according to the computer but I am in the low end of that proper range(in the green just barely). Cutting would be an option but I would not like to take material away that can't be put back later on if it's needed. I will run it the way it is being that it is aligned but just barely.

Ok you are right. I was thinking of a different type of steering.

Did you figure out the box ?