Hey guys, yet another question for me...
I've noticed over the last month or so that my steering is getting a little sloppy when I fail the daily slalom through the pot hole minefield that is my drive home... Hit a pot hole, get rewarded with the car jigging to one side or the other. This wasn't happening even a month ago.

What should I check out in order to get to the bottom of this? I've got new tires, but for all I know my shocks, control arms, and coils are all stock.

I've been meaning to replace the shocks and coils, but what else should I check?

 

1.) Track bar and track bar mounts.
2.) Steering linkage and all tierod ends.
3.) Steering stabilizer
4.) Shocks
5.) Ball Joints
My money is on your problem being number 1 or 2.

 

ok, I've done a little searching through my factory service manual and couldn't find anything relevant to steering linkage, is that something inside the steering box? Or did I just miss an ultra relevant section? (I do that from time to time.)

I'm assuming I can't touch a single one of these things without getting my jeep on a lift, right? Here I was praying for a fix I could do while parked on the street.

It would make sense for everything in that list to be worn out. PO didn't do much in the way of rehab.

 

An ole-time Jeeper once told me that the best thing you could do for the handling of your Jeep is a regular chassis lube. I do mine everytime I change the oil. I'd start there seeing how the PO didn't do to much to her. DIY in a 1/2 hr.

 

GTPstarter: Sweet, I get to buy a grease gun! I'll check the FSM to find the lube points for the chassis. Thanks.

 

Your welcome, we have the same problem in Pa.. We go from winter to pot-hole season in a matter of a few weeks. Then it's on to construction season.

GTP

 

You can check yout track bar and steering linkage with the jeep sitting right in your driveway on the ground. Get under the front end and start wiggling stuff. Start the jeep and have somebody turn the steering wheel side to side. If the wheel can turn more than 1/8 of a turn without the front wheels moving. You have worn tierod ends. If you turn the wheel on way and the nose of the jeep moves the other vs. the front wheels moving. You have worn mounts on yout track bar.

 

Ah! Thanks Buck. I'll check that tomorrow at work. As far as I can tell, steering response is still pretty tight, just getting wobbly when I hit potholes, steering creep after impact has increased.

Thanks.

 

Great info...I am going to have to check mine out....still have more play in the steering than I would like.

 

Don't forget about control arm bushings. The rubber can get kind of Jello-ey after a while. They're a little more difficult to evaluate but not very expensive. Check the bushings to see how cracked and bulgy they are. Do they pry realy easy with a screwdriver? Check all 8.

Another poster already mentioned ball joints. This is a pretty good culprit too. Last winter I had that "axle about to fall off" feel when hitting minor and medium road bumps... VERY worn ball joints were the culprit and new ones helped A LOT. Not the worst job in the world if you do your research, rent the right tools (AutoZone etc) and take your time.