Oversteering woes

[zr10054]

I drove mine without the traction bar once. after about 2 miles I turned around and put it back on. There was no way I could drive it like that.

 

[mysunnshine]

You mean sway bar right?

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[zr10054]

You mean sway bar right?

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Yep..................

 

[JeepWillis]

No updates except I've had a few potential buyers drive the Scrambler and they think that the steering is way to tight and the Scrambler wants to track a certain way.

The shop is supposed to pull the steering box again and pop in a fresh one tomorrow.

I wondered since the steering is so tight, to pull out the new heavy duty steering shaft and replace it with the old stock shaft. I know that the stock shafts are notorious because of the knuckle opposed to the u-joint, but I'm looking for ANY way to soften the steering.

What do you guys think?

 

[zr10054]

Not going to be much help to you but even though my steering seems pretty good I find that it take a slight more effort to turn left than it does to turn right. It's so slight that sometimes I think it's just my imagination.

 

[bigwalton]

The steering shaft will do nothing for this it can and should work great being as tight as possible--that's why people buy them. I don't mean to be a jerk, but you need to take a step back and look objectively at what you're trying to accomplish to "soften" the steering and realize that it's clear that there is a fundamental problem somewhere in your steering/suspension/frame. This isn't "a CJ thing" and is not normal AT ALL.

Think about it, your proposing the idea of trying to "fix" this by putting sloppy stock parts back in. Again, trying to point out how this sounds from an outside perspective, not being a jerk.

If you are taking it back to the same shop that can't fix this and just keeps throwing parts at it over and over, you need to stop and think about that.

Have you reached out to a local Jeep club for help? Asking for some folks to come help with an offer of pizza and beer could go a long way here. Someone who has experience with CJs needs to lay eyes and hands on this Jeep. Otherwise find another Jeep shop to try and let us know what their diagnosis is before you pay them for more parts.

If you want to continue blindly replacing parts this way, it's going to be really hard for us to help, and we want to see this fixed and the Jeep be enjoyable.

 

[mysunnshine]

So has anybody rechecked the preload on the ball joints?

 

[JeepWillis]

The steering shaft will do nothing for this it can and should work great being as tight as possible--that's why people buy them. I don't mean to be a jerk, but you need to take a step back and look objectively at what you're trying to accomplish to "soften" the steering and realize that it's clear that there is a fundamental problem somewhere in your steering/suspension/frame. This isn't "a CJ thing" and is not normal AT ALL.

Think about it, your proposing the idea of trying to "fix" this by putting sloppy stock parts back in. Again, trying to point out how this sounds from an outside perspective, not being a jerk.

If you are taking it back to the same shop that can't fix this and just keeps throwing parts at it over and over, you need to stop and think about that.

Have you reached out to a local Jeep club for help? Asking for some folks to come help with an offer of pizza and beer could go a long way here. Someone who has experience with CJs needs to lay eyes and hands on this Jeep. Otherwise find another Jeep shop to try and let us know what their diagnosis is before you pay them for more parts.

If you want to continue blindly replacing parts this way, it's going to be really hard for us to help, and we want to see this fixed and the Jeep be enjoyable.

I'm not a mechanic and every jeep club I go to are all members of the same community and swear by this Jeep Shop. The same questions leads me back to the same Jeep Shop!

 

[Dave The Sparky]

So has anybody rechecked the preload on the ball joints?

Yep what he said

but you need to turn the steering arms by hand too once preload is set to check for binding/sloppiness because some of the spurious parts out there are just complete garbage.

 

[Dave The Sparky]

Oh and i am no mechanic either just an electrical engineer with an unhealthy interest in Jeeps, I do hope you get this sorted

 

[Randyzzz]

There are variable ratio and fixed ratio Saginaw steering boxes. A variable ratio box gives a lighter feel due to a higher ratio at the center of travel- these boxes are typically found on FSJ's- Wagoneers and J trucks. A variable ratio box is more "forgiving" at center. The reason I'm suggesting this now is because you used the word "tight".

CJ's had fixed ratio boxes stock. They can feel tight on a modified vehicle, to the point of where you need to let go of the steering if you're going to sneeze. Maybe you need to try a variable ratio box. I have one in my Scrambler and I love my steering.

 

[mysunnshine]

If the ball joints were initially run without grease, they can self destruct REALLY fast.

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[JeepWillis]

So has anybody rechecked the preload on the ball joints?

I was told by the shop they were fine, and they said they'd double check them for me today.

 

[JeepWillis]

There are variable ratio and fixed ratio Saginaw steering boxes. A variable ratio box gives a lighter feel due to a higher ratio at the center of travel- these boxes are typically found on FSJ's- Wagoneers and J trucks. A variable ratio box is more "forgiving" at center. The reason I'm suggesting this now is because you used the word "tight".

CJ's had fixed ratio boxes stock. They can feel tight on a modified vehicle, to the point of where you need to let go of the steering if you're going to sneeze. Maybe you need to try a variable ratio box. I have one in my Scrambler and I love my steering.

Interesting. In my 81, I love the steering, it feels loose but I have complete control.

You're analogy of letting go of the wheel to sneeze is dead on, anytime I hit a bump or sneeze/caugh/etc I let go of the wheel because I know it'll just jerk the wheel and pull the jeep violently.

 

[mysunnshine]

I'd trust them as far as I could throw them at this point. If they actually checked them already, then they would not have to go back and recheck them.

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