Steering failed

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bollotti

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Joined
May 19, 2023
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13
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Florida
Hi, first post.

Have been learning my son to drive and were practicing 3 point turns for his test.

Whilst doing this the steering just disconnected altogether, turning the steering wheel, nothing happened.

Turned off engine and restarted and could feel the wheels turning slightly every quarter turn. Fortunately just outside my house, so able to very slowly get it back up the drive.

Cannot see any obvious mechanical failure, but the fact wheels only moving a fraction on a full turn suggest that maybe some issues with power steering?

Very strange as never had an issue like this before.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
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Chris said:
@mrblaine
Click to expand...

Something mechanical failed or is failing. The steering gear has to turn exactly the same with or without pressure from the pump. It is a 100% mechanical connection without the pump even being in the vehicle. That means something obvious has failed or is failing that some diagnostics will show. With the vehicle not running and tires on the ground, the steering wheel should only be able to be rotated a small bit back and forth. More than that and following the linkage down to the gear and watching what that is doing will show any issues there.

My immediate obvious place to look would be to see if one end of the trackbar came loose. Then the same at the steering links.
 
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He's got to do three point turns for his test? For mine they basically had me back out of a parking spot and drive around on backroads for a bit. There's a reason there's so many shitty drivers out there now. Never even learned how to parallel park until I had my license.
 
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Check the following:

Verify the fluid level in the power steering pump reservoir
Inspect power steering hoses for leaks
Inspect tie rod end attached to pitman arm for the steering box
Damaged or loose coupler between the steering shaft and the steering box
 
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Bonus points for letting your kid take their exam in a Jeep!

Wonder what the instructor would say to front digs...that would be on a heavily modified vehicle with line locks and a transfer case that did front wheel drive...you basically lock a rear wheel and pivot on that tire.

Good suggestions above...when my track bar came off I could steer but the body would move not the wheels

Pictures of your Jeep would help...front end and all the bars/links.

Could be a stripped pitman arm off the steering box. Could be a rag joint on the steering linkage off the column.

-Mac
 
PXL_20230520_130908134.jpg
 
bollotti said:
Lower steering arm had worked it's way loose from the steering box. Was just hanging on by a fraction of an inch. Good job it didn't come loose when traveling on main road....
Click to expand...

The only way that can happen is if someone installed it incorrectly. There is a groove in the middle of the splined section of the input shaft. The pinch clamp bolt has to live in that groove. Installed correctly, you push the pinch clamp over the splines until you can see the groove for the bolt and then install the bolt. The reason it is that way is to prevent what you just experienced which is working the pinch clamp off of the end of the input shaft. With the bolt in the groove, it can't come off, period.

I suspect that either you had a bad install, or someone has swapped on a lower steering shaft that doesn't have the hole in it to accept the pin that sticks out of the end of the input shaft. When they couldn't push it on all the way, they just clamped the lower end of the pinch clamp to the upper end of the input shaft which is very bad.

Get a better look at it and some better pics for us.
 
mrblaine said:
The only way that can happen is if someone installed it incorrectly. There is a groove in the middle of the splined section of the input shaft. The pinch clamp bolt has to live in that groove. Installed correctly, you push the pinch clamp over the splines until you can see the groove for the bolt and then install the bolt. The reason it is that way is to prevent what you just experienced which is working the pinch clamp off of the end of the input shaft. With the bolt in the groove, it can't come off, period.

I suspect that either you had a bad install, or someone has swapped on a lower steering shaft that doesn't have the hole in it to accept the pin that sticks out of the end of the input shaft. When they couldn't push it on all the way, they just clamped the lower end of the pinch clamp to the upper end of the input shaft which is very bad.

Get a better look at it and some better pics for us.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I pushed down on the spline as far as I could and then nipped up tight. Didn't notice a groove, but will take off and reinstall just to be sure.
 
bollotti said:
Thanks for that. I pushed down on the spline as far as I could and then nipped up tight. Didn't notice a groove, but will take off and reinstall just to be sure.
Click to expand...
Not the greatest picture, but this is the small groove. It lines up with the bolt on the stock lower shaft where it intrudes into the splined opening. If you remove the bolt and turn the connection so you can see through the bolt hole, you can watch the groove as it slides in and out.
20230507_123412~3.jpg
 
There was a flat side which only allowed the two parts to mate if lined up. My only concern now is if I knocked the spline on far enough. The bolt seemed to go through okay without resistance.
 
bollotti said:
There was a flat side which only allowed the two parts to mate if lined up. My only concern now is if I knocked the spline on far enough. The bolt seemed to go through okay without resistance.
Click to expand...

Typically there is less than 1/4" between the face of the pinch clamp and face of steering gear.
 
Sorry to restart an old thread, folks. I’ve just noticed a muffled “clunk” sound when turning the steering wheel slightly, engine off. I checked out the steering shaft where the cinch clamp meets the steering gear and found it to be loose, although the bolt is still in place. I had installed a new lower steering shaft a year or so ago and remember cinching the bolt up tight. Is it possible this bolt can loosen over time, maybe wear out? BTW, the replacement shaft was from Crown.
Thanks for any insight.
 
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