Steering issues!

Ok, I JUST spent like 15 minutes typing all this up, and then when I tried to post, it was lost. So here goes AGAIN -

2001 XJ. 4wd, no ABS. New Wrangler Silent Armors, old AT/S. No lift/suspension/brake mods. Reman'd steering box, c. 10-15k miles. Jeep was salvaged from front-right fender collision. Body lines matched when I bought it, but no more. Problem originated sometime after offroading in Santa Ana Mountains in Southern Cali.

Small changes from straight result in the Jeep either diving left or right, or very little motion at all; no unexpected responses when in the midst of a turn already. Hit bumps, wheel jumps (HARD) left. Ruts in road on either side tend to pull my Jeep excessively (maybe just paranoia). Full lock left, excessive power steering pump noise. Seems like she doesn't stop where she should turning left; she does all right turning right. Alignment great (when I can get the truck going straight). I have heard noises coming from front during turns which almost sound like something clunking back into place or breaking, but not a regular thing (2-3 times in a little over 12 months), and no rhyme/reason to it.

I have no money to have a stealership/mechanic fix it, and am generally untrusting of such places. I am not a mechanic, but rather find myself learning to be one every time something needs fixing/replacing. I have not checked anything, as I do not even know where to start.

Thanks for any help/direction you guys can give me!

Maybe this is a bit too soon to assume nobody will see/reply to this, but - does anybody have any suggestions where to start? I guess I could jack up the front end and start jostling things, but I have no idea whatsoever what to look for, what an acceptable tolerance is, etc.

Please help!!!

Yes, Jack it up and check it, sounds like it could be the trackbar. Have someone turn the wheel while you look under it for any strange movement. The trackbar can come loose at the axle or frame mount so check it for ANY play.

Sounds like the track bar to me too. Mine does the same thing yours does but I blame it mostly on the 6.5 inches of lift. Also the jerking in your wheel may be a bad steering shock. When you check the track bar for play I found it works better NOT jacking it up. Start it (easier to turn the wheel, I work with my wife) and turn the wheel, whatch both ends for play even a small amount can be to much.

While you're at it, check the stabilizer bar links. A broken link can make it seem to dive into curves.

Check your steering stablizer (sideways shock).

"Jumpiness" in turns can be caused by the front tires being toed out, rather than straight or slightly toed in per spec. A turn starts out feeling very gentle when one wheel is turning and the other is straight or nearly straight. Then you turn a bit more and when that other wheel crosses the "straight" point and is turning the same direction as the first, the turn suddenly gets a lot tighter.

I accidently created that situation when I removed a lift and didn't have time to reset the toe-in. Had to drive a couple of hours north, and it was a very nervous ride, I can tell you. Very twitchy and unpredictable.

quicksilver said:

Sounds like the track bar to me too. Mine does the same thing yours does but I blame it mostly on the 6.5 inches of lift. Also the jerking in your wheel may be a bad steering shock. When you check the track bar for play I found it works better NOT jacking it up. Start it (easier to turn the wheel, I work with my wife) and turn the wheel, whatch both ends for play even a small amount can be to much.

Click to expand...

yes, for the trackbar don't jack it up, I would check it both jacked up and on the ground, check all the comtrol arms and steering linkages while your at it.

Eagle said:

"Jumpiness" in turns can be caused by the front tires being toed out, rather than straight or slightly toed in per spec. A turn starts out feeling very gentle when one wheel is turning and the other is straight or nearly straight. Then you turn a bit more and when that other wheel crosses the "straight" point and is turning the same direction as the first, the turn suddenly gets a lot tighter.

Click to expand...

X2...Make sure it is aligned correctly.

Yeah, I thought about the toe, too, and as near as I can tell, it's pretty straight. The Jeep's alignment is pretty dead-on. It really feels like something is loose, just a little loose.

What is the track bar? How is it shaped (the old tie rod, pre-purchase, was warped, and I knew it was supposed to be straight)? Where is it located?

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm going to make sure to set aside some time this weekend to check out everything.

EDIT: What are "acceptable" tolerances for everything else, like control arms and such? What sort of motion is acceptable in these parts (obviously the control arms move up and down with the axle, what about the other components)?

The trackbar runs from the frame to the axle, this is what keeps the axle centered under the vehicle. It has a curve in it to help clear the diff. If this is the problem, make sure to fix it before driving it, if it fails you can wreck, and die, and stuff.

Yeah, yeah, that would be cool, he he...crash and BURRRRRNNNNN!!! FIRE FIRE hehe...

(sorry, just another Beavis moment)

I do actually understand how potentially bad this is - not trying to belittle what you're saying, just trying to keep the world a happy place through humor....

he he he....he said FIRE!