LJ wandering left and right

[JohnDoe]

I’ve recently completed the build on my 2005 LJ. I’m very happy with it save for one thing:

It is constantly wandering left and right and requires constant small corrections. I’m hesitant to describe the steering as heavy/stiff but that is what my gut is telling me to go with.

I’ve replaced all steering/ suspension/ axles with new quality parts that were installed by a reputable shop. I had an alignment done and have included the results below.

I’m open to suggestions/ questions/ requests from anyone.

 

[PNW_LJ]

A picture of your front suspension at ride height might help the pros on here give you some insight.

 

[L J]

Tire pressures?

 

[JohnDoe]

A picture of your front suspension at ride height might help the pros on here give you some insight.

 

[JohnDoe]

Tire pressures?

Currently sitting between 25-26 psi.

 

[JohnDoe]

Apologies, I should have included in my initial post (our province is in the midst of quite a few evacuations due to wildfires so mental clarity is not at 100%) that the rear sway bar is currently removed. I’ve driven a handful of jeeps with a similar setup but it never caused this wandering issue.

 

[AndyG]

That LJ has had some money spent under it -

First, dry test the steering, make sure you have toe and sufficient caster, and nothing is loose. It may help to do a sway bar and make sure you don’t mean rear track bar as well. That requires triangulated arms to hold the axle.

Also make sure the back connections are all tight.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Everything looks good but your toe-in is a little light at only a total of .12 after adding up the .06 toe-in on the left and right sides. Factory spec on total toe-in is .30 total so I'd give it a bit more toe-in. Caster looks fine. I'd also reinstall the and connect the rear antiswaybar, it really helps. Having both antiswaybars installed and connected helps balance how the axles move in relation to each other. I'm running an Antirock up front together with the factory antiswaybar in the rear to which I simply added longer links due to my 4" suspension lift.

 

[JohnDoe]

That LJ has had some money spent under it -

First, dry test the steering, make sure you have toe and sufficient caster, and nothing is loose. It may help to do a sway bar and make sure you don’t mean rear track bar as well. That requires triangulated arms to hold the axle.

Also make sure the back connections are all tight.

I’ll do the dry test on the steering this weekend and let you know the results. I do have a rear track bar but am having a hell of a time finding a stock rear sway bar.

 

[JohnDoe]

Everything looks good but your toe-in is a little light at only a total of .12 after adding up the .06 toe-in on the left and right sides. Factory spec on total toe-in is .30 total so I'd give it a bit more toe-in. Caster looks fine. I'd also reinstall the and connect the rear antiswaybar, it really helps. Having both antiswaybars installed and connected helps balance how the axles move in relation to each other. I'm running an Antirock up front together with the factory antiswaybar in the rear to which I simply added longer links due to my 4" suspension lift.

I don’t know very much regarding alignments, would I just walk into the alignment shop with my current spec sheet and literally ask them to only increase the toe-in and leave everything else the same?

And I’ve been looking for the last hour for rear sway bars and finding a stock one seems to be virtually impossible. I did find one by Hellwig that appears to have decent reviews. Any worries about theirs being too stiff over factory?

 

[AndyG]

I’ll do the dry test on the steering this weekend and let you know the results. I do have a rear track bar but am having a hell of a time finding a stock rear sway bar.

Might get a steinjager- looks like you have a lot going for you and just need to dial it in.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I don’t know very much regarding alignments, would I just walk into the alignment shop with my current spec sheet and literally ask them to only increase the toe-in and leave everything else the same?

And I’ve been looking for the last hour for rear sway bars and finding a stock one seems to be virtually impossible. I did find one by Hellwig that appears to have decent reviews. Any worries about theirs being too stiff over factory?

Just tell the alignment shop to increase the toe-in closer to the .30 factory specification, it's too light the way it is now. Check places like eBay for a used antiswaybar, try to find one that includes its mounting brackets and links. Aftermarket like Steinjager or this one would be fine...
[URL]https://www.partsgeek.com/p9mr...V5u_hppovOW5wO4p8iXvuj4z-pS4JuQRoCBD8QAvD_BwE[/URL]

 

[JohnDoe]

Steinjager rear sway bar is ordered.

I’ll head into the alignment shop Tuesday morning (Monday is a holiday for Canada) and have them adjust the toe-in.

 

[Jay-P]

Interested to see if the alignment helps.

Also love the under carriage porn pics!

 

[JAYNE]

View attachment 426319

View attachment 426320

View attachment 426321

View attachment 426322

View attachment 426323

View attachment 426324

View attachment 426325

View attachment 426326

View attachment 426327

View attachment 426328

I see you’ve got the psc box and remote reservoir without the assist ram installed. I drove my jeep like that for about a year with the psc high flow pump meant to be used with the ram.

I had that same feeling of heavy steering and wandering both left and right especially on rutted roads or in the wind. A big part of that was me having gotten used to loose steering and needing to lose the habit of trying to correct my steering when correction wasn’t needed.

However, I will say the difference in stiff heavy steering in that setup with the ram installed vs not installed was huge for me…

Do check everything else that people are mentioning it’s always a possibility something else is causing your jeep to wander. I’m just throwing my 2cents in because your setup and description of heavy steering is all too familiar to me.

 

[Akitadog]

Might swap in your stock front sway-bar and see if it still does the wandering?
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/swayloc-vs-antirock.70368/

 

[Ericshere03]

View attachment 426319

View attachment 426320

View attachment 426321

View attachment 426322

View attachment 426323

View attachment 426324

View attachment 426325

View attachment 426326

View attachment 426327

View attachment 426328

Dang bro! That’s front end is all done up! That’s the axle and steering box I eventually want in my LJ. ANYWAYS seeing as you have a brand new front end, and often neglected/forgotten component is the intermediate steering shaft.

I been driving these Jeeps for decades and now that they’re getting older I notice the intermediate shafts are all getting sloppy. It’s the short steering shaft that connects the steering column and pops out the firewall. There is a slip joint that gets sloppy and that slip lets the steering sway around in the dead zone … I JUST swapped mine out for a mopar replacement. But previously I’ve taken the shafts to my local driveline/steering shop and they put them in their press to tighten up the slip shaft. It’s basically a square shaft in a square hole that listens up with age. Might even make a rattling sound coming from the firewall as low speed. I’ve never seen or heard of a bad universal joint on the shafts, just that stupid slip joint.

You can test it by popping the hood and shaking the shaft that comes out of the firewall, you’ll feel when there is slop in there… there shouldn’t be ANY slop

 

[primetime4]

Dang bro! That’s front end is all done up! That’s the axle and steering box I eventually want in my LJ. ANYWAYS seeing as you have a brand new front end, and often neglected/forgotten component is the intermediate steering shaft.

I been driving these Jeeps for decades and now that they’re getting older I notice the intermediate shafts are all getting sloppy. It’s the short steering shaft that connects the steering column and pops out the firewall. There is a slip joint that gets sloppy and that slip lets the steering sway around in the dead zone … I JUST swapped mine out for a mopar replacement. But previously I’ve taken the shafts to my local driveline/steering shop and they put them in their press to tighten up the slip shaft. It’s basically a square shaft in a square hole that listens up with age. Might even make a rattling sound coming from the firewall as low speed. I’ve never seen or heard of a bad universal joint on the shafts, just that stupid slip joint.

You can test it by popping the hood and shaking the shaft that comes out of the firewall, you’ll feel when there is slop in there… there shouldn’t be ANY slop

Agree with this as something I replaced when I upgraded my steering. I also installed a steering riser to align it with the body lift which looks like you have as well. Full disclosure: it may not actually improve anything but damn your Jeep build is so nice you might as well not cheap out there just in case it does help.

Also, I don't think it affects the steering but your antirock arm angle seems a big high to me and my OCD. I would make sure it clears everything above just in case but mine is much closer to level which is consistent with what I have seen.

 

[Ericshere03]

Agree with this as something I replaced when I upgraded my steering. I also installed a steering riser to align it with the body lift which looks like you have as well. Full disclosure: it may not actually improve anything but damn your Jeep build is so nice you might as well not cheap out there just in case it does help.

Also, I don't think it affects the steering but your antirock arm angle seems a big high to me and my OCD. I would make sure it clears everything above just in case but mine is much closer to level which is consistent with what I have seen.

I have two of those stupid riser brackets from MORE, neither of them put the shaft in the correct place and stock was better … they’re a very well made piece tho … I am not knocking the company, I been using their motor mounts for ages on many Jeeps.

 

[JohnDoe]

Dang bro! That’s front end is all done up! That’s the axle and steering box I eventually want in my LJ. ANYWAYS seeing as you have a brand new front end, and often neglected/forgotten component is the intermediate steering shaft.

I been driving these Jeeps for decades and now that they’re getting older I notice the intermediate shafts are all getting sloppy. It’s the short steering shaft that connects the steering column and pops out the firewall. There is a slip joint that gets sloppy and that slip lets the steering sway around in the dead zone … I JUST swapped mine out for a mopar replacement. But previously I’ve taken the shafts to my local driveline/steering shop and they put them in their press to tighten up the slip shaft. It’s basically a square shaft in a square hole that listens up with age. Might even make a rattling sound coming from the firewall as low speed. I’ve never seen or heard of a bad universal joint on the shafts, just that stupid slip joint.

You can test it by popping the hood and shaking the shaft that comes out of the firewall, you’ll feel when there is slop in there… there shouldn’t be ANY slop

Thanks, appreciate it. And I checked the shaft and sure enough there was some play in it. Ordered the Mopar replacement which will be here by Wednesday. I’ll let you know how it feels post-install.