Are you running a nitrogen charged steering stabilizer? Or does the problem happen on both sides
Return to Center Advice
- Thread starter HuskerJeep
- Start date
OP
It's a standard Rancho RS5407 Stabilizer, and yes it happens on both sides. Also, I removed the stabilizer and test drove it to check if it was that, but there was no change.
OP
I put the tires on shortly after I bought the Jeep and they have less than 2,000 miles on them so I can't see any real wear yet.
I've been thinking steering gear for a while (it does have a small leak) and am trying to eliminate everything else first. I recently started considering the shaft, but haven't gotten too deep into the effects a bad shaft would have on steering.
OP
Ok, I replaced my steering gear today. The old one was leaking anyway, so I thought I'd give it a shot to see if it helped the return to center as well. I went with a reman Lares 1353 from Rockauto.
As for return to center, initially it didn't change much, so I decided to try something that seems completely opposite what I think should happen. I flipped my cam bolts 180*, increasing my pinion angle which would lower my caster.
That change actually improved the return to center. It doesn't come all the way back to 12:00, about 11:30 or so, but it's better than it was and is certainly easier to turn back to 12:00 than before. I was under the impression the higher the caster, the better the return to center, but I don't seem to be experiencing that.
I might go half way with the camber bolts and see how that drives.
As for return to center, initially it didn't change much, so I decided to try something that seems completely opposite what I think should happen. I flipped my cam bolts 180*, increasing my pinion angle which would lower my caster.
That change actually improved the return to center. It doesn't come all the way back to 12:00, about 11:30 or so, but it's better than it was and is certainly easier to turn back to 12:00 than before. I was under the impression the higher the caster, the better the return to center, but I don't seem to be experiencing that.
I might go half way with the camber bolts and see how that drives.
Interesting, you started out on the lower side of factory spec which isn't a surprise with a little lift, so I'm not quite sure how lowering the caster even more actually helped the return to center. In all the alignments I've done over the years "too much" caster can cause weird steering pulls one way or the other but that's the first time I've heard something like what you're describing... But hey if it's working why fight it!!
OP
That's basically where I'm at with it, doesn't seem to make much sense to me either. I'll keep working on it and see if I can come up with anything else though.
Just had a thought cross my mind, and I'm not sure if it would cause a problem or not. Did you replace your pressure and return lines when you replaced the gear box?
OP
Possibly a hose braking down internally. I've seen and replaced brake hoses that outwardly appear to be fine but they caused the caliper to not release. It took 2 new calipers to figure out that the hose was not allowing the pressure to bleed off from the caliper.
OP
That’s an interesting thought. Makes me also consider the power steering pump as well, maybe just not getting enough pressure.
Lack of pressure would be noticed when trying to turn the wheel. A vehicle with power steering is actually harder to steer than manual steering gear box if the pump isn't putting out enough pressure.
OP
Updating my old thread here since I'm still working through the issue. I replaced my lower steering shaft today in the hopes I had a bad u-joint or bearing that was causing some binding. No luck, it wasn't any different than the old one.
Summarizing from earlier, here are the steps I've taken so far following the 1.5" spring lift with no significant change in the return to center:
Really the last ideas I have are to replace the power steering lines, power steering pump, axle u-joints and ball joints. Any other ideas?
Summarizing from earlier, here are the steps I've taken so far following the 1.5" spring lift with no significant change in the return to center:
- All new steering linkage - ZJ upgrade (Moog)
- Verified it's not the steering stabilizer
- Replaced the steering gear with reman Lares
- Alignment at a shop to verify my own alignment, everything is well within spec
- Checked several different tire pressures
- Pulled the tires off and disconnected the tie rods to check the rotation of the ball joints and everything seemed to rotate just fine with no binding
Really the last ideas I have are to replace the power steering lines, power steering pump, axle u-joints and ball joints. Any other ideas?
If you have poor return to center it is normally the alignment issue. Have you adjusted your control arms to increase the caster angle? What does the alignment shop list as your settings? Ideally you should have over 6* to get good return to center. The pinion angle tends to limit how much you can have by causing a driveline vibe at the pinion Ujoint. If you have no front drive shaft vibration then try increasing the castor angle to improve your steering return. Unless you have the steering wheel centered you may experience poor return. Until I got my steering wheel dead nutz centered I had poor return to center.
OP
My alignment results are posted earlier in this thread - I was at 6.6* and 6.8* and then I decreased them a little bit just trying different things. Right now my cam bolts are right in the middle, and without putting it back on a rack, I'm pretty sure I'm at 6.3* and 6.5* currently.
K. So is the steering wheel dead nutz centered when you drive down the road? Any dead spot when turning? There are only so many things that can influence this. I mean if you are crab walking that might cause it, but that is pretty unlikely. If everything is good after the steering box, and there is no play before the box, it might just be the box. You have stock pitman arm and trackbar mounts, right?
OP
Yeah, steering wheel is straight, I've adjusted that myself to get it right. No dead spots when turning. Stock pitman arm and trackbar mounts. Everything is stock, or replaced OEM quality, except for the ZJ upgrade parts and the H&R Springs.
I guess no one else here has any more ideas, and to be honest it seems like you have pretty much done everything you could. So short of trying to get some more caster into the front pinion I'm out of suggestions too. Has different air pressure made ANY difference? Has any of the things you've done made any difference? Have you tried pulling the steering stabilizer just to see if it is masking anything? 
OP
Yeah, I get it’s a tough one. Yes, I’ve pulled the stabilizer and checked that too. Nothing has made much difference at all.I guess no one else here has any more ideas, and to be honest it seems like you have pretty much done everything you could. So short of trying to get some more caster into the front pinion I'm out of suggestions too. Has different air pressure made ANY difference? Has any of the things you've done made any difference? Have you tried pulling the steering stabilizer just to see if it is masking anything?
I’ll try the u-joints and ball joints and see if that gets me anywhere. If not, I suppose I’m back to the reman box may be too tight.