Bad steering gear box?

Dublin

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
39
Location
Brillion WI
So back at the steering problems again. After a few months of daily driving it seems to be starting its steering wander yet again. It was very gradual and now I need to correct the steering quite frequently with even the slightest road anomaly. From my previous posting I had replaced pretty much everything steering and suspension wise. The list sway bar links, drag link, adjustable track bar, tie rod ends, steering dampener, adjustable front upper and lower control arms, ball joints, wheel bearings, new rear sway bar, rear upper and lower control arms, recently new shocks and bump stop puks, steering gear box and power steering pump, lastly a full alignment and 33" tires aired down to 26 PSI. My Jeep has a 4" suspension lift and the pitman arm is stock. The new steering gear box may be the culprit since it had top side play meaning I could turn the wheel 2 1/2" before the lower end moved anything. I adjusted it 1/8" at a time until it was better but still had 1 1/2" of top side play and that was almost a full turn at 7/8ths. Now I can turn the adjustment until it won't turn at all and now has 3" of upper movement. I may have helped wear out the steering gear box out faster by adjusting, but it was a cheaper Master Pro as well. Looking for suggestions on a replacement and any ideas on why the gear box had so much top end play in the first place. Cheap junk, you get what you pay for, anything else? Thanks
 
Bumping my own thread and ready to throw in the towel. Seriously thinking of selling this on the cheap. I might try a 3rd power steering gear box, both the previous ones had top end play that is incredibly hard to see until they are bolted up, and both got excessively worse within a couple hundred miles. There is no play or movement on any component other than top end play on the gear box. Something either has caused the gearboxes to wear out quickly or they were just cheap junk out the gate. At this point I'm open to suggestions or even offers I am so near done. The worse thing is having 2 different "Jeep Specialists" in the area tell me the wander is normal, it is not normal they probably don't want to deal with it either would be my guess. I really could use some help on figuring this out, Anyone?
 
I've got the same issues and am probably pulling the trigger on a Red Head any moment now.

I've also heard good things about Blue Top...but Seattle is closer.

-Mac
The price on a Red Head isn't bad, I just wish I knew for certain it would stop the wander.
 
The price on a Red Head isn't bad, I just wish I knew for certain it would stop the wander.

Yeah...same issue...I have stock control arms on mine... bushings are iffy... steering box looks original...$250 is cheaper than $1250 for Core T3 control arms...or a Saavy Mid arm kit...so basically throwing the parts catalog at the Jeep. Probably also will plumb in a cooler while I am at it...and since I am eventually going to 35smight as well get it ported.

Track arm and steering bars all replaced. New oem height pitman arm. New ball joints.

Might be the steering shaft.

-Mac
 
The price on a Red Head isn't bad, I just wish I knew for certain it would stop the wander.
I tried the red head, first the mounting threads were suspect when I torqued them. I was in JV and hit a rock in the trail stripped the bolts out of the box. I tack welded it to the frame to tow it home. I got home pulled the box drilled and taped it to the next larger metric size. This gave me enough meat to get enough thread engagement. Next time out climbing through a rock portion of a local trail. The box leaked when I stopped then the leak stopped. The leak was from the sector shaft. I got home a ordered a PSC this box has a new housing. I will pull the red head apart and look at the seals and bearings to see what is going on.
 
Are you guys sure that you have a good front hub unit bearings and plenty of caster?
 
Bearings are new, Caster is at 5 1/2" on a 4" lift with 33's, that's were the pinion angle to drive shaft is best.
 
Hub bearings are new. I've checked my castor using an angle finder.

Everything I have done is a vast improvement from when I bought it a year ago. Every fix or replacement just dials it in a little more.

-Mac
 
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Here's where it gets weird, when I first bought the Jeep it went down the road surprisingly well. Except for massive bump steer, but on the flat smooth pavement no problems. After new tires a death wobble run put me down the rabbit hole. From previous posts you can see my list of repairs is quite extensive, and each repair it was a bit better but only for a while. Both times the steering gear box was replaced it was great for a short time, you could steer with your finger. So as previously stated either both gear boxes were crap or something else is wearing them down real quick.