[LSU_TJ]

I have been working on the Jeep for the past few weeks adding a bunch of Christmas goodies and finally finished it late last night. Was excited about driving it in this morning but on the way to the office things went really bad.

Sorry for the long read but if you own a Jeep You Need To Know This Is Possible. All of this happened in a 1 to 2 mile stretch of road.

I was driving in to the office on the interstate going about 60 through a section that is under construction with concrete barriers, no median or shoulder on either side. There are two lanes and I was in the left when I noticed something that felt slightly different in the steering. It just seemed a bit odd, no other warnings, sounds, stiffness, anything, just odd. I changed to the right land and backed down to 50. It seemed like it took more steering input than normal to make this lane change but nothing drastic though I knew something was not right. I decided to exit right away and get off the interstate. The next exit coming up puts you on a service road that is one exit before the one I take to the office which drops you on the same service road so I started getting off. The exit is not a straight line shot to the service road but rather makes an S jog as you are getting off. I was able to negotiate this S transition on the exit but seemed to take even a bit more steering input to drive through. Now on the service road that dead ends on the road my normal exit puts you on and you have to go left, you have to change to the right lane then back to the left lane through a small section. I was able to steer to the right then left lanes but now it is taking even more steering input to make these lane changes. I also noticed at this point I could turn the wheel 90 degrees in either direction before the steering was responding but I could still steer. There is still no where to pull over till after you are through this left turn so as I approached the light I stayed in the right lane of the two lanes turning left through the light in case it had gotten any worse leaving me with a safe way off the road. When the light turned green and the cars in front of me went through the intersection and turned left I kept going STRAIGHT! I must have turned the steering wheel to the left over 720 degrees with no response from turning the wheel. The Jeep just went straight. Thank goodness I was at least in this thing as I had to negotiate over a few curbs before bringing it safely to a stop in the grass across the intersection. Coming up to this intersection I knew if the steering had gotten any worse this would be the safest way to get out of any lanes of traffic. Whew, that was NO fun. I got out and went straight up to the front to see what had broke or come apart, tie rod, pitman arm, drag link, what? Nothing, everything was there, connected and tight, what? Next thought was steering swivel under the hood must have broken. Popped the hood and the swivel in front of the brake booster is still connected and tight, no play or slack. I noticed a spot of paint on the swivel and using this as a reference went inside to turn the wheel to see if this is turning at all. No movement on the swivel, paint mark still in the same spot after turning the steering wheel. The steering wheel at this point turns freely in both directions with no resistance whatsoever. It is like a steering wheel on a kiddie ride that is not connected to anything and just goes round and round...... Which at this point I am sure has also busted the clock spring..... It now obviously has to be something between the steering wheel itself and the firewall inside the dash somewhere. Call the tow truck.


I have not had a chance to look any further and will update when I have more info but this was damn scary. If it would have gone out completely like this on the interstate at 60 mph with no shoulders and in traffic surrounded by concrete barriers the outcome could have been MUCH worse. I have been around and worked on tons of cars my whole life and I have never seen steering just go out like this, completely gone with no forewarning, no sound of something breaking, no shaking or tightness in the wheel just there one minute and just a couple later no steering. I even had a similar outcome happen in a vehicle I was driving that experienced severe death wobble that snapped a panhard rod in two while going down the road, and no it was not a Jeep, but you heard the rod break with a VERY loud bang before the steering went. And even in that case the steering was still there just very bad since it was only turning one of the front wheels. Nothing I have been working on, on the Jeep lately is even remotely related to anything to do with steering or suspension and everything was fine the last time I drove it. Nothing in the past has ever indicated any issue with the steering and I check suspension components pretty regularly since it does go offroad.

More to come.


.

[djfuzzy]

Damn, that's scary man. Good thing you were calm enough about it to avoid getting hurt or hurting someone else.

[amike_321]

you know i tried reading your post, but could not take my eyes off that purple on your avatar.

[Rigger007]

hmm, very curious to hear what happened. Glad no one got hurt.

[ryanwhiteaker]

Originally Posted by amike_321

you know i tried reading your post, but could not take my eyes off that purple on your avatar.

X2

Glad your ok!

[xkuzme1]

I had an old mustang that had stripped teeth on the steering wheel spine. It went out on me on an elevated on ramp about 4 stories in the air. I had to keep turning the wheel to hold my turn constant.

That was pretty scary. I know what you are talking about.

X

[LSU_TJ]

Originally Posted by amike_321

you know i tried reading your post, but could not take my eyes off that purple on your avatar.

Yea, good thing she wasn't in the car next to me when this went down.

Cause I do have the elevated position.......


.

[rebel88]

Originally Posted by amike_321

you know i tried reading your post, but could not take my eyes off that purple on your avatar.

The girls in Louisiana are the best, even hotter when they are wearing their ragin cajun bikini's Go Cajuns

[LSU_TJ]

Been thinking about this some more and remembered that when I took the key out and turned the steering wheel it did lock and the steering wheel would not turn. The lock mechanism is below the steering wheel mount bolt and splines so the steering wheel to shaft splines have to be good or the steering wheel would have still spun with the column locked. Must be farther down.

I looked at a parts diagram and it appears that inside the dash there is a bolt that holds the steering swivel to the shaft going through the firewall tight. I would be willing to bet that this is the culprit that has come loose but did not see a bolt on the floor so must not have come completely out.

.

[geauxturbo]

Just let me know when you are back on the road, so I can stay off!!!


Glad you're alright, dude

[BomberJeep]

Wow that is some scary stuff. Im glad you and our Jeep are ok. Now just gotta get your head checked for being an LSU fan.

[RubiconRazorbac]

Originally Posted by LSU_TJ

I looked at a parts diagram and it appears that inside the dash there is a bolt that holds the steering knuckle to the shaft going through the firewall tight. I would be willing to bet that this is the culprit that has come loose but did not see a bolt on the floor so must not have come completely out.

.

Hey man, glad you're OK!

Whatever it is, take some pics of the offending part and let us know the outcome.

[LSU_TJ]

Originally Posted by BomberJeep

Wow that is some scary stuff. Im glad you and our Jeep are ok. Now just gotta get your head checked for being an LSU fan.

Yea,,,,,, there's NO cure for that........



.

[LSU_TJ]

Thanks everyone. Yea, it could have been much worse.


.

[TheBoogieman]

Did you post something? All I got was LSU and great @$$.