Steering wheel play and looseness

**02grand** · 04-26-2009, 05:08 PM

I have a 02 laredo with I6. I've been having this problem before but never got it fixed. I tried searching but everything i tried didnt work. I was given some good info but need to confirm how to do. The steering wheel has a lot of play back and fourth. It can be wiggled like 1-2 inches each way before truck will respond. Checked tre's and bj and all good. Track bar good. The steering box when i wiggle the wheel aboout a inch or two the shaft in engine turns but pitman arm doesn't. Could the steering gear be bad? I need to fid out becuase i is really annoying going down the road swaying back and fourth. Thanks guys.

sdowney717 · 04-26-2009, 05:28 PM

there is a lock nut and hex key adjustment on top of the steering gear box.
loosen the nut and tighten up the hex bolt a little and see if it is better.
the puts more pressure on the pitman arm shaft and makes the gears mesh tighter.

herrmy · 04-26-2009, 05:36 PM

I don't mean to hijack, but where is the steering gear box? I have this same problem!

sdowney717 · 04-26-2009, 06:54 PM

look down on the right side of the radiator and you will see it in plain site.
this is the top of the steering gear box.

you can also follow the steering wheel input shaft down to the steering box from the firewall. This would be to the immediate lower left of the brake booster.

Anyone looking to find some play in the steering should get under there while someone wiggles the steering wheel and watch and feel for any looseness.
On mine the tie rod end at the pitman arm is a little loose as is the steering box.

**02grand** · 04-26-2009, 07:04 PM

yeah my pitman arm was loose so replaced it and nothing. Ill try tightening gear box and see what happens. Thanks

marinejeep6122 · 04-29-2009, 09:13 AM

did tightening to the grear box work?

**02grand** · 04-30-2009, 01:10 PM

sorry truck is at trannny sho[ right now so cant work on it but i will post for future helping people

norm67 · 05-30-2009, 09:02 AM

hi i have same problem, did you manage to tighten it, if so did it work?

doublejz · 05-30-2009, 09:16 AM

if you adjust the steering box screw, be sure to have the front tires off the ground. Adjust the screw in very small increments something like 1/8 of a turn at a time... then turn the steering wheel to check for binding.

**02grand** · 06-03-2009, 05:53 PM

Sorry guys the tranny shop is dragging their feet. They have had the truck for two months now so I cant adjust steering. I know i treid iit before and all it did was stiffen the amount of force to turn wheel. Ill try again as soon as i get my jeep back. Thanks for your help

97DCZJ · 06-03-2009, 08:36 PM

Wow, truck at trans shop for 2 months!? What was wrong with it?

sdowney717 · 06-04-2009, 06:49 AM

on a steering box there are actually 2 adjustments possible.
One is for the pitman shaft, that is the nut on top. It forces the pitman shaft gear tighter to the worm gear.

The other one is a sleeve bearing nut on the box where the steering wheel shaft hooks up. This is hard to do in the car. There is a lock ring that keeps it from turning. What this does is take up the "worm" gear clearance inside the box. The worm gear slides up and down inside the steering box. From what I recall, you loaded this with a certain preload pressure measured in inch pounds of force required to turn the input shaft.
between the 2 of these, if you cant get rid of the sloppiness in the box, you will need to get another box.

**02grand** · 06-08-2009, 12:03 PM

The truck is at shop because it was rebuilt and then left me in the mountains. I took it back for warranty work and they are dragging their feet because they dont want to repair what they screwed up. Something was broken but they wont say what.

As far as the other nut i havent tried that one. When i finally get my truck back ill try that and let you know what happens. Thanks for your help. Its appreciated!

**02grand** · 07-17-2009, 11:31 AM

I brought this thread fromthe grave as to not start a new one. I just got truck back on road this past week. Ok i tightned the top nut and it helped with the sloppyness but the truck still kind of wanders all over the road. I lifted wheels off ground and the right tire shakes up and down a little but it looks to only be the hub moving. The ball joints look solid. Isnt there a bearing in the hub to carry that cv axle? Could that be causing death wobble and wandering? Because when someone turns the wheel while im under it i look at every little connection and everything is tight. Thanks guys.

**02grand** · 07-17-2009, 11:32 AM

Could someone give me more info on how to tighten the other one this guy was talking about?