87p89lCherokee

So I just recently put on a custom 6" lift on my XJ. Just got my track bar in and installed today and I now noticed that my steering wheel is turned much to the right when the wheels are straight. Now my question is, should I loosen up the tie rod sleeve on the drag link and adjust the steering wheel and tires accordingly from there? Or can I just drop my pitman arm, turn the steering wheel straight, and put the pitman arm back up? Pitman arm solution sounds easier and faster but I don't know if it'll mess up my steering that way. Help please, thanks

Pistol-McGee

when i put my 4" on i just adjusted the sleeve on the drag link. fixed my steering wheel issue perfectly.

pretty sure the steering box will only have so much throw so if you do it that way youll be able to turn good one way but not the other. dont quote me on that though.

caged

pistol is right, the steering links are now shorter in length due to the new height, so if you pop off the pitman arm and straighten the wheel, you will have more turns one way than the other. cause essentially, the pitman arm would be still clocked wrong when you turn the steering wheel to center.
besides, it's much easier to just loosen the two pinch bolts on the adjuster sleeve and use a pair of slip joint pliers (channel locks) to crank the adjuster either way to straighten out the wheel. then tighten those bolts back up that's the proper way to do it.

87p89lCherokee

Hey thanks guys. I did the adjustment from the tie rod sleeve to the pitman arm. pretty simple, I just loosened the two clamps and turned the sleeve by hand until my steering wheel was straight. all under 10 mins. Thanks for the advice!

s14unimog

lucky you, those sleeves don't always cooperate. glad you got it corrected.

Gee oh Dee

Iirc the pitman arm has a key anyway and you can only install one way.

rweaver138

correct, it only goes on one way

93gc40

Advise above is correct for fixing the steering wheel. BUT, it leaves out the true cause of the steering wheel being crooked. When you lifted you change the alignment. You need to adjust the alignment BEFORE straightening the wheel.

Hoooper

No, the cause of your steering wheel being crooked is that now the frame (where the steering box is mounted) is further from the tie rod, so the drag link is pulling the tie rod like you're turning left, that's why the steering wheel is turned way right just to go straight. The alignment being off is NOT the significant cause of the steering wheel being off after lifting.

EVILXJ

Do the smart thing n get it aligned

93gc40

So your saying that only 1 of the 4 TRE's in the steering linkage is affected by the lift. Then why are the last to steps of any properly written set of install instructions to get an alignment and do a test drive.

ptonjeep

dont want to steal the thread but its seems related. my jeep pulls to the left about a whole 1/8 of a turn once the wheel stops turnin is there a simlpe solution to that or am i just gonna have to deal with it

Hoooper

Only 1 moves location, yeah. The reason you need to get an alignment is because likely your toe is off now and if you have adjustable arms the caster needs to be adjusted. Also when you get an alignment they center the steering wheel (using the drag link adjustment).