Steering problem after stuck, HELP!!!

[Saurian]

So, as you have all seen, I was victim to a very good stuck, well, at least, very good for my first one. After I got out, I noticed that my steering wheel is turned about 90 degrees to the right with the front wheels centered... Figured that there was an alignment to be done, no biggie... I have been hearing this grinding noise when I cut the wheel all the way to the left and hit the gas... Tonight, I had my brother behind the wheel while I looked and felt... It seems that when cut all the way to the left, the front drivers side tire is rubbing the inside of the wheelwell...

Ok, so what happened? I'm guessing that I put something out of whack, but I am not sure what. I will probably be going out to do the repairs to the drille guard, and take a closer look at the underside... I need to know what could be wrong, and what I can do to correct it... Keep in mind that words like "trackbar, tie rod, swaybar" mean nothing to me... Pictures and specific descriptions are very helpful :lol: :lol: :lol:

I would appreciate any suggestions, as it would appear that I have messed it up more than I thought, and would like to correct this issue with a minimum of strain on my very empty pocketbook... Thanks in advance,

Sean/Saurian

 

[mud4feet]

I'm not much help, Saurian, but you could start by just looking for anything bent under there (if you haven't already). Doesn't matter what it's called, if it's bent it aint right. Look for any gaps between joints..... basically just look real close for anything that looks out of whack! Shiny things are usually not good - everything should either be muddy or greasy. Good luck - hope ya find out soon.


useless mud

 

[Saurian]

That's what I figured... When I first noticed the wheel, we all took a peek under there, and didn't see anything out of whack, it handles just fine too... But then again, I have not physically took the creeper and trouble light under there to have a looksee, so hopefully, I can shed more light on matters tomorrow, if I do end up going out and looking at it... Whole bunch of maintanance that I have to do, I'm just horifically lazy on my day off usually...

 

[TwistedCU]

Look for bent control arms and/or their brackets

 

[Saurian]

RE: Forum rules and guidelines

Will do, but you have to describe for me/give me a picture of what a control arm, or it's bracket, is. I pick these things up as I go along, one day, I may hope to know half as well as Nick how my Jeep runs, and what all the parts are called... Some of the guys on Michigan Jeepers are thinking trackbar? The right wheel does nothing at fulll lock either way, only the drivers side wheel at full left lock, reached behind it, and felt it contacting what I assume is the inside of the wheelwell, I could be wrong, as it was dark, could be contacting something else.

 

[jay79cj7]

If your steering wheel is cocked to the right, I would think your drag link is bent. This would be the suspension piece connecting the pitman arm on the steering box to the passenger side wheel. When you turn the wheel to the right, the drag link pushes the passenger side wheel outward, and the tie rod pulls the drivers side wheel along too, making the XJ go right. So, I am thinking if you have to turn your wheel to the right to make it go straight, that drag link is effectively shorter, probably due to a bend. Just an educated guess though.

 

[Saurian]

RE: 2 sets of axles 4 sale

OK, so I went out to do some healthy Jeep maintanance at the garage, and while I was in the throes of this, I inspected the steering components with a fine-tooth comb... Now, I'm no expert, and I don't know necessarily how these things are supposed to look, but to the best of my knowledge, everything looks normal... Nothing is overtly bent, or twisted, or stripped, or pulled out, or anything like that... Kinda frustrating, really...

There's a local member of my other Jeep board that is going to get a hold of me and take a look under there with me, as he not only knows his way around under the Jeep a little better, but has a lot of stock parts from a '98 XJ after doing a lift, so if I did damage something or other, we might be able to work it out...

Then again, it could just be a simple alignment issue, and I could be freaking over a $45.00 Belle Tire job...

At any rate, though, it still drives like a dream, and now the differential and transfer case fluids are changed and healthy Accelerates smooth as a nut.

 

[mud4feet]

RE: End of an Era

Don't know if this is possible - my knowledge probably compares to yours - but perhaps the pitman arm somehow spun on the shaft coming out of the steering box??? Could explain everything being straight and intact, but your steering wheel cocked 90 degrees????

 

[TwistedCU]

This is my 2000 XJ. The silver bar is my trackbar, yours will be different because mine is an aftermarket one. The bar that has a bolt through it for the top of the yellow steering stabilizer is the drag link. Note the two clamps to the right of the stabilizer mounting bolt. This is where the adjustment is. See if it looks as though the threads may have slid a bit, this would make your steering wheel off center for certain. Also, this bar is straight, so if it isn't straight... well there you go

The only 2 things on the axle tube that hang below it (besides the differential) are your control arm brackets. The one on the right side of the bottom of the axle tube is just left of center below the coil spring. The control arm(s) are connected there at the axle and they are mounted to a frame rail bracket on the other end of the arms. Check to see if the arms look bent and if any of the 2 brackets for each arm may have bent.

Also look at your trackbar to see if it, or the mounts on either end are bent. Are your wheels/tires centered under the Jeep if you look at it from the front?

I would suspect either a bent drag link or just slid threads in the drag link, but your tire hitting the wheelwell then your axle is not located properly, which indicates eithe control arms or trackbar. The control arms position the axle front to back and up and down if you will, while the trackbar centers the axle side to side.

the top control arm in the pic below is an XJ control arm (as if you were looking at it from above or below. It is wider from a side view.

 

[Saurian]

I've gotten second, third, and fourth opinions on it, and the general consensus is that everything looks normal, so I probably just knocked it out of alignment. It did fine at the Mounds yesterday, and hopefully, will do just as well when I go again today. Someday, I'll get it realigned, circumstances being as they are right now, that's just not feasable.

Amazing what Jeeps can take, it never ceases to amaze me... I'm gonna have to smash the daylights out of it to really damage anything, it seems like... This is why I drive it like it's my daily driver.

 

[TwistedCU]

You should keep in mind that your tires will wear unevenly with it out of alignment, which it definately is no matter what the cause. It may cost alot more in tires if you put it off too long.

 

[Saurian]

Wise words indeed... Since I knew I was gonna be taking it up north, and failing anything else being amiss underneath in the steering, I took it up to Belle Tire for an alignment... Well, I don't have the paper right in front of me, but I do know that it was ridiculously out of alignment... Now the wheel sits straight again, and the turn signal cancels out when it is supposed to...

A good thing too, because the beast is heading to Virginia in a week.

 

[TwistedCU]

I am glad to hear it was a simple fix that wasn't too expensive.