Is there REALLY something wrong with your steering?? Should you adjust your steering box??

[Wabujitsu]

I decided to break this out into it’s own thread.

Here’s video I captured this afternoon. The first video shows how tight my steering is. The second video shows what folks not used to an SFA do with their steering wheel. Note that in both cases the jeep travels straight down the road, even when I seesaw the steering wheel like a madman. If I held the steering wheel a split second longer at the end of each seesaw motion, my Jeep would wander on the asphalt (or “wonder,” as the spelling-impaired say). Also note, the second video is how folks demonstrate they have a “dead spot,” but clearly I do not, per the first video.

Tight steering, no “dead spot:”


The same tight steering with no ”dead spot,” showing how someone not used to an SFA overcorrects and/or “shows their (nonexistent) dead spot:”


As y‘all can see above, I just reproduced, in the second video, an example of “loose steering” and a “huge dead spot” in the steering, and another video (the first) showing the reality of how tight my steering actually is. Both cannot be true, in spite of me providing “proof” that they are, can they?

As I said above, the first video shows exactly how tight my steering really is. I did these videos back-to-back on the same road, almost the same speed, on the same trip into town. That first video shows proper feel and technique of steering an SFA vehicle.

This demonstrates my concern with folks mucking around with their steering box adjustment screw. The second video demonstrates someone not used to an SFA vehicle, as “proof” that the steering in their Jeep is “bad, loose, dead spot, etc” when in reality (first video) they just don’t know how to steer an SFA vehicle correctly. In short, poor steering technique on a tightly tuned steering assembly results in sloppy steering that LOOKS like there is a steering assembly issue, when in reality it’s user error.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t Jeeps with loose, bad steering. There are. I am only imploring folks to ask themselves the right questions before they mess with that screw, possibly causing a dangerous condition/breakage, and consult with someone who is a subject-matter expert on this issue (which I am NOT).

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[Wbino]

I've driven commercial vehicles that had so much play you could literally move the steering wheel 3 inches in either direction without the front wheel doing any turning.
I've read that the Jeep is supposed to have some play because off road if you hit something that jars the steering wheel you could injury your hands if it was too tight.

 

[Wabujitsu]

I've driven commercial vehicles that had so much play you could literally move the steering wheel 3 inches in either direction without the front wheel doing any turning.
I've read that the Jeep is supposed to have some play because off road if you hit something that jars the steering wheel you could injury your hands if it was too tight.

I have also, on both accounts.

 

[Grayhound]

Agreed that screw is almost never the right solution.

Worn parts are most likely the cause of any real steering issues.

 

[Aonarch]

The aluminum boxes have a lot more play as well. Not much you can do there besides upgraded to the black steel box.

https://www.allmoparparts.com/sku/jlsteeringkit4dr.html

 

[chulyn1]

My 24 JL had 8 degrees of "play" both left and right before the steering actually engaged and it wandered constantly unless you were continually correcting it. I took it back to the dealer, they replaced the steering bow and VIOLA!!, steering is tight, no play. There is no adjustment on the JL steering box. You get what you get fresh out of the box.

 

[PT's19Rubi]

There is no adjustment on the JL steering box. You get what you get fresh out of the box.

My '19 Rubi aluminum steering box is adjustable. I assume all are. That doesn't mean it's easy. I think they put red lock tite on the threads. I had to heat mine before it would adjust.

Below is the JL steel box:

 

[chulyn1]

I took my 24 JL into the dealer to have the steering wheel play adjusted and was told that the JL steering box was a closed system and could not be externally adjusted, therefor, the replacement. I never saw the old gearbox and had no particular interest in actually seeing it since I drove out of the dealer with a Jeep that now steers perfectly without wandering into either oncoming lanes or the roadbed.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

I've driven commercial vehicles that had so much play you could literally move the steering wheel 3 inches in either direction without the front wheel doing any turning.
I've read that the Jeep is supposed to have some play because off road if you hit something that jars the steering wheel you could injury your hands if it was too tight.

That's my RV. I spent my entire drive steering. Even on a straight road.

 

[Wbino]

That's my RV. I spent my entire drive steering. Even on a straight road.

Now drive that through the Brooklyn Battery or Lincoln tunnel in the counter flow lane (one lane each way)
@ 50 MPH with nothing seperating you but a yellow line down the middle carrying 60 passengers.

 

[Erievon]

OP is right on the money. Though I will say those of you that still have the aluminum steering box, THAT was a problem. My 20JT had it, I took it in to have it replaced to the steel box, fixed the problem immediately. My 21 and 23 came with steel as OEM and both perfectly fine for an SFA vehicle.

 

[LazyJL]

My 2020 JLR had an aluminum box that, when new, suffered from over two inches of play, and the play would worsen when the box was hot, making it hard to keep on the road. My wife refused to drive it.
It was replaced under warranty with the updated steel box, which also had a lot of play when stopped.

Tightening the top adjust screw on the box a tiny bit each time until the play was removed did the trick. The screw was moved only a quarter of a turn total. It doesn't take much.
This isn't something unexperienced mechanics should do, it being easy to overtighen the screw and damage the box.
While few do it, it is best to remove the box for bench adjustment of the over-center pre-load using an inch-pound torque wrench. Rebuilding steering boxes for my previous Jeeps and trucks gave me the confidence that I could do this without problems.
Besides the steering box adjustment, increasing the caster from 4-1/2 degrees to 6-1/2" made a big difference in reducing wandering, making it pleasant to drive at speed.
My wife now drives it without complaining, a definite win for me.

 

[Grayhound]

My 2020 JLR had an aluminum box that, when new, suffered from over two inches of play, and the play would worsen when the box was hot, making it hard to keep on the road. My wife refused to drive it.
It was replaced under warranty with the updated steel box, which also had a lot of play when stopped.

Tightening the top adjust screw on the box a tiny bit each time until the play was removed did the trick. The screw was moved only a quarter of a turn total. It doesn't take much.
This isn't something unexperienced mechanics should do, it being easy to overtighen the screw and damage the box.
While few do it, it is best to remove the box for bench adjustment of the over-center pre-load using an inch-pound torque wrench. Rebuilding steering boxes for my previous Jeeps and trucks gave me the confidence that I could do this without problems.
Besides the steering box adjustment, increasing the caster from 4-1/2 degrees to 6-1/2" made a big difference in reducing wandering, making it pleasant to drive at speed.
My wife now drives it without complaining, a definite win for me.

Those of us shade tree guys better phone a friend before adjusting that screw!

 

[kah.mun.rah]

My '19 Rubi aluminum steering box is adjustable. I assume all are. That doesn't mean it's easy. I think they put red lock tite on the threads. I had to heat mine before it would adjust.

Below is the JL steel box:

PSA: Don't ever do this

 

[PT's19Rubi]

PSA: Don't ever do this

I'm in my mid 60's. I grew up on this style steering gear as rack and pinion wasn't common then. If you know what you're doing (mostly don't over do it by over tightening it), the worm gear steering box can easily and safely be adjusted.

The worm gear box will wear most at center wheel (straight ahead). So, you slowly tighten the adjuster till the steering wheel stops attempting to self center after a turn. Then back off the adjustment until the steering starts to self center again. The adjustment is as good has it gets. The gear box is not harmed. You are not harmed.

If they didn't mean for the box to be adjusted, they would not have put an adjuster on it.

This is Not rocket science.

PS. I also spent some time as a Ford mechanic in the mid 70's. This was back when we were called mechanics because we turned wrenches. We did more Repair or Adjust the component than Replace the component. The mind set today is "Don't touch that unless you're replacing it". The mind set 50 years ago was different.

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