Steering problems

[demonworks]

My jeep xj has around 6" of lift in it and I have been fighting with handling problems for over a year now with no real succes. I have replaced every thing possible in the front suspension / steering to include lower control arms ( Ironman Andys Arms) , control arms drop brackets from Rough Country, new ball joints. tie rod ends, adjusters, u-joints, hub bearing assemlies, bushings, steering stabilizers, adjustable track bar, etc. I have double steering stabilizers in it now with no real affect. The steering feels to sensitive when going less then 30 mph and your always correcting the wheel to stay centered. The faster you go it seems to feel tighter but that might just be an illusion to me. The alignment has been done 3 times and the castor of the front axle is set right at 5 degrees. Is it possible there is something I have done wrong or missed?
I did find a rather long crack behind the steering box that ran from the middle of the sway bar bushing mount up the outside to almost the top of the unibody where it meets the inner fender, but that has since been welded and plated from the bumper mounts to the rear unused hole behind the steering box.
Sorry for the long post but Its getting to the point that its going to get parked in a big hole and buried, I've spent to much money with no return (as in I've only put 40 miles on it in a year cause its that bad to drive). Any ideas help any somewhat insane thoughts anything is worth a shot at this point. Thanks in advance for any help

[Mudderoy]

http://youtu.be/Kp4Wh_9EXqU

http://youtu.be/u91NV3OfBX8

See if this fits your problem;
:link: (http://www.xjtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6474&highlight=pitman)

[demonworks]

I actually followed that thread when you originally posted it. Just to be on the safe side I went and double checed that (Havnt checked since the unibody repair/stiffener install. Its all nice and tight with no play in that area, however there seems to be play in the coloum its self if thats possible from what I turn the steering wheel to the movement of the shaft at the box seems to me to be not the same. The steering wheel moves before the shaft starts moving the imput on the gear box. The point where the coloum and the gear box meets is tight and not slipping on the splines. Could there be something inside the coloum? I thought it was a solid shaft but it is a tilt coloum so I'm not sure.

[Mudderoy]

I actually followed that thread when you originally posted it. Just to be on the safe side I went and double checed that (Havnt checked since the unibody repair/stiffener install. Its all nice and tight with no play in that area, however there seems to be play in the coloum its self if thats possible from what I turn the steering wheel to the movement of the shaft at the box seems to me to be not the same. The steering wheel moves before the shaft starts moving the imput on the gear box. The point where the coloum and the gear box meets is tight and not slipping on the splines. Could there be something inside the coloum? I thought it was a solid shaft but it is a tilt coloum so I'm not sure.

Well you probably got it from my post but I couldn't see the issue until I got someone to turn the steering wheel back and forth. I looked at everything with a flashlight and I couldn't find it. Then I noticed a very very slight gap, maybe 1/16th of an inch of the pitman arm rocking side to side as it turned.

That was the play in the steering wheel. A very slight gap yet huge play. You may need to adjust the steering box. I tried that first, before I found the problem. My first attempt the steering was so tight I would turn the steering when to make a 90 degree turn, then I would have to use as much force to make it go straight again! :smiley-laughing021:

[demonworks]

I guess I didn't explain it well enough. I can hold onto the steering shaft in the engine bay and and still move the steering wheel with out moving the the shaft in the engine bay. I tend not to explain things well enough some times. There is no movement in the pitman arm at all no matter how close I can stick my face to it( and trust me at this point I damn near am kissing the thing to make sure I'm looking at it right. It still engages the shaft but there seems to be play in the shaft somewhere between the steering wheel and the lower shaft that connects to the box. Is this even possible? Is there another joint at the fire wall area or in side the coloum? The steering lock was broke off in a failed car theft a few years ago and I'm wondering if there was more damage then what I fixed. Anyone taken apart a tilt coloum or hace schematics of one dissasembled?

[Mudderoy]

I guess I didn't explain it well enough. I can hold onto the steering shaft in the engine bay and and still move the steering wheel with out moving the the shaft in the engine bay. I tend not to explain things well enough some times. There is no movement in the pitman arm at all no matter how close I can stick my face to it( and trust me at this point I damn near am kissing the thing to make sure I'm looking at it right. It still engages the shaft but there seems to be play in the shaft somewhere between the steering wheel and the lower shaft that connects to the box. Is this even possible? Is there another joint at the fire wall area or in side the coloum? The steering lock was broke off in a failed car theft a few years ago and I'm wondering if there was more damage then what I fixed. Anyone taken apart a tilt coloum or hace schematics of one dissasembled?

I'm sure I just missed it when reading it. Well I know msmoorenburg removed the steering column on the 1999 XJ pretty quickly when we had to replace the evaporator in the dash. I'll have to have a look at spare steering column he handed me from the donor 2001 to get a better understanding of how it hooks up.

[4.3LXJ]

Some of the early steering columns have a plate that can come loose, particularly on the adjustable columns. You might check that out. But before you do, the u joint on the sector shaft sits in rubber. Have someone saw the wheel back and forth for you while you check the u joints and all the rest of the steering gear.

[bigjim350]

You need to check all the joints in the shaft, but mainly the ones near the rubber boot in this pic
http://ebid.s3.amazonaws.com/upload_big/5/3/6/1308705649-15544-54.jpg

[demonworks]

The joint near the steering box itself is tight, is the other one under the brake system, near the fire wall? I have the renix abs crap so its hard to see in there. What plate are you talking about is it inside the coloum? Thanks everyone so far for the help.

[bigjim350]

Yeah the other one is under all that brake crap. Mine has a lot of slop in it there too. The is a piece of plastic in the joint that wears out.

[demonworks]

Is it something that is replacable or is it a whole new shaft kinda deal?

[bigjim350]

Not sure if its repairable or not, never found repair parts for it. And the best ive find for a new replacement shaft was 260 but it was an upgraded one. may be able to find an oem style one cheaper

[4.3LXJ]

It is really a whole shaft kind of deal. They were never designed to be worked on.

[demonworks]

Thanks everyone, between a loose upper joint in the steering shaft and an over adjusted steering box I have gotten it mostly fixed. The box is adjusted right now but there is still a little play coming from the upper joint. I will now start saving to pay for a replacement shaft that should take care of the problems. Once again thak you to everyone that helped.:thumbsup:

[4.3LXJ]

Glad you are getting it sorted out.