Need some help - steering wheel alignment

For the life of me, I can't seem to get my steering wheel aligned straight. This is on a 96 cherokee with a 3" lift, 31 x 10.5 tires, and gambler rims (5.25" BS). Stock steering linkage for a 96, and good tie rod ends & ball-joints all around. Never been in a wreck to my knowledge, and there are no signs of body/frame damage anywhere. It drives like a dream and gets awesome mpg for a lifted jeep (19+ highway) on 31" mud tires.

Anyway.....last night, I moved my trac bar over 3/4" towards the drivers side to recenter the axle for the 3" lift that is on it.

Ok, now my steering wheel is off, and the tires have uneven turning angles before they hit the LCAs. This was expected.

Today, I adjusted the drag link to get the wheel turning angles the same (both sides barely hit @ full lock), but my steering wheel is off by 90 deg now, and no matter what I try, I can't get it even close, and I must have tried a dozen times.

I have tried adjusting the drag link using the sleeve, I have also popped the drag link loose from the pitman arm, and turned only the tie rod end, but whenever I adjust the draglink to center the steering wheel, then the turning angles are off again.

So I then re-adjust for the turning angles, and now the steering wheel is off again, and round and round we go.

I am to the point I am considering popping the steering shaft off the steering box, and move the steering wheel to center it that way, but I am sure that splined connection is keyed just like the steering wheel is.

This is driving me nuts !!!

Anyone gots any ideas on what to do, or on what I am doing wrong ??

You only need to adjust the sleeve on the drag link. Put key in the ignition and turn it to the 'on" position to unlock the steering wheel. Adjust the sleeve until the wheel is correct. Tighten the sleeve.

I wouldn't worry about the uneven turning angles if they are somewhat close.

Yeah, center the steering wheel and forget about the tires hitting the LCA's. It's really pretty simple, you're over complicating it. If you drive down the road with the steering wheel straight, and you have the same turns lock to lock in both directions (which you will if the drag link is adjusted til the wheel is centered), then that's what it is.......nothing you can or should do after that.

OK, the wheel is centered, but I don't have the same # of turns lock to lock from center. One side is ~ 1/4 turn more.

Driving down the road, it is level (steering wheel), and if the road is crowned 1 way, it is slightly off, and if it is crowned the other way, it is off the same amount the other way, so I guess it is centered as best it can be for now.

And there is more rub to one side than the other, but a spacer/shim fixed that.

I was hoping to get it centered and have the same turns side to side, but I guess the steering box needs to be recentered, but I ain't messing with that right now.

As mentioned don't worry about the difference from center to lock on each side, that's just OCD, lol. Chances are your steering stops are just adjusted different on each side. What exactly did you shim for the rubbing?

wheel spacer on the side that was rubbing.

Got 20 new wheel studs on the way that are longer so there is no doubt about there is enough thread engagement when running the 5/16" spacers.

TRCM said:

OK, the wheel is centered, but I don't have the same # of turns lock to lock from center. One side is ~ 1/4 turn more.

Driving down the road, it is level (steering wheel), and if the road is crowned 1 way, it is slightly off, and if it is crowned the other way, it is off the same amount the other way, so I guess it is centered as best it can be for now.

And there is more rub to one side than the other, but a spacer/shim fixed that.

I was hoping to get it centered and have the same turns side to side, but I guess the steering box needs to be recentered, but I ain't messing with that right now.

Click to expand...

No such thing as the steering box being recentered. Also, you shouldn't have play just because of the crown in the road. Have you checked to be sure all of the steering joints and the track bar are tight? Does the steering box have excessive play? Please don't take this wrong, but you are either being super anal about this centering thing or you have some kind of problem with play somewhere. Ditch the spacer on one side, unless that really makes you happy.

Goatman said:

No such thing as the steering box being recentered. Also, you shouldn't have play just because of the crown in the road. Have you checked to be sure all of the steering joints and the track bar are tight? Does the steering box have excessive play? Please don't take this wrong, but you are either being super anal about this centering thing or you have some kind of problem with play somewhere. Ditch the spacer on one side, unless that really makes you happy.

Click to expand...

This is what I am talking about when I said recenter the box
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/steering-box-adjustments-fix-your-floppy-steering-1164443/

I have had to do this on other vehicles in the past.


There is no play due to the crown in the road, but to keep it in the left lane of a highly crowned road, you have to turn to the right slightly, and to keep it in the right lane, you have to turn to the left, and each way is the same amount....hence it must be centered.

And yes, I am probably being anal, but I hate that at full lock the tire rubs the LCA in 1 direction, but not the other.

TRCM said:

And yes, I am probably being anal, but I hate that at full lock the tire rubs the LCA in 1 direction, but not the other.

Click to expand...

All you have to do to fix that is adjust the steering stop on the knuckle so it doesn't hit....no spacers required.

TRCM said:

This is what I am talking about when I said recenter the box
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/steering-box-adjustments-fix-your-floppy-steering-1164443/

I have had to do this on other vehicles in the past.

Click to expand...

OK, I wouldn't exactly call that centering the box. And I leave steering box mods to the steering box experts. I'm too picky.