Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

[DWheelerR]

The only alignment is toe, unless you add parts to adjust caster. Was the toe out of spec or was the toe in spec and they fine tuned it?

The just put the toe back to stick from my aggressive setting.
They didnt touch my 8.6 caster lol

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[californiajeeping]

The just put the toe back to stick from my aggressive setting.
They didnt touch my 8.6 caster lol

What was your toe at before you brought it in? I'm confused about toe. Everything I have read up to a week ago said to put it at the extreme range of the spec toed IN, like 1/8 of an inch. But now I keep running across other sources that say to toe it out. Here is an example in the video below from Yeti at 4 minutes 29 seconds, he says that they adjust toe OUT to 1/8" (quarter of a degree). Thoughts?

 

[Holymoly1963]

It's a JLU sport 4cyl

I never thought about putting steel rims on it to fix the problem .

 

[Wfd1244]

you must have used A LOT of heat to get the lock nut loose enough to turn the adjuster screw back again (without mangling the Allen head of the adjuster screw). the red loctite is a real pain to work with!

I did use a ton of heat, and it was still tough to turn! I’m assuming Jeep doesn’t really want us to adjust it. I took a video of the steering gearbox dead space today so my dealer will see what exactly I’m referring too.

 

[Wfd1244]

This is a video I did demonstrating the turning back and forth of my steering wheel about 2 inches. (Dead space) you can see where at a point, the steering shaft is sawing back and forth a little, but the pitman arm is not moving. It’s miniscule, but on the larger scale of driving and turning the wheel side to side before the steering box inputs change to the pitman arm, it’s noticable.

 

[Wfd1244]

Where's the video?

I just posted it! I need to also take a video of how far I’m turning the steering wheel back and forth, but I forgot to. It’s about 1 1/2 - 2 inches, before the pitman arm reflects the change

 

[californiajeeping]

This is a video I did demonstrating the turning back and forth of my steering wheel about 2 inches. (Dead space) you can see where at a point, the steering shaft is sawing back and forth a little, but the pitman arm is not moving. It’s miniscule, but on the larger scale of driving and turning the wheel side to side before the steering box inputs change to the pitman arm, it’s noticable.

Is that video before or after you adjusted the steering box? It would be interesting to see 2 videos, one before, one after the adjustment.

 

[Leights7]

This is a video I did demonstrating the turning back and forth of my steering wheel about 2 inches. (Dead space) you can see where at a point, the steering shaft is sawing back and forth a little, but the pitman arm is not moving. It’s miniscule, but on the larger scale of driving and turning the wheel side to side before the steering box inputs change to the pitman arm, it’s noticable.

Is this reflected if you were to look at the tires while turning your steering wheel? Ie: when you move your steering wheel say half an inch - are your tires not moving?

 

[Woodynj]

How normal is this steering. According to the dealer it is normal.

https://youtu.be/PUIGJTeVGhE

 

[HoundDude]

How normal is this steering. According to the dealer it is normal.

https://youtu.be/PUIGJTeVGhE

I had that much play (maybe even a little more) in my steering wheel before I adjusted the steering box. I still have a little less than 1/2" of play now (after about 3/16 turn total adjustment). the excessive play made me crazy and was a safety issue so I don't really care about the voided warranty on the box. I do love everything else about this jeep.

maybe you should try a different dealer?

 

[Wfd1244]

Is that video before or after you adjusted the steering box? It would be interesting to see 2 videos, one before, one after the adjustment.

Is that video before or after you adjusted the steering box? It would be interesting to see 2 videos, one before, one after the adjustment.

So I adjusted the steering box 1/4 turn a couple weeks ago, but it did not eliminate the dead space. All it did was make steering resistance more severe and it was harder to return to center on its own. Since I’m really just wanting to eliminate the dead space, not make steering stiffer, I adjusted it back to stock settings, and that is the condition I took this video in.

 

[californiajeeping]

So I adjusted the steering box 1/4 turn a couple weeks ago, but it did not eliminate the dead space. All it did was make steering resistance more severe and it was harder to return to center on its own. Since I’m really just wanting to eliminate the dead space, not make steering stiffer, I adjusted it back to stock settings, and that is the condition I took this video in.

Do you think it is the steering box or the steering shaft? I'm guessing the steering box.

 

[Wfd1244]

Is this reflected if you were to look at the tires while turning your steering wheel? Ie: when you move your steering wheel say half an inch - are your tires not moving?

Yes, the tires don’t move. I really should have my wife take a video reflecting several different views of the dead space; the wheel which I’m turning back and forth slightly until I hit the resistance of the steering gear, the steering gear’s slop not reacting perfectly with the steering shaft, and the tires not moving until the pitman arm moves.

I’ve tightened and torqued all the stock steering components, so I know the only slack is between the steering shaft and pitman arm within the gearbox.

I have the AC version and my dealer refuses to update it to the AD version.

 

[HoundDude]

Do you think it is the steering box or the steering shaft? I'm guessing the steering box.

sounds like a bad steering box to me too since the adjustment didn't provide any relief.

hopefully @Wfd1244 and everyone else with unsafe steering in this thread has filed a complaint with NHTSA at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

 

[Wfd1244]

Do you think it is the steering box or the steering shaft? I'm guessing the steering box.

It has to be the steering box, unless there is something else slacking within the steering column, the only slight variation in steering input occurs there at the steering gear box

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