Redid Front Suspension, Now Drives Like A '62 Buick

[seanof30306@yahoo.]

1996 XJ Up Country
160,000 all-street miles

OK, so last summer, the Kevin's Off Road track bar failed. Replaced it with a Rough Country bar.

Also put in a Moog HD steering damper with a lifetime warranty: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...2894&ppt=C0203


The 50,000 mile warranty tires had 59,000 miles on them, and they were nearly bald, dry-rotted, and one of them was starting to separate. I put a set of Yokahama Geolander AT GO15s on it in 255/60-16.

https://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/geolandar-a-t-g015

The shop that mounted them said they couldn't align it because the ball joints and a tie rod end were bad, so we replaced all 4 ball joints, and both tie rod ends.

The control arm bushings looked pretty sketchy, so we replaced the control arms with Moog Problem Solvers.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....1180314&jsn=25

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....1180314&jsn=26

Replaced the sway bar end links, too.

The power steering pump had been giving me problems, too. In really cold weather, It was really jerky, and sometimes didn't work at all for the first 1/10th of a mile, or so. We replaced it with a stocker from NAPA.

When I was driving it to be aligned, it felt all darty and janky, but I thought that was because of the alignment being out. No such luck. It's been aligned, but it drives like a completely different vehicle. Sloppy, with poor road feel and lots of body roll. I bought this Jeep new in 1996, and I've always loved the way it drove; almost like a sports coupe. Solid, tight steering, even at 90-95 mph. Now, it feels mushy and sloppy. The faster you go, the worse it gets. I took it up to 85 today, and nearly lost control.

There was also a noticeable dead spot in the steering wheel that appeared to me to be worse at some times than others. NAPA replaced the steering box under warranty, and it resolved the dead spot, but it still drives like my great grandma's 62 Buick.


Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Vanimal]

have someone shake your steering wheel side to side violently while you watch underneath for any loose parts. check the drag link ends, tie rod ends, both ends of the track bar, track bar bracket at the frame, and jack it up and see if there is any play in the wheels from the ball joints or unit bearings, regardless if you changed it all or not. If that all passes, check your toe again. i usually check it with a tape measure at a spot on the tire that you can measure to on the front and rear of the tire, like a spot on the tread or usually one of the side lugs on the tire. It should be 1/8" to 3/16" toed in. If it isn't, it will drive like a dump truck and/or give you death wobble. Just because they aligned it doesn't mean they know how to align an xj with that big of a tire.

 

[yossarian19]

Does the steering effort feel the same while parking?
I'm wondering if you bought a pump with the wrong flow valve installed.
I had a WJ for a while (big mistake. money pit) and put a new PS pump in it - it had the wrong valve and no PS systems (steering or hydraulic fan) worked at all. Put the OEM back in and it worked.
I'm thinking you may be describing over-boosted steering?

 

[seanof30306@yahoo.]

Does the steering effort feel the same while parking?
I'm wondering if you bought a pump with the wrong flow valve installed.
I had a WJ for a while (big mistake. money pit) and put a new PS pump in it - it had the wrong valve and no PS systems (steering or hydraulic fan) worked at all. Put the OEM back in and it worked.
I'm thinking you may be describing over-boosted steering?

I've wondered about the power steering pump myself. The steering definitely feels too light. I don't know how I'd check it, other than trying another power steering pump. I was thinking about putting some power steering pump stop-leak in it to thicken up the fluid and see if that helped, but I don't like that idea too much.

The other thing I wonder about is the steering box. It had a sticker on it saying the steering would feel different, that this was a modern-type steering box with a bearing, not an old-fashioned worm gear box.

I just know I hate it. If I'm driving along and hit a bump, and my hand holding the steering wheel moves, the Jeep jumps all over the place.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Try some motorcraft xl3 friction modifier in your ps system. Some swear by it.
I did notice some difference in the noise mine made, until the system was leaking much mor than already was.

 

[seanof30306@yahoo.]

Try some motorcraft xl3 friction modifier in your ps system. Some swear by it.
I did notice some difference in the noise mine made, until the system was leaking much mor than already was.

Thanks for the tip.

I wonder though, since a friction modifier is designed to give additional lubrication, wouldn't that make the steering even lighter, instead of heavier?