Ever time I turn my steering wheel there's a pretty bad popping sound coming from the front somewhere. To me the problem seems to be progressively getting worse. It's defiantly not a good sound. Not to mention the sterring box seems to be leaking pretty bad as well.

Is it time to replace it? And if I do, I should probably go with a Durango box. Right?

 

check the joints and grease them mine did that i ended up needing new sway bar, bushings, and tierods IIRC

and if you do replace the SB get a durango

 

I just did the Durango swap and what a difference I would deff recommend doing the swap

 

If you're getting a popping I'd check your track bar to make sure all the bolts are tight. I had the same thing going on and that was the cause.

These steering boxes do go out though. I'm on my second used XJ box and about ready for another. I'm going to look for a Durango box as well, I can't recall what's better about it, but there's some kind of difference. Hopefully I can find one with lower miles being a newer vehicle, it's hard to find XJ's in the yards with less than 150k on them and that's when the steering boxes can start to get loose in my experience.

 

X2 on the track bar. Check where the bar meets at the axle, if it is loose it will cause a popping type sound. Had it on mine after I installed a lift.

And I believe the durango box is just beefier, inside and out. But that is just me talking out of my ***** I don't really know. Thats what I have read from other builds.

 

I guess for the popping i'll check the trackbar. But for the leaky steering box?

 

The leaky steering box means a seal inside is giving out. Something to keep in mind is if the steering box is sopping wet all the time that means there is a good leak. If you can tell it has been leaking but its not sopping wet, then its fine and just getting old. If you can definitely go with the Durango box. Its a bit beefier then the XJ's box and the cylinder inside I believe is bigger.

When I bought my XJ it had a popping noise as well. it ended up being the bolts that mounted the trac bar onto the frame. Id tighten those up as well as the bolts that hold on your steering box to the frame. Over time they loosen. Also check the bolts holding the sway bar links onto your axle. If they become loose they will make a popping noise as well.

Hope you get it fixed!

 

Same thing happened to me with the track bar make sure it is tight and also the durango box has a bigger piston and cylinder 1/4 bigger, will bolt right up and if your shopping around you want the non-plwo package on the gear box there are two different kinds for your xj you want non-plow

 

Check your frame rail because the steering box likes to pull itself off if the XJ. If you do the swap get a steering box brace. The C roc or JRC ones are good and you don't have to buy inner and outer separate as also the spacer. Check your track bar and drag link.

Get the brace though. But for now you can adjust the worm nut on your steering box. It will stiffin it a little for the time being. Only turn it a little bit though. Like a quarter maybe.
Hope that helps

 

I got up under there today and had a friend turn from lock to lock and all the sound seemed to be coming from where the steering link going into the steering box. Not sure about the track bar though.

As far as the leak goes, it's pretty bad. It has a decent drip coming from where the link meets the box and also where the pitman arm is. Here's a few pics to help things out.

 

 

Does that upper track bar mount look right?

 

I will take a picture of mine tomoorow and compare but check to make sure it is tight and the gear box I would reccomened replacing before it gets any worse

 

The seals in that box are going bad. You can replace the seals but often it's only a temporary fix because the bushings behind them are worn. Rebuilds often aren't much better for the same reason unless it's a good rebuild with bearings and bushings, not a spray-and-pray.

The popping might be the plastic coupler in the steering shaft, right above the bottom u-joint. Disconnect the steering shaft @ the box, turn the shaft then the box by hand and see where it is. Or put your hand on the coupler while someone turns the wheel and see if you can feel it snapping.

 

Not sure.. Since it was leaking fairly badly I looked at the PS fluid and was really now. (well below both markings) So for the time being I filled it back up. Right after filling it up I went under and tightened up everything i could. The only thing that was "loose" was one of the steering box mounts. Somewhere between doing all that it seemed to fix the popping. I'll see how it does in the next few days while im ordering a new steering box. Im going to try to get a hold of a Durango box but from what Ive read its a luck of the draw whether or not I get a box thta needs to be modded to full lock to lock.