• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Steering Shake Down

kenny811

kenny811

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Damascus, OR
So this morning on my drive to work I hit a small pot hole or something it the street and the steering wheel went nuts. I thought it was going to shake it self apart. I slowed down it stopped all was good. I just installed an Over the Knuckle with Hime joints on my 93. Everything went together fine, and just got it aligned last night. Any thoughts?? I dont have a sway bar or stabilizer on it yet, that's Saturday nights project.
 
Best thing to do is to have someone rock the wheel back and forth while you look for any end that has any play in it. Then put your front axle on jack stands so that the tires are about 2 inches off the ground and put a large pry bar under each tire and pry up. if the wheel moves up and down then you have a ball joint out You will be able to see which one it is. Then still on jack stands you can wiggle the wheel front to back and feel to see if there is anything loose or clunking. I also like using nylock nuts and lock washers on bolts holding in heims.
 
Good thinking, we did all that last night. Everything we good & tight, ball joints seemed good to go. Do you think an out of balanced tire would do it?
 
kenny811 said:
Good thinking, we did all that last night. Everything we good & tight, ball joints seemed good to go. Do you think an out of balanced tire would do it?
Click to expand...
No. You have a loose joint somewhere. I put the vehicle on the ground and have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth while I am under and looking at and actually placing my hand across the joint to feel any play. Also watch out for loose steering gear mounting bolts or a cracked frame.
 
old_man said:
No. You have a loose joint somewhere. I put the vehicle on the ground and have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth while I am under and looking at and actually placing my hand across the joint to feel any play. Also watch out for loose steering gear mounting bolts or a cracked frame.
Click to expand...

Cool, I will try that tonight. I checked the frame out pretty good before I bolted the bumper on, but I will have someone mve the wheel. I might have left something loose. Thanks Old_man
 
How's your tracbar and bracket? Make sure those are tight.
 
XJ-00-1 said:
Put a steering stabilizer on it.
Click to expand...

no :twak:

that will only mask problems.

make sure everything is really tight.

some major problem areas are: trackbar bushing/joint. all steering joints, play in the steering box, BJs.
 
rockclimber said:
no :twak:

that will only mask problems.

make sure everything is really tight.

some major problem areas are: trackbar bushing/joint. all steering joints, play in the steering box, BJs.
Click to expand...

If you put a stabilizer on it, you can drive it without DW. I don't see the problem.
 
XJ-00-1 said:
If you put a stabilizer on it, you can drive it without DW. I don't see the problem.
Click to expand...

because the DW is still there.

it is simply being masked with the stabilizer. the DW will continue to wear out components, and once the the SS is worn, it will come back.

:twak:
 
I had that problem on my rig and everything was tight. I needed new tires anyway so I got my MTR's and had those static balanced and it fixed the problem. I even went as far as changing axles and all the steering and still had the problem. The tires fixed it. Mine would not wobble very much just going down the road, but when I hit a bump it would shake so bad I almost rolled my jeep the first time. Just a though all the other things mentioned will also cause DW.
 
rockclimber said:
because the DW is still there.

it is simply being masked with the stabilizer. the DW will continue to wear out components, and once the the SS is worn, it will come back.

:twak:
Click to expand...

It's not there if it doesn't shake. The shake is what kills components. If the SS wears out, put a new one on.

I had DW a couple years ago, replaced everything, still had it. Put a SS on it and been driving ever since. It came back this last year, put a new SS on it and it's all good.

Not saying not to look for loose components, but sometimes a $30 SS will make it drivable.
 
He's right it will only mask the problem. Type in Death Wobbel and read on, its true. I took mine off years ago, and its Ford axled with all new ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings and proper caster set. The steering stabilzer is only for light feed back for moms piece of mine while they mall crawl. I you want to try to band aid the problem it may work, hell you can have mine its practly new.
 
XJ-00-1 said:
It's not there if it doesn't shake. The shake is what kills components. If the SS wears out, put a new one on.

I had DW a couple years ago, replaced everything, still had it. Put a SS on it and been driving ever since. It came back this last year, put a new SS on it and it's all good.

Not saying not to look for loose components, but sometimes a $30 SS will make it drivable.
Click to expand...

incorrect.

DW is a symptom, a SS only masks that symptom.

the problem is still there.

might be OK for a mall-crawler, but any jeep that sees the trail will expose that problem and it will become a weak link.
 
rockclimber said:
incorrect.

DW is a symptom, a SS only masks that symptom.

the problem is still there.

might be OK for a mall-crawler, but any jeep that sees the trail will expose that problem and it will become a weak link.
Click to expand...
This is NAXJA, aren't they all mall crawlers? :laugh:

Again, I can drive mine 70 MPH with a SS, and I get DW without it.
 
Yes exactly because all the parts I talked about, Ive had mine past 100 mph on 35s with no steering stablilizer. It has nothing to do with how fast you can drive it.
 
XJ-00-1 said:
This is NAXJA, aren't they all mall crawlers? :laugh:

Again, I can drive mine 70 MPH with a SS, and I get DW without it.
Click to expand...

that doesn't mean anything....

in fact, the fact that without the SS you will have DW makes that statement even worse. if the SS were to ever fail, you would probably end up killing yourself.


and FWIW I drive mine every day at speeds in excess of 70 with no steering stabilizer.
 
Actually now that I think about it I was still on 32" with 3:55 when I was doing 100mph. But I had no steering stabilizer.
 
rockclimber said:
that doesn't mean anything....

in fact, the fact that without the SS you will have DW makes that statement even worse. if the SS were to ever fail, you would probably end up killing yourself.


and FWIW I drive mine every day at speeds in excess of 70 with no steering stabilizer.
Click to expand...
A tire could also fall off and kill me. Any component failure would suck at freeway speed.

The OP was looking for thoughts to get his rig under control. A SS may make it so he can drive it. If you want to call it a "mask" have at it, but if it is not violently shaking on the road, the the problem is under control.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Steering wheel stuck after sitting outside a few days
Replies
2
Views
1K
maxbraketorque
M
9
88 Lower ball joint seems stiff
Replies
7
Views
2K
90xj06
9
S
Red loctite for CavFab steering?
Replies
3
Views
1K
maxbraketorque
M
K
Front end shake
Replies
17
Views
2K
75SV1
7
L
XJ Tight Steering
Replies
11
Views
2K
truckeejeeper
T
Back
Top