sloppy CJ steering

billfish76

New Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Location
Charlotte NC
I have a 79 cj7 and the steering is not right at all. I have changed all the tierods and the bars. I have on order the shaft and rag joint but when I turn now I have to turn the wheel back it wont recenter. Becides the alignment what esle might I want to look at.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks,
 
well going off just the fail to recenter, I would question steering box, and possible stuck stabilizer, assuming it has one...
 
Yo,

Probably the gear box. Loosen nut on top and finger rotate the shaft clockwise and lock the nut. Check box oil level. That's all you can do except replace it/repair it. Box wear is common CJ problem.

:beer:
 
billfish76 said:
I have a 79 cj7 and the steering is not right at all. I have changed all the tierods and the bars. I have on order the shaft and rag joint but when I turn now I have to turn the wheel back it wont recenter. Becides the alignment what esle might I want to look at.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks,
Click to expand...


Since you didn't mention it:

- Manual or power box?
- Are the front shackles stock? If not, you may find the added length of "lift shackles" have pooched your caster.

The cheapest thing to do before you get into wholesale replacement... have someone turn the wheel back-forth sitting still and YOU crawl underneath & watch... *that* will tell you if the shaft/ragjoint/belljoint is bad & whether the box is loose on the frame.

:beer:
 
When I had manual steering, I had a case when it wouldnt return to center, turned out to be cruddy U-joints in the front axleshafts.
And like CD says, longer shackles will kill the caster, I did that too. That wasnt a "won't return to center" feel it was scarier, like it wouldnt stay centered no matter how tight I gripped the wheel :eek:
 
billfish76 said:
I have a 79 cj7 and the steering is not right at all. I have changed all the tierods and the bars. I have on order the shaft and rag joint but when I turn now I have to turn the wheel back it wont recenter. Becides the alignment what esle might I want to look at.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks,
Click to expand...

I agree with Caver. I have a 76 and the steering SUCKED, until I replaced the steering shaft with a new one that got rid of that stupid joint they put in it. It's been awesome ever since, replacing my shackles did make a minor change, but everyone who's driven mine loves the steering.
 
Today I took off the stabilizer, and tried messing with the box. The steering feels a little better but still doesnt return to center. My passenger side wheel seems to be about 3 degrees off compared to the drivers side. I know that can be a problem, is there any fix to that??? And any other ideas on the return to center problem.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide...
 
billfish76 said:
Today I took off the stabilizer, and tried messing with the box. The steering feels a little better but still doesnt return to center. My passenger side wheel seems to be about 3 degrees off compared to the drivers side. I know that can be a problem, is there any fix to that??? And any other ideas on the return to center problem.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide...
Click to expand...


What did you see happening underneath while someone else sawed the wheel?
- No movement from the steering box & it's tight to frame? (aka loose/broken mounting bolts, broken mount, or frame section)
- No slop in the newly replace TREs?
- No up/down/diagonal movement between the knuckles (aka WSO balljoints)?

The 3* you mention, could be incorrect toe settings (tires splayed or "pigeon toed") or something completely different since you didn't specify where the 3* difference was... The return to center issue is usually too much positive caster (front axle rotated too far forward) for a multitude of reasons. Once again I'll ask... Are the shackles stock or aftermarket? Any lift on your Jeep?

Trying to answer your initial question without answering these first only makes it harder...

:beer:
 
Sorry Caver Dave, Its does have 2.5" bds springs and the shackels arent stock, but I dont think they have any lift. If they do its a half inch. Everything seems to be tight and no movment around the box. I did order a heavy duty shaft but it hasnt come in as of yet.

Thanks again for your help
 
Sorry here too bro! I somehow thought you were fighting w/ sloppy steering, not just the non return.... or are you?

In my case, too much negative caster killed the return. However, it would cruise 70 without a hitch and steered better than my DD... just wouldn't return! :shaking:

Went a bit too far the other way when I replaced the perches last spring and now it's fawkin scary! Planning to add a few degrees w/ shims over the winter to see if I can find a happy medium.

FWIW, worn/loose steering parts would create wander (like I'm experiencing), but should be of little contribution for non return like your seeing...
 
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