Loose wobbly steering cause???

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:05 am

Anyone know what could cause loose or light steering? It seems to have gotten worse over the last few months or so. I notice that on the highway the steering seems light and hitting bumps really tosses the wheel one way or the other and makes the front end feel odd. Kinda like its twisting. When hitting bumps it also seems to crash/bang/feel crappier than it has for most of its life, especially when hitting a bump while in mid low speed turn.

I had suspected a while back that my left tie rod was bad but subsequent inspections in that area didnt turn much up. I actually thought it was the rack which I wasnt prepared to replace so i left it.

Thanks in advance

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:08 am

I would check the rack out real good. (giggity) You don't want it failing or coming apart like I have seen happen to a couple of them while driving.

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:59 am

Ew really? How would it fall apart? When you say check the rack, what specifically should I check for?

Total loss of steering?

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:46 am

also check the simple stuff like tie rod ends, power steering fluid.....

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:55 am

Will do... the steering wheel has also been shaking at 65-70mph more than normal recently. I will prob bring it Sat AM to get the wheels balanced before I do anything.

To check tie rods I jack up, lock the steering wheel, and pull the tire side to side right? Any abnormal movement means bad tie rods? I also should do the top and bottom to check ball joints right?

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:14 am

Check your upper balljoints.

Upper ball joints can cause a nasty wander when they're toast.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:17 am

Loose steering,check.........

-UBJ's
-LBJ's
-Inner/outer tie rod ends
-rack bushings
-steering shaft u-joints
-unit bearings
-loose LCA/UCA bolts

Loose steering with PS pump whine,check.........

-steering rack itself

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:18 am

Hopefully not that already... i just put Al's uppers in there less than a year ago and have greased a few times since then.

Ill check today, that scares me!

TJKJ - The P/S pump emits a slight whine when its idling every few seconds and the normal while while turning. You need to be up close to hear it though.

I should prob change the fluid. Whats the best way for that? I sucked out what i could with a turkey baster a few months ago but that doesnt get much.

How about loose steering and looseness when hitting small choppy bumps like raised manhole covers and the like..... signs are pointing to the rack to me.

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:24 am

PS Pump whining while steering is not typical

Signs point to loose balljoints. Check them.

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:05 pm

Thanks ill check them today.
When I saw whine from the pump while turning i dont really me a loud whine I just mean its audible from inside the car.

Hopefully you are right and its just the ball joints!

InCommando · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:10 pm

Don't forget your wheel spacers...might be loose...

If this was a solid axle rig I'd say you had bumpsteer issues and your steering linkage wasn't in line with your axle

jdumont · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:46 pm

Just jacked it up and shook the wheel. There is definitely play/noise while pushing the tire from left to right on both the drivers and passenger side. How do i determine if its tie rod or rack now? Chances are that both the tie rods wouldnt be bad and sound the same on both sides so the only other common area is the rack right?

No play up and down so ball joints are prob good.

I have done this before with the boot off the tie rod and shook the wheel. The shaft that enters the steering rack was moving back and forth and making the noise i think. I didnt think the tie rod controls where that moves as its just a ball and socket joint so it must be the rack eh?

GRRRR... I just had the timing chain done for $1200 not even two weeks ago...

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:56 pm

If you replaced the inners, it's the outer tie rods.

Bring it to ThunderbirdJunkie's shop and you get the LOST discount :lol:

In all seriousness, though, if you have replaced the inners (that shaft you talked about), ti's the outers.

Typical of having a vehicle of high-ish mileage and age in the salt belt. If it makes you feel any better, we just replaced upper control arms and outer tie rods on an '03 Accord with 67k miles today.
What a nice ticket that was $$$$$$. What we call a day-saver

jdumont · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:46 am

I wish I had the money to drop it off and have someone fix it... This will have to be a job for me. That timing chain crap last week wiped my car repair money out for a while. I am considering bringing it to the dealer for the diagnosis only and then repair it myself if possible.

So the inner tie rod is what has the ball and socket joint and the outer tie rod has the regular style ball joint at the steering knuckle right?

Where is your shop? LOL

jdumont · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:53 am

This thread is a continuation of a thread i had going last year at this time actually....

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... sc&start=0

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:43 pm

jdumont wrote:

Where is your shop? LOL

Not in RI

KJ Willy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:49 pm

jdumont,
I am having very simular issues, I get heavy bouncing from front passenger side and when I go from 55 to 70 and do a slight turn to the passenger side I get a really bad wobble. I have rotated the tires and had them balanced so that is not it, I just had steering parts replaced.

I am going in tomorrow to lift it up and try to tighten everything and then check the inner tie rods. (Can someone give me a quick schooling on this?) I am hoping the guys that put in the gears just didn't get everything tightened properly, cause it started after the gears were installed.

I have an 05 with just over 70,000 miles.

jdumont · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:03 am

So I guess my next question would be how to figure out if its the rack or the tie rod ends.... Big difference in cost and labor to fix so i want to get it right the first time.

I jacked the front up and shook the wheel left and right. There is excessive play and a noise when I do that.

About a year ago I hit a 6"-8" curb with the left wheel pretty hard due to an old lady pulling out in front of me in an icy parking lot. I dont think she had any idea i had to jump a curb to avoid her actually. Ever since then the front has been slowly getting clunkier and looser.

My symptoms:
1. Very loose steering, especially on the highway
2. Difficult to keep in a straight line, especially on the highway. Hitting a bump on the highway almost feels like the SFA version of bumpsteer.
3. Clunk noise while going over smallish bumps, especially while turning. Large dips and speed bumps feel and sound fine if staying straight.
4. While front end is in the air I can grab both front tires and shake left/right and get a clunk and feel excessive play.

Guest · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:55 am

With that, it sounds exactly like modular's problem.

Parts/labor you're looking at about $1500 for the rack :shock:

jdumont · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:16 pm

That sucks... Advance Auto has a rack with lifetime warranty for $277.
I am considering doing this job myself even though from what I read on here its nasty. I am by no means a mechanic but ive done all my own stuff on cars forever, with the exception of transmission work. Any reason to NOT do the rack myself like special tools or whatnot?

Odd that the rack isnt leaking dont you think? If whatever keeps the rack shaft centered is so messed up that it can float around how am i not leaking...

By the way, thanks for all the help Thunderbird and others.
Josh

Loose wobbly steering cause???

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