steering column troubles...steering is UNSAFE...any ideas

[01maroonz71]

well, this all started out about 2 months ago....and it's crazy as hell. i thought i had a bad crack on the frame at the steering box...pulled it off, and only a tiny crack, got that fixed...new steering box, flushed system, etc....and boom, same problem still exists...

the steering is hard to turn, i can feel slop in the wheel, and while driving straight, it feels like it will sometimes pull left and right some(to the point where i have to steer the other way to correct it) i checked all the ubolts/studs on my front end...steering arm is tight, TRE's are tight, and centerpins look ok also....

there is a clunk in the steering column i can hear/feel right at the wheel, or just under it by my knees. could something loose there be causing my troubles???? any input would be much appreciated...thanks
~Dave

 

[01maroonz71]

oh yeah, i should add...that im running 8inbds srpings, with all new crossover steering(new draglink, steering arm, etc...) and now a new steering box, and a xj shaft, so it's not the rag joint...thanks again guys!

 

[01maroonz71]

bump-a-roo

 

[Greg72]

Did you ever install the swanky front panhard bar setup???

You've kept us all waiting..... no pics, no writeup.... Hmmmm

 

[ARAMP1]

You can try (or check) the tightness of your steering box. I got a new one, but I still had to tighten it up a bit. I sould suspect though that your springs are not rigid enough to counter the side to side loads that the crossover steering exerts.

 

[protechk5]

I had a very similar problem to yours it sounds like, I had like 100% rebuilt front end, xj shaft, new box, kingpins, bearings, tre's, everything, the problem was still there. Took off my front spring hanger, the bushing were half gone in one side and like 100% gone on the other side.

 

[UPS]

Do you have a tilt column? If you do the plastic joint may be binding.
Is the steering wheel tight? If not the bearings may be bad. In a tilt column there are 3 bearings. In a straight column there are 2 bearings.

Mike

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

With the truck not running and while turning the steering wheel left to right, can you see the input to the steering box turning?

Basically you need to determine if one of the bearings/bushings in the column is bad or if your steering box was incorrectly rebuilt.

 

[01maroonz71]

i do not have a tilt comumn...i will go check that out for sure....