Steering adjustment post lift & wheeling

robsbluerub · 10-12-2009, 09:56 PM

So here is the chronology of events:

Lift JK 3.5 inches and add 35s
Take great pains to center steering, computer good for 3000 miles
Go on wheeling trip, have great time
After trip, steering wheel is off about 10 deg, lights on the dash

I recentered the steering, didn't find anything bent or broken. Still threw codes for a bit then the lights went away. It drives perfect and I'm not worried but just curious. Can it just be "settling?"

DeepSky · 10-13-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robsbluerub

So here is the chronology of events:

Lift JK 3.5 inches and add 35s
Take great pains to center steering, computer good for 3000 miles
Go on wheeling trip, have great time
After trip, steering wheel is off about 10 deg, lights on the dash

I recentered the steering, didn't find anything bent or broken. Still threw codes for a bit then the lights went away. It drives perfect and I'm not worried but just curious. Can it just be "settling?"

Possibly. I have experienced this once before. After a few start ups and drives of the Jeep everything was back to normal. You could always try the disconnect battery for x amount of minutes to restart the computer trick if you're worried about it.

If everything is fine now I really would not be concerned.

alaskanthunder · 10-13-2009, 01:45 PM

I thought you restarted the computer by touching the battery cable together (disconnected of course). Which discharged the system.

Jodyblip · 10-13-2009, 03:12 PM

i would be more concerned of how it got back 10 degrees out than i would the light.

i would check all the steering bolts sounds potentially dangerous

DeepSky · 10-13-2009, 03:16 PM

A long time ago I had my steering wheel get uncentered after wheeling before. The adjuster bolts didn't feel loose but they weren't exactly tight either. I just recentered and everything has been fine since.

Not saying there isn't a potentially dangerous problem, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that you just knocked your front end really good on a rock or something that caused the wheel to be uncentered.

**DBA2GO** · 10-13-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alaskanthunder

I thought you restarted the computer by touching the battery cable together (disconnected of course). Which discharged the system.

I don't think so.

Just give is some time (e.g. a few minutes).

robsbluerub · 10-13-2009, 05:22 PM

Prudent to tighten everything. Will do that this weekend.

Touching the cables? sounds like voodoo.

alaskanthunder · 10-13-2009, 06:45 PM

I can't remember where I read that. Maybe the dealer said that to me.

But all the same. Taking the negative off for a few minutes has the same result, clearing the ECU.

bubba2u · 10-13-2009, 07:06 PM

if your steering wheel is off i would think either your coupler on the drag link is loose or you bent your drag link.

**RockyClymer** · 10-13-2009, 07:59 PM

I have had this problem twice before (about 10 degrees off to clockwise direction - meaning the drag link was too short) - the steering is off-center after some hard rock crawling that really worked the suspension and steering. I have triple checked and had two 4x4 centers check the front end - nothing is bent, broken or out of place and all bolts, nuts, etc seem to be tight...I did re-torque the track bar up to 130 lbft after find one end at only about 90 lbft - and thus far it is staying where it should...go figure, I can't.