New "steel" steering box not adjustable?

[roaniecowpony]

Earlier this year, I had the steering box replaced on my 2018 JLUR. I had "tuned" my old aluminum steering box to the point it was pretty decent. But I was worried about cold weather "locking it up". So, I took advantage of the warranty and had it replaced with a 68507569AB.

I immediately noticed that it wasn't as tight as the tuned box. So, I attempted to adjust it. The adjustment screw wouldn't budge with the jamb nut loose. I applied a modest amount of heat with a propane torch, thinking they used their famous locking compound. Still no dice.

Has anyone been successful in adjusting one of these boxes?

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[Pat1usmc]

Looking forward to seeing if anyone has had success with this. I also tried everything you did with no luck.

 

[hsracer]

Looking forward to seeing if anyone has had success with this. I also tried everything you did with no luck.

Same. I tried to eliminate some of the slop in mine and had no luck

 

[m3reno]

I adjusted mine and it made a huge difference. Just make sure to mark the nut and center screw so you know exactly how much of an adjustment has been made.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I adjusted mine and it made a huge difference. Just make sure to mark the nut and center screw so you know exactly how much of an adjustment has been made.

Was this with the new cast iron box?

 

[Retrograde]

Earlier this year, I had the steering box replaced on my 2018 JLUR. I had "tuned" my old aluminum steering box to the point it was pretty decent.....

So I've got a late '20 Sport S, and I have one of the "transitional" boxes. And it sucks. And this is not the first time that I've heard the new boxes are not adjustable...

So I'm trying to decide if having my 'old' box changed out is worth it if the old ones can indeed be adjusted... How was the steering after you tuned yours? When you say yours was 'decent' does that mean you were able to eliminate the wandering? How long do the adjustments hold?

 

[m3reno]

Was this with the new cast iron box?

Yes

 

[m3reno]

My jeep was a 2022 model and was wandering badly. I lowered the tire pressure, added a rust track bar brace and also had an alignment done but nothing helped. I also had the updated steering box since it was a 22. After adjusting the box the steering wandering was about 95% better.

 

[20-Willys]

I have been debating having this swap done on my 2020. Are there some aluminum boxes that are tight or won't be a problem? I don't have a lot of slop now and don't want to create a problem.

 

[Roky]

I have been debating having this swap done on my 2020. Are there some aluminum boxes that are tight or won't be a problem? I don't have a lot of slop now and don't want to create a problem.

I still have the original aluminum steering box in my 2018. Still tight, maybe a 1/4” play…..I’m one of the very few lucky ones that got a good 2018 build, and I’m extremely grateful for that…….

 

[RIVICON]

I've adjusted mine. I had the aluminum one replaced with the steel last year but still has some slop. I sprayed WD40 let it sit and hit it with a mini propane torch. Took some stank behind it before it broke loose. I tightened the allen screw 1/4 turn clockwise and it made a difference in steering slop. Word of caution - don't over tighten or you'll destroy your steering box. Also you don't want to cause oversteering. Adjust it an 1/8 of a turn at a time and test drive until you feel comfortable. Make sure you mark the relation between the allen screw, nut and box in a straight line before you do anything.

 

[Loccusst]

I tried mine when I first got my 22 this summer and could not break it lose. I guess I will give the WD 40 a try this spring.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

My Jeep is a 10/2019 build with the updated aluminum steering box. In have had zero issues with it. If it does start to act up, I’ll replace it myself with a Redhead or similar unit.

 

[roaniecowpony]

On the cautions about adjusting a steering box... it's real, but it's not like it's brain surgery either.

When you adjust a steering box, just remember that the gear sector is ground so that the gear is tightest at the centered position. All "Saginaw" type steering boxes are like this. The reason is so that steering at the center position (as in driving at high speeds) will be more precise (as it needs to be). But also when the gear sector wears in the center (much more use is at the center area), it can be adjusted without binding when turning further.

So, adjusting a steering box, especially a fairly low mileage one, its not an issue to get it tight enough to get good steering.

Remember to center the steering wheel and have the tires dead ahead before you adjust it!

 

[roaniecowpony]

I'll give it another try on the adjustment. I'll let it soak with WD-40, and also stop by the hobby store and get some super glue remover (nitromethane) and let it soak for a bit beforehand. If that doesn't work, I'll use more heat. I don't see any seals in that area of the assembly.

Henkels (Loctite) sells a solvent, which is nitromethane per other forums, but states that their Red Loctite will not normally dissolve in threaded applications because there is little surface area to work on. Still, I'll give it (nitromethane) a try.

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