I dunno what to call this but my steering column isn't tight. Like when I shut the door, it shimmies kinda bad. It rattles and shakes going over bumps. The dash and all that is perfectly still while the steering column and wheel is shimmying. I'm pretty sure it's not related to any of the steering components. It seems like something in the steering column itself. Is there something I can check that would cause this kind of problem? I know the jeep was in a wreck before so it could be related. It's a 2001.

 

Mud take off the steering column cover three screwa underneath there are 3 set screws tighten them down and you good to go

 

So this happened to you? Do you mean the top cover or bottom cover?

 

I dont really have any useful information to contribute other than this...

You dont want your steering wheel coming off in your hands while you are driving down a main 6 lane highway at 55 mph...ask me how I know!

 

I went out and tore apart the dash. I took off the plastic cover underneath it. There was a metal cover under that and I removed it. I didn't see anything to tighten down so I removed the plastic cover under the steering wheel, which is held on by 3 long screws. I still didn't find anything under there. What am I tightening down?

 

theres a collar. the two piece cover comes search around the column theres three set screws

 

Look for three bars that bolt to the column, 2 go off towards fuse box but are above, the other towards the heater, I didn't see them until I took the trim running along the bottom of the dash off. they are stabilizer bars of some sort. Look carefully cuz they are hidden with the plastic trim still on. 15 mm nuts on the column I believe.

 

Ok i went lookin under there with a flashlight. I found four nuts on studs. Two facing me at the base of the column and two on top. The top two nuts were loose so I tightened them up. The bottom two were not loose. These are the only things I found that could be tightened. They were 13mm.


I didn't find any 15mm nuts or 3 set screws. I'm still looking though...

 

They might have changed the set up a little between mine and yours, I know 97 brought on alot of little changes. The real question is did it help with the looseness?

 

Yes it did. NOW i notice that I have bumpsteer and something loose in the exterior steering system. I couldn't really tell before because of all the shaking going on with the steering wheel but now it's totally obvious. It doesn't shimmy anymore so that's good.

 

Its probably your intermediate shaft. when you turn does it seem to go away? If so thats what it is. I had the same problem.

 

You talking about the shimmy or the looseness/bumpsteer? The shimmy was the loose upper steering column bolts under the dash.

 

my jeep did that when i got it and what is happening is there 4 bolts that hook the top half of the tilt colom bolts are losse u have to take the colum apart were the knuckle for the tilt is those four bolts throw some lock tight on them buggers and they won't come back

 

is this on your 88?

 

they are all the same i have done them all the way up to 93