Floating/weaving in lane?!?

[Saurian]

Here be the story...

Yesterday, my brother and I were doing some maintanance on my '00 XJ, and his '86 Grand Waggy. I did an oil change, greased everything up, and a tire rotation on mine. The drivers side front tire was chewed up a little bit, haven't rotated them nearly enough, but there is still plenty of tread on them. Standard rotation; drivers front to passenger rear, and so on. Lugnuts tightened down properly, tires inflated properly, so on...

While I was heading home on the freeway, it seemed to be weaving in the lane, like it was hard to control. At 70 MPH, it was weaving left... right... back and forth every second or so. Not a wobble, but it felt like it was hard to control.

Now, there's a second factor here. Due to stresses incurred out at the garage, and paranoia about something being wrong with the Jeep, I suspect I was having a serious panic attack; don't know if the Jeep was weaving because I was freaking out, or if I was freaking out because the Jeep was weaving. I don't remember much of the drive home except a blind fury and panic. I'm gonna take it out on the road and see how it responds later today.

My question is, could there be something making the Jeep do this that I have overlooked, or was I just having a really bad night. Theories are an underinflated tire, the steering being greased and me not being used to the easy movement of the wheel, or grease having dripped down into the brakes or something.

I appreciate any suggestions...

 

[jeepguy46176]

May have loose lugnuts on one of the tires.

 

[mud4feet]

May have loose lugnuts on one of the tires.

Trust me, that happens no matter how careful you are!! (Previous post - mudwoman's tire coming off :shock: ). Worth a quick check all around with the lug wrench.

 

[Saurian]

I'll double check them before I take it out for another test, you're right, can't be too careful about THAT. Will be road testing it within the hour, let you all know how it responds when I return.

 

[TwistedCU]

worn steering box maybe...

 

[Saurian]

Near as I can tell, it was a combination of the greased steering, nerves, and a misaligned front end... Guess I'm just not used to all the steering components moving so easily.

Now... I just got the front end aligned, it needed it, but while it was on the rack, they found that the rear drivers side tire is off by nearly half a degree, the passenger rear is dead on... Warped axle?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Now... I just got the front end aligned, it needed it, but while it was on the rack, they found that the rear drivers side tire is off by nearly half a degree, the passenger rear is dead on... Warped axle?

Manufacturer tolerance, or a bent axle. I wouldn't sweat 0.5º variance.

 

[lippy]

my rear axle is just like that one tire right on other toed in a little

 

[Saurian]

Oh good... Glad it's not an isolated problem... My best guess is that the axle has probably moved a little bit, and normally, both tires would be off by .25, which is negligable.

Thanks all for suggestions and help

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Could have just been the feathering of the tires, too. My Toy PU used to do that when I'd wait too long to rotate the tires. If the lugs were heavily feathered, it would be really squirrely for the first day or so until the thin edges wore down a bit.

 

[Saurian]

Hm, that one tire was feathered pretty badly... It's driving like a champ now. I think it's kind of like when the Jeep was down for a week, and I was regularly driving my mom's Sebring. I finally get the engine running again, and I'm freaking out driving it, what's wrong with the brakes, why's it rattling so much, what is that noise?!? Then I realized that it's always been like that, you just get used to it. I haven't greased the steering in so long (yes, I screwed up on that), that it's totally unlike what I'm used to. It literally drives like new right now. Between greasing the steering and driveshafts, and rotating the tires, and doing some tuning and tinkering to the engine, it feels like the day I got it.

Glad it ended up being just me for the most part, and not something seriously wrong. I cannot afford seriously wrong!

 

[mud4feet]

Hm, that one tire was feathered pretty badly... It's driving like a champ now. I think it's kind of like when the Jeep was down for a week, and I was regularly driving my mom's Sebring. I finally get the engine running again, and I'm freaking out driving it, what's wrong with the brakes, why's it rattling so much, what is that noise?!? Then I realized that it's always been like that, you just get used to it. I haven't greased the steering in so long (yes, I screwed up on that), that it's totally unlike what I'm used to. It literally drives like new right now. Between greasing the steering and driveshafts, and rotating the tires, and doing some tuning and tinkering to the engine, it feels like the day I got it.

Glad it ended up being just me for the most part, and not something seriously wrong. I cannot afford seriously wrong!

Isn't it great owning a Jeep!!!ray:

Like nothing else........that was your main problem..........driving that Sebring!!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Saurian]

Yeah, that time it was... Heck, today, my mom and I went to get a bunch of wood in the Cherokee; I'm working for a tree service now, love it... Anyway, she's all freaking out, what's that noise, what's that grinding, what's that squeaking... I guess you just get used to it

Near as I can tell, something may well be loose in the steering, thinking perhaps worn gear box... I would not be concerned were it not for the fact that I am able to move the tires just a wee bit side to side, like I'm turning the wheel, when it's lifted... Greasing it probably helped me to feel the problem... That night, though, I was in bad shape, I'm gonna write that one up to me darn near having another heart problem because of stress...

 

[Laph]

well I just got done in the garage, working on my wj, it would float right and left, had little play... ok alot of play in the steering wheel and the worst was if I hit a good bump at 30-50mph it would go into a wobble of death. the problem was the Inner Tie Rods that connect everything to the pitman arm and steering box. took about an hour and half to change once I found my pickle forks so i could beat them off and a pipe wrench to unscrew them. I left the other tie rods alone though since I didn't have the money to take it ine for an alignment, with just doing the inners only thing I had to check was steering wheel alignment which is easy, no computers needed
now everything works like a champ, It's like driving it new again. No more wobble of death and no more "floating" around on the road. Will change the other tie rods when they take a crap on me and I have more money for an alignment, they had 0 play. Anyways just though I would share my exp.
Laters,
Laph

 

[TwistedCU]

I am able to move the tires just a wee bit side to side, like I'm turning the wheel, when it's lifted

If you are saying while the Jeep is on a lift with no weight on the front end, that's normal.

 

[Laph]

the way I found the bad tie rods was I jacked up the front end, then had the steering wheel lock with the ignition off. Then I moved the tires by hand and found the play, it was really obvious when I grabbed the bar and felt the play.