First thing I would check is air pressure and toe in. For all practical purposes there is no such thing as an alignment on a YJ, toe is the only thing adjustable.

easy to DIY

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/basic-repair-front-end-alignment-994928/

 

You might also check for worn spring bushings.

 

Maybe a front brake dragging ( passenger side since it pulls that direction) Do you smell anything? Is one wheel hot?

 

I meant to say Toe instead of alignment. oops. So the Toe is at 1/8 and the tires are sitting at LF 36 RF 38 some reason I didn't even think about tires pressures. I'll add some air in a bit and see if that helps. LR 38 RR 35
Spring bushings: running Prothane red poly bushings. no play, tight, no squeaking
Front brake: Both calipers were replaced 2 months ago along with pads after the pass caliper locked up. Currently turns freely with no issues, no heat build up.

 

I meant to say Toe instead of alignment. oops. So the Toe is at 1/8 and the tires are sitting at LF 36 RF 38 some reason I didn't even think about tires pressures. I'll add some air in a bit and see if that helps. LR 38 RR 35
.

Way too much air pressure. Check the door sticker for correct pressure and try that first.

I take it you did the BS tape measure alignment?

Every swinging dick on the forum swears you cant "Align" a YJ. Not true. You can only adjust toe and centerline steering yourself, true, but getting a proper 4 wheel alignment check will tell you if something else is out of whack.

How is the rear axle?
Broken or rusty center bolt letting it wiggle around? Thrust angle off? You can find out on a professional alignment rack.

Mine had a bent front bumper end when I bought it. Tweaked something just enough to be slightly off. Four wheel alignment caught it and an adjustable ball joint on the opposite side set things just right. Goes down the freeway at 80 with just two fingers holding the wheel. Before, it was a tiring drive at 60.

Let the games begin...

 

Are you sure the shackles are stock length? Should be 4" hole-to-hole. Longer ones change the caster and will cause wandering.

 

Shackles are 4" hole to hole. just double checked. Pic is the underside currently. Don't judge

 

WOW! I just got flashbacks of the Jeepney's they used when I was in the Philippines!

 

Fancy.

Any chance the u bolts are loose and letting the axle rotate?

 

I'm going to say no to the loose u-bolts because I have some dried up paint up against the top of the axle and the u-bolt (on all the u-bolts) that would crack if the axle rotated and its still in one piece. (read one to many threads over axle wrap) I had tried to tighten the nuts up on the bolts a week ago and they wouldn't tighten anymore...

 

Steering box or some other worn steering component seems the cause to me. I know you said that your steering "looks" tight but get the front end in the air and verify it.

 

You don't say if you did anything with the steering box. If you did tighten the adjustment, over tightening can lead to erratic steering.

 

Don't jack it up. With it on the ground and e-brake on;

1. Put it in Neutral
2. Start the engine
3. Have someone you trust turn the wheel from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock back and forth until your inspection is done (teenagers are great for this)
4. Get down in front of the jeep and
5. look for any play (up and down movement) at the Pittman arm ball joint
6. Look for any movement (up and down/in and out) movement at the tie rod ball joints.
7. Listen for any clunking
8. Pinpoint the sound by placing your hand on the drag link near the Pittman arm ball joint, and working your way down the drag link to the tie rod, and then across the tie rod to the driver's side tire. You will be able to feel a loose/bad ball joint.
9. Turn off the engine
10. Jack up the passenger side tire about 6 inches off the ground
11. Use a shovel and wedge the spade end under the tire
12. have your assistant pull down/release over and over again (forcing the tire up slightly and letting it down) on the shovel handle
13. Look closely at the C ball joints for any up/down movement.
14. With the tire still up in the air, and the shovel removed;
15. grab your tire at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and try to shake it from 12 to 6. Any play in this direction is a bad unit bearing.
16. repeat the tire/shove/shake portion on the driver's side tire.

doing this will help you pinpoint any weaknesses in your steering.

:thumbsup:

 

Also watch this if steering feels really loose:

 

Whoa. I got so lost in the colors it took me a while to check out bushings and steering ends. I'm liking that! Got a sort of Willy Wonka theme going on! ShadowSentry and the technicolor dreamjeep :thumbsup:

I can't offer any advice that hasn't already been given. PSI, TREs, steering box, check the steering shaft joints as well as the toe. GO around with a torque wrench and see if its all within spec. (But it may just be a case of your jeep thinking its a magic carpet lol - with all the knowledge and experience the f12 has, i dont think we can help you out with that one)

Hope you find the answer.

 

ShadowSentry has the most 90's jeep I have ever seen...

 

So, i forgot to finish this out. thanks to a less than good event i got on here. The tire pressure was the issue at first. Then somehow the toe in worked itself from 1/8 to 3/16 and then 1/4 toe in, SERIOUSLY!!!! how does that happen? so i got that fixed and then BOOM, no more issues. till yesterday. Last week i had the tires balanced, the shop told me they were good. and after my test drive they were worse than before. Shop told me they had it perfectly balanced. (BFGoorich tires KO (1)). turns out when i returned to the shop shortly after they told me they were out of round. (which was what the guy said as soon as i pulled up) so i got dooped. So i bought some new tires, (BFGoodrich KO2) which i already regret, because they are so (SOFT) in my opinion to the KO1. So.......yesterday, as stupid as this may sound. I came over a hill and saw (second thing i saw) a police officer, (first thing) a radar gun in his hand, which may have in that split second looked like a RPG type item. I was in the right (slow) lane and when i saw this, slammed on the brakes (half a second but i'm sure i pushed the brake peddle through the floor) and turned hard left, as soon as i let off the brakes maybe a second later, i dropped it into 2nd from 40MPH and floored it as i steered right really really really......... really! hard right. then 3 seconds into this i was stopping as fast and hard as i could to a dead stop (mainly because thats when reality caught up and i then had to explain to the officer why i just did what i did). So anyways, now with new tires at many different PSI's my jeep seems to have a handling issue. With no fingers on the wheel it drives straight, but shifting lanes, if i go left it feels like when i turn the wheel to go straight the body seems to have a delay to catch up. Feels like a snake or Slinky effect. and that results in type of bumpsteer till i slow down. Its like that after 40+ MPH. If its in a constant turn you cannot feel any of it. Is that the steering box? Just replace the wheel hubs last week, but its still pretty dangerous. in a constant type turn i can get it up to 90MPH. but in a straight line 65 is the mark when the jeep starts saying your going to die. Help, PLEASE!!!!!

 

I had a similar issue in my YJ with a 258 (I'm thinking same steering equipment?).

Out testing my new head on a rainy day I fishtailed on a corner, lots of fun, lol. Anyhow, it would kinda "clunk" when I turned the wheel after that fishtail. Drive straight, turn wheel and yeah, like a delay sort of and then physically clunk to the direction.

I replaced my Stearing shaft and now it's smooth again. I didn't notice any difference between shafts, besides the new one going into itself easier. Dunno, but that was my fix.

ETA: I just realized how old this thread is, lol. Sorry

 

Have you tried to adjust the steering gear adjusting nut? This should tighten the gear clearance. Do it in small increments as over tightening can cause steering binding.

 

I have not tried that yet. I will likely end of this week though since thats the first response. Been living under my Newish cherokee.

 

Try this
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/R2008.html

 

make sure your pitman arm nut is tight.....your first pick of the steering box looks like there is a large gap between the pitman arm and steering box. I had this issue and could not really see movement until i removed the drag link from the pitman arm......

 

Well, the nut on the pitman arm is very tight. It has the same amount of space from the arm to the box bottom as the other YJs i have seen and its the same on my Cherokee.

Was looking up this "Cure" item in the link two up and was curious. Do you have to remove the grease boot that came on the tie rod to use this? And from what i read, are you indicating that my drag link is rolling? Not the most educated person on this system hence why i am asking. I do believe i will be purchasing two. For each end of the link. I think thats how it works. Is it?

 

The gremlin should show itself if you follow this advice.

 

Well I was hoping you would be the test mule on this. I believe your assumptions are correct on replacing the grease boot but I believe you only need one but I am not sure. Hopefully someone will chime in real quick on this.

 

So i just got off the phone with ruffstuff and they said "that The cure is only recommended for the tie rod at the "y link" and you do have to remove the grease boot. But they personally run them on all the tie rod ends (knuckles, PA, and y link) and that some XJ's and YJ's with aftermarket rod ends like Moog they have put them directly over the grease boot with success. Trial by error was the answer for that. So i will get two and start from there.

 

Thats great I'll be interested in how it goes.

 

FYI Mr.B runs the cure on his setup and may be able to offer some insight.

 

Would love to hear from anyone that has tried it.