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Causes for loose/wandering steering?

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Old Jul 27, 2016 | 12:09 AM
  #16  
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unbalanced tires will give you a shimmy, but wandering all over the road is another issue.
are the tires crowned? i've had bad crowned cheap mud tires make my jeep a handful to drive. maybe see if you can borrow a set of tires for a test drive and see if that makes a difference.
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Old Jul 27, 2016 | 11:39 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by caged
unbalanced tires will give you a shimmy, but wandering all over the road is another issue.
are the tires crowned? i've had bad crowned cheap mud tires make my jeep a handful to drive. maybe see if you can borrow a set of tires for a test drive and see if that makes a difference.
I took it back to Midas so they could balance the tires after they messed it up. They theoretically took on a test drive at these speeds I mentioned,and they noticed it too. They claim the front right tire is out of roundness,so I'll be swapping it with my full size spare to see if it changes anything. I just hope I don't have to go back to them cause they suck.
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Old Jul 28, 2016 | 12:13 AM
  #18  
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FYI, I have a thread with the same "wandering" steering issue.
The best thing my girl just did was install the CURE from RuffStuff.
It's a delrin spacer that makes the tie rod not shift around. Check out their site, or Google the CURE. Believe it or not, it really does work.
She also swapped out the sway bar bushings (they were SHOT).
If you steering box is the culprit, search S10 box swap.


After installing the CURE, we are not looking a changing steering boxes. That's how well it worked for us.
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Old Jul 28, 2016 | 05:51 AM
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the big swap now is a Dodge Durango steering box. It's physically bigger and slower steering (more turns) than the jeep box. I think it's just one more turn lock-to-lock than the jeep.
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Old Jul 28, 2016 | 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by dave1123
the big swap now is a Dodge Durango steering box. It's physically bigger and slower steering (more turns) than the jeep box. I think it's just one more turn lock-to-lock than the jeep.
Ok so news update. I swapped the front right tire with my never before used spare tire,and I've still got the annoying wobble. Same speeds,52-60 MPH is where it will occur and continue happening till I slow down or speed up. I'm at my wits end right now as to what this could be cause I have no clue what side it's happening on now. I wanna say it's the right,but now I don't know. Does anybody know what else can cause this symptom? I got the wandering issue sorted out by getting another alignment. The wobbling is the only symptom.
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Old Jul 28, 2016 | 07:55 PM
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Originally Posted by ZacharyA7X
I'm at my wits end right now as to what this could be cause I have no clue what side it's happening on now.
Do you feel it in the steering wheel or the seat? How are you torquing the lug nuts?
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Old Jul 28, 2016 | 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Turbo X_J
Do you feel it in the steering wheel or the seat? How are you torquing the lug nuts?
I used to feel it in the steering wheel AND the seat,but tonight I swapped the left front tire with the old right front tire,and it seemed to help. I only notice it in the seat now. Can't feel a thing in the steering wheel.

I noticed there's possibly a missing weight on my left rear tire,so I'll be getting my rear tires balanced when I can afford it.

I'm torquing the wheels in a cross cross pattern to 90 lb/ft of torque.
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 04:40 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by Turbo X_J
Do you feel it in the steering wheel or the seat? How are you torquing the lug nuts?
News update again. Got the rear tires balanced,and it didn't help at all. Only thing I sort of noticed is when they had the driver side rear tire on the machine and spun it,it looked a little wobbly to me. I may swap that tire next to see if anything changes.
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 04:53 PM
  #24  
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One of the sway bars on mine was rusted off and completely disconnected. It was aboutique 30 bucks for all the parts and it fixed my loose steering.
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by nardey11
One of the sway bars on mine was rusted off and completely disconnected. It was aboutique 30 bucks for all the parts and it fixed my loose steering.
Do you mean one of the seat bar links,or the actual sway bar?
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 09:31 PM
  #26  
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I'm having the exact issue. I installed new UCA bushings on the axle and it was a little better. Then I did both bushings on left LCA and it will sometimes turn into death wobble. Before that it was just a wobble. If I keep it below 52 or above 60 mph it doesn't wobble at all. Need to do the right side LCA bushings and both uppers at the frame still. Everything else is good in the steering and elsewhere. Interested to see if you figure this out before I do.
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 10:24 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Waynerd
I'm having the exact issue. I installed new UCA bushings on the axle and it was a little better. Then I did both bushings on left LCA and it will sometimes turn into death wobble. Before that it was just a wobble. If I keep it below 52 or above 60 mph it doesn't wobble at all. Need to do the right side LCA bushings and both uppers at the frame still. Everything else is good in the steering and elsewhere. Interested to see if you figure this out before I do.
I think tomorrow I should find out if it's the driver's side rear tire being out of round. If that doesn't do anything then I'll start on the control arms. Good luck figuring yours out too
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 11:11 PM
  #28  
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Look at the track bar where it mounts to the axle it is labeled in the diagram in a previous post. Have some one turn the steering back an forth and see if it has any sloop. I had to fix that to cure my wondering steering issue.
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Old Jul 29, 2016 | 11:17 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by JandDGreens
Look at the track bar where it mounts to the axle it is labeled in the diagram in a previous post. Have some one turn the steering back an forth and see if it has any sloop. I had to fix that to cure my wondering steering issue.
What could cause that with the track bar sense it's new? It's got new bushings,and the bolt hole didn't seem wobbled out. I'll definitely check though cause I've got nothing to lose at this point.
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Old Jul 30, 2016 | 11:40 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by ZacharyA7X
What could cause that with the track bar sense it's new? It's got new bushings,and the bolt hole didn't seem wobbled out. I'll definitely check though cause I've got nothing to lose at this point.
Sometimes the bracket that the bolt goes through hollows out and it gets sloppy I took thick Grade 8 washer that was the exact fit and welded them to re-establish the right size whole no more movement with the sway-bar at the axle.
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