Steering Wheel issue...or maybe not....HELP a girl out :)

[Chele]

For starters..thanks for at least READING this! ..and I'm talking about a 2005 Rubicon.

2nd, note that when my 3.5" RE Superflex lift was installed and aligned, everything was perfect and the steering wheel straight.

The last time we went to Oak Ridge,VA and hit a BIG bump (ie going UP a hill..over some rocks) and my steering wheel got knocked off about 45-65 degrees off to the left. I tried to straighten it by turn the cuff on the drag link, with no avail. I just couldn't get it right. I took it to Sears for an alignement check and the alignment was barely off and the guy couldn't straighten the wheel either. It was because if you turn the cuff all the way one way, the two ends of the drag link meet and it won't move anymore. If you turn it all the way the other way, it won't steer properly.

Now, what I'm concerned about is that it's off. Obviously not the alignment or the drag link issue. Things don't LOOK bent, and the Sears mechanic said he didn't see anything either. Could something be off in the steering box??! If so, any clue what?? I'm hoping that wheeling this weekend won't make it WORSE.

I took it to Jeep..and those losers are like..well you're only allowed to have a 3" lift...any more than that and part of the parts are not warrantied. So, with my limited tech knowledge, if it IS the steering box or something with the pittman arm..why wouldn't THAT be covered...those parts are all stock right??

HELP!!!! ???

(And for goodness sake...I'm sorry if I called a part by the wrong name smile.gif I'm not the most informed person here...)

Thanks for anything!!

[4plugz]

If your steering wheel is off by that much, and nothing looks bent, I'd say it is a box problem just by elimination.

Whatever it is, it can't be good. Perhaps you twisted the splines on the pitman shaft.

HTH

[edudley]

One other thing tha could cause what you are experiencing is the track bar. it centers the whole front axle under the Jeep. If the bar is loose or bent the axle will move to one side and not effect caster ar camber or toe. Check both end for damage and consider an adjustable trac bar. Good Luck

[brkitnowfixit]

And dont let the dealership tell you that you cant have a lift on the vehicle. They have to prove that your lift caused the part that is under warranty to be damaged. Lift kits do not in any way void a vehicles warranty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[billdacat1]

You need to find a different front-end shop. I will bet that you bent something. (i.e. tie-rod, drag-link, track-bar, maybe a control-arm)

Sears=NOT
Pep Boys=NOT
Local garage with a bunch of 4x4 parked outside=YES

[GPER]

I think you did very well for a girl and if everything is ok I pulled my steering wheel on my cj to recenter it.I have an aftermarket steering wheel so I can do that not sure about the newer ones and don't mess with it if it has an air bag.

[Linda]

"you did very well for a girl" !!!!!!!!!!!

[billdacat1]

Since you bent it, why not fix and improve it? Check out stu-offroad.com's web site for some good sound advice on beefing up the steering. BTW..DO NOT PULL THE STEERING WHEEL with out a FSM!!! (possible air-bag dangers) Good luck.

[CdnJeepGirl]

Originally posted by Linda:
"you did very well for a girl" !!!!!!!!!!! x2...what a dork! :rolleyes:

[GPER]

Whatever she new the names of most of the parts and that is more than I can say for some guys

[Scott_KY_98TJ]

Yeah, dont pull the steering wheel, that's just wrong. You bent something for sure. They hit it in the list above, and I'd start by looking closely at the draglink and tracbar.

[StealthTJ]

Steering box damage, unlikely.
Most likely you bent either (and/or) the drag link, tie rod, track bar.
It could be hard to tell, by a visual inspection, if the drag link is bent, as a lot of the time it's "straigtened" by being bent backwards at the joint where the tie rod and drag link meet.


Fred

[pwdrhnd]

I second the twisted splines on the steering gear. More than once I have seen it happen. Remove the pitman arm and inspect the splines.

[StealthTJ]

Originally posted by pwdrhnd:
I second the twisted splines on the steering gear. More than once I have seen it happen. Remove the pitman arm and inspect the splines. I've seen a zillion bent (actually "straightened") drag links (almost impossible to spot visually unless you know exactly what you're looking for) and about as many bent tie rods and have only seen one messed up steering box/slines, etc.
If the drag link doesn't look bent, then that's probably your problem, as it's suppose to have some bend to it where the tie rod attaches to it.
What happens most often (to the drag link) is that it "bends" backwards, actually straightens out.


Fred

[Knuckelhead]

One thing to look at is the pitman arm, when the wheels are pointing forward is the pitman arm pointed directly to the rear?

[Chele]

I wanted to thank everyone for their help...I did read through all of this and took everything into consideration...had a friend look...etc...

Turns out the track bar was bent. I took it to Jeep and they actually let it fall as a warranty repair (thank goodness). I'm going to get a beefier track bar now b/c I wasn't really doing big wheeling when I broke it...

And I don't take "for a girl" as an insult. The reason I try to do most things myself is that when something goes wrong...I need to know how to fix it...can't afford a 4 hr tow home smile.gif

Thank you all again!

[Knuckelhead]

Originally posted by Chele:
...I need to know how to fix it...can't afford a 4 hr tow home smile.gif ;)

[GPER]

Glad you got it fixed the cheep way, it is nice to see you have taken an interest in what you drive. I tried to teach my oldest daughter about her car, but putting gas in it was as far as she would go. I think I scared my youngest, she won't go wheeling with me anymore.

[00TJ4L]

Originally posted by Chele:
I wanted to thank everyone for their help...can't afford a 4 hr tow home smile.gif

Thank you all again! You dont wheel alone do you? Bad idea. Jeepers are always willing to help. Welcome to the board. Jeep wave from UT.

[Chele]

No..I don't wheel alone, but I do sometimes camp alone which requires a moderate amount wheeling to get to the spot smile.gif but other than that..nope..

And thanks for the welcome!

[crasher98]

and thanks for coming back to tell how the story ends & what you found out -- may help somebody else some day!

[btburke]

And hey, completely off-topic in a way, but nice blog! smile.gif

[Chele]

Originally posted by btburke:
And hey, completely off-topic in a way, but nice blog! smile.gif Why THANK YOU ;)

I try to keep it up to date :cool:

[Knuckelhead]

That is a nice site...