Ok, lets get this straight... NO!!! I SAID STRAIGHT!!!!

Snitty · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Well.. after driving around all day going about my business... finding out my plow doesn't work, finding out that I have numerous bills that I don't have money for, finding out that a few of my jobs I have lined up will be set aside for a while... I found something pretty interesting... As I was leaving a "social gathering of drunk friends" tonight, I noticed something strange with my steering. First.. on my way there, and all day, everything was fine. But when I backed out of the driveway and proceeded to go down the road, I noticed I was going straight, but my steering wheel was cocked to one side. It is just about 1/6 of a turn to the right. I didn't hit anything, I didn't stress the steering, I didn't run over anything, I didn't ever feel anything pull out of line. Though, I WAS parked on a hill with my wheels turned to the right. But that should have no part in my jeep mysteriously being pulled apart and realigned. I thought "HMMMM, wasn't like that 2 hours ago"... so I decided to take a look underneath. I thought that my draglink might be bent or something... that was the first thing that popped in the head. Took the trusty Mag-Lite down there... Nope... everything's tight and straight. I pulled the cover off my steering wheel to see if something moved on me... nope... everythings bolted down right. Pitman arm- "check"... steering box- "check"... linkages- "check"... knuckles- "check"... steering shaft- "check"... I looked at it all.. can't figure out what it is... everything on the suspension is right, the axles are parallel... Its far enough over that when I make turns.... my signal sometimes won't shut off... and I can feel that the signal switch does not want to move to the "right" position because the upper part of the shaft is in the "partially right" position already... I'll have to toss it up on the lift and see what I can find. VERY VERY VERY VERY strange[addsig]

Tug-n-pull · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

A good story so far but these "To Be Continued" shows make me not sleep real well. Please let us know what is next cause I cant sleep. [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] <TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> "social gathering of drunk friends" </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE> This has caused my room to spin, the steps to move, the sidewalk to tilt, The words to slur, the ugly gals to look good, and my head to hurt. [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] How does it look this morning? Tug[addsig]

Bounty__Hunter · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

What year Jeep?

A change in front suspension height will cause the wheel to be off, and may be slight enough you can't tell by looking at it. If you have coils (ughh) check both ends of each coil for breaks. If you have leaf spings (yay) check near the spring hanger and shackle for bends in the main leaf.[addsig]

MudderChuck · #4 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

I´ve jacked the body off of the springs and let it sit for awhile. And when I sit it back down, the steering wheel is a little off center. A moderate run over the local rail road tracks usually centers things back up again. I suspect a clunky ball joint (steering knuckle joint). I periodically give everything up front, a good shake (every joint) and listen for clicks and look for play. I invariably find something loose that wasn´t there the last time I checked.

[addsig]

Snitty · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

stock height.. everything's tight... hmmm... doc, i'm goin back in[addsig]

Snitty · #6 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

I just don't understand what could have caused an instant change in it... while being parked. i could understand if it was gradual, and it happened a little bit every so often... but no... it is a 1/6 of a turn, AT ONCE... and there were NO changes ever made to the front end... VERY STRANGE[addsig]

idrthrbfishing · #7 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

can you adjust the steering center with the adjustment screw??????(on the steering box?) sears adjusted mine twice, after an alinement took two min they didn't tighten the set screww so the first bump and boom off 1/4 turn or so talk about scaring you, ok I was doing 65 over railroad tracks testing the rancho shocks I put on that morning. but still scary [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [addsig]

Snitty · #8 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

I was unaware of an adjustment screw... I will put it up on the lift and take a look.. I've never heard of it... but if there isn't one... i'll figure something out[addsig]

Tug-n-pull · #9 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Did you leave in the right Jeep? [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Tug[addsig]

marc · #10 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

you have probally already checked this but what about your tire pressure its been real cold lately it may be off enough to mess up your allignment, also if you let go of your wheel does it pull, i know on the tires i have MTR's they wont look low but they will be somthing like 15 psi. just a thought (jeepers always tryin to over fix stuff [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] ) that would be my first guess if you havent hit anything, but then again i have knocked the bead off my tires before and not messed up any part of the allignment. good luck

marc[addsig]

MudderChuck · #11 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

The adjustment screw on the top of the gear box is called the centering screw, but is more of a resistance adjustment (too tight and the steering wheel gets really hard to turn). The ring at the imput shaft end, adjusts pitman arm shaft play (sector shaft) wandering (equal left and right play).

The book recommends moving the steering wheel on the splins to center, after a tie rod replacement, maybe she´s bent or the adjuster is loose.

If I was one of your drinking buddies, I would suspect, a relocated steering wheel (moved on the splins 1/4 turn to the right) just to see if we could get you to drive around in circles, after you´d tipped a few. [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [addsig]

Snitty · #12 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Nobody I hang out with is smart enough to mess with vehicles... plus nobody would go through the trouble of doing that in the below zero weather. I put the jeep up today to look at it... the adjuster on the top... that does me nothing... I did notice that it is harder to steer now... I must have tightened it down a little more than it was. I basically want to know a few things... What would cause this to go off center like that... why would it adjust to ONE location, then retighten itself to functionality again... If tihs happened... would this be safe to trust driving? And how the hell can I get it straight again.... Today, I moved the resistance adjuster around... Pulled the steering wheel... that was fine... I just want to know how to release the pitman from the control of the steering wheel, so I can straighten them up.. and set it back... Or I want to know simply how to adjust everything back to center.... Its f*cked up if you ask me[addsig]

BigBlackJeep · #13 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Being from the same town as snitty, I will agree with him that his drinkin buddies are not smart enough to know the difference between a right and left handed screwdriver....

but to the problems with the steering box.... it baffles me. I have seen his Jeep and it is in good working order. sometimes i even have a hard time to get him to go off roading with me... [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] (come on snitty- you know its true...but in his defense in this regard, one of us usually ends up breaking something... and its hard to pay for parts...)

I am going to be taking a look at the jeep with him in the near future.... wish us luck[addsig]

Snitty · #14 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Do I know you? [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [addsig]

Snitty · #15 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Still no go... damn

[addsig]

Craig · #16 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

I had a similiar problem with my 93 YJ. I found the problem to be a lose bolt on the front trac bar. The bolt seemd tight but was lose enough to let the trac bar slip just a little causing my steering wheel to be out of alignment. If my trac bar isn't tight it causes side to side movement of my front axles which in turn causes the steering wheel to be out of alignment. The hole that the bolt to the trac bar goes through on the drivers side isn't round, it's more of a an oval shape so the bolt can move a little from side to side. If this bolt isn't cranked on there really tight, it moves and causes slight axle shift. On my friends jeep, his lift came with a bracket to move his trac bar up about 2 inches. He has constant problems with this bracket coming lose which will cause the same problems. No matter how tight or how many times he tightens it, it comes lose. He's tried loctight and everything. Now he's going to try tack welding the bolts on.[addsig]

Snitty · #17 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

now THAT seems like something I should check... Good lookin out.. I'll get on it... by the way... THANK ALL OF YOU VERY MUCH for the help[addsig]

Craig · #18 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

If you find it to be a lose front trac bar, the way to straighten the steering wheel is to losen off the trac bar a little, jack up the jeep by the frame, not the axle (I find the front bumper works best) and push and kick the wheel till the axle shifts to the side. Pushing it on one side will cause the steering wheel to be more out of alignment and pushing fom the other side should move it the other direction.[addsig]

Snitty · #19 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Ok I do notice that the actual steering is turned.. the axle is parallel to the rear axle... so I don't think the tracbar is the problem.... I believe it is something in the steering itself... My main concern here is that I want to find out if "whatever it is" could possibly get worse than a small steering misalignment and possibly end up letting go of my steering while driving... I want to go on a trip soon.. the last place I want to lose my steering is on the highway[addsig]