yj steering question

[joejeepny]

I have a '93 wrangler and I have a problem with the steering. When you turn the wheel from left to right the tie rods twist up and down. This twisting action causes play in the wheel and a squireling effect to my driving. Its very annoying becuase the wheels do not go straight. It kinda rocks back and forth. Has anyone noticed this on a YJ. It doesnt happen on the CJ because the drag link is attach to the knuckle and not to the other tie rod. Is this a flaw with the YJ or is my tie rod bent, it doesnt look bent and if this is the case its always going to be bent from wheeling in the rocks? I would hate to replace it and have the same thing happen. Can someone with a YJ have someone turn thier wheel back and forth and then take a look if thier tie rod rocks also. You can see the streering stabilizer rock up and down. How do you stop this?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

It's normal. The play in your wheel and the squirrely steering is likely coming from something else. Sounds like you've got worn tierod ends.

 

[TwistedCU]

as Bounty said: Tie rod ends. They're a pretty EZ fix.

 

[joejeepny]

Brand new tie rod ends. About two weeks ago. I bent the drag link in the rocks so we straightened it welded angle iron to both sides and since I had it out I replaced all the rod ends. Any other Ideas. I looked at another wrangler today and it does the same thing. Maybe not as much. But it wasnt lifted and didnt have oversize tires. The only way I can kind of minimize the play is if I offset the rod ends but I dont think this is a good idea. The only thing I could think of is I used a CJ drop pitman arm.
Does anyone know if the CJ and the YJ pitman arms are are any different.

 

[joejeepny]

By the way whoever was the engineer who did the YJ stering at Jeep was an IIIIIdiot. !!!!!!!!!

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

YJ steering is fine, it's what a lot of the XJ and TJ owners convert to, cuz whoever invented the XJ and TJ steering linkage is the true idiot. Check out their inverted Y steering and have a good laugh, and be grateful that your toe-in doesn't change with the movement of the front axle.

Your steering play is not in the fact that the linkage rolls slightly when turned, it's either in the linkage or in the steering box.

 

[joejeepny]

Well I am going to bump to the top and ask again if anyone knows if the YJ and the CJ drop arm differ any.

 

[hi_c]

You said that you have a lift and bigger tires.... do you have a dropped pitman arm? Hopefully this is a no-brainer.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Comparing stock to stock, I don't think the CJ pitman arms have as much drop as the YJ arms.

 

[joejeepny]

I used a drop Cj arm.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Did you compare the drop CJ pitman arm to the stock YJ arm when you replaced it?

 

[joejeepny]

No I am a freekin morron and thru it in the scrap metal drum and they picked it up already. Figured who would need it. I guess i have to look at quadratecs catalog and see if its a different number or buy one and try it or something because i looked the jeep over and i cant find any other reason. The cj arm must be a little longer and set the tierod back a little more than its supposed to be or the cj arm is not angled right or something.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

I'd guess it is longer than the YJ arm, from what I've seen on other jeeps. I've got a drop YJ arm sitting in the garage but a lot of good that does you.

 

[joejeepny]

Well thanks for the help I ordered one from quadratec. What the hell they sponsor the site right. Ill let you know what happens.

 

[firemanharry]

I was told that YJ and CJ pitman's differ due to the placement of the steering box in relation to the frame. Stock YJ Pitman's are longer than stock CJ. :?

 

[joejeepny]

Thanks firemanharry and i think your right its the arm. It should come in the mail on tuesday and i will know for sure.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Did you get the new arm?

I found out that the steeper the draglink is will cause more roll in the tierod, resulting in a little steering wheel play. If the draglink is near parallel with the tierod, all the effort remains side to side and there is no rolling. With a steep tierod, the tierod wants to push the draglink up and down instead of side to side.

If your CJ pitman arm drops less than the YJ arm, this made your draglink steeper. Getting more drop from a pitman arm should fix this by bringing your draglink back close to parallel.