My 95 jeep cherokee steering gets extremely light when I get above 55mph. During normal driving (45mph and under) the steering is perfectly normal, some minor play, but nothing excessive. When I start to push it up around 55-60mph the steering gets very loose and begins to wander slightly. It also seems to develop more play. The combination of the wandering, play, and lightness of the steering wheel creates an uncomfortable driving experience. Any suggestions to eliminate/ this effect would be appreciated.
Thanks-T

 

What hasn't been replaced in the front suspension?

 

Everything is stock. I am currently running a set of 31x10.5s if that matters

 

Not a bad idea to replace everything with the pretty coloring:



I know "yikes!", but it's all 20 yo...

 

I plan on it when I lift it in December, ist there anything I can do to tighten it in the meantime?

 

how do the tires look?
are they crowned?
whats your air pressure and is it the same all around? 31s should be about 30psi max

 

The tires are new, and are at 30 psi. I'm not exactly sure what crowned means, but I'm assuming that stems from low tire pressure. The tires were professionally installed and balanced a few months ago, so I doubt they are the culprit.

 

Start with the TREs. Make sure they Are solid and not crappy. Like mentioned, you have old parts so they need to be done now not just tightness. Get under your jeep and do a noggin pokin at those parts highlighted in the picture. Also check your ball joints And axle u joints.

Not correct honestly. Different tires will need different PSI. OPs best bet is to do the dirt/chalk test to find proper wear and note that PSI. Could be 27-28-29 or even 30

 

Replace the tie rods now using a set from a mid 90's V8 GC a direct bolt-in and 10 times stronger than stock all new from AutoZone less than $100 out the door. Only 3 pcs. long tie rod, short end and sleeve.

Then when you do your lift the TRE's will be good for it also. New ball joints will not change after a lift so do them now also and these are a must do along with all the others.

Don't know about your lift as far as kind and amount of lift as what is included with it as to what else you will need to buy after you buy the kit.

 

I'll have to look into that. I plan purchasing rustys 3 inch advanced kit. Two questions, one, will the grand cherokee steering interfere with my factory front skid plate? And two, how difficult is the install? I know there's a lot that can happen when you start messing with steering, so I want to make sure this isn't going to turn into an involved project.

 

ok tires are good. now you have a lot of other things that could be culprit.

tie rod ends, maybe. ball joints, could be. could possibly be wheel bearings, or control arm bushings, or steering box, or maybe even the little u-joint in the steering shaft... heck, it may just need an alignment. you can check that in your driveway with a tape measure. adjusting it is easy.

but it's probably best to take it to a front end shop, have them test drive it, diagnose it and tell you what's wrong, then go fix it yourself.

 

Why waste the money. Most front end items can be check ones self and fixed easily. I've done TrE, changed trac bar, tie rod, installed multiple mods and I did in my yard. Over a few years later and my jeep is going strong.

 

As stated earlier , the jeep handles well at slow speed. With only minor wandering.The joints, ball joints, bearings etc. were all good and greased about a year ago. When I took it to a mechanic for death wobble( very scary). I forgot to mention the power steering whines when turning. Not sure if this could affect how firm the steering wheel is. Regardless, my friends father is a manager at a discount tire, who knows lifted trucks. I'll see if he can give it a quick inspection next time I see him.

 

A year without grease.......you should check grease well more often if this is a DD. and the power steering pump is a 2-4hr fix dep on year(forgot what year they changing pump mounting style)

 

what do you mean waste money? a reputable shop won't charge you for a quick and knowledgeable assessment. then you go buy said part and fix it yourself...

all components listed are only a possibility of what could cause the problem.

too many armchair mechanics here.