Danger DANGER Danger:
I was working on the Comanche today and since they're the same under the hood as a Cherokee this pertains to you too!

I was working on the power steering and turned the wheel to the lock and the wheel could still be turned past the lock!

There is a rubber bushing in the steering shaft that isolates vibrations from the wheel.
Here is the shaft:

Well the rubber had started to pull out of the cup it is suppose to be vulcanized to it I assume. There was no excessive oil on it.
So here is how it looking when I got it out.


So today turn your wheel to the lock left and right and try to turn it past the lock.
If it keeps turning this rubber joint is BAD and your shaft needs replacing before it parts or if you loose power steering you will not have positive steering control.

 

Good info!!!!

 

I know Bumping is not allowed but, BUMP. Very good/important information.

 

Center it and weld it together. New shaft is $550.00. Reman is about 1/2 that.

When the rubber isolator fails, the steering shaft will not come apart. It just feels real loose because of the free play before anything happens.

Don't hit the panic button, just fix it.

To the OP: Power steering doesn't give you positive control; it just lessens the effort to steer.

 

yes bumping is not allowed, bump

 

+1
There is a safety catch, but it'll allow a lot of slop before it catches.
Weld 'er up. (and yes it'll be slightly noisier. Took me a while to figure out what that new whoosh sound was when turning when I welded up a GM. It's the steering box hydraulics)

 

$500?
No, not really.
http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.co...ducts_id=91794

 

Dude are you seriously wearing Crocs?

 

x2 ahahahahah

 

Factory/dealer original, yes.