I got my 04 TJ October 2022 and am now getting around to fixing its steering issues. Here are some of the issues I’ve been having: very loose steering, steering wheel is not centered, jeep pulls to one side when driving, the sway bar link is contacting the frame on the driver side (this is my main concern as it is causing considerable damage to the frame - see photo), and the sway bar itself is shifting to the passenger side. I will include photos of the front end at the bottom.
The TJ came with a 3” TerraFlex lift kit. I recently installed new Rancho shocks since the last ones were in very bad condition. TJ has 200k miles, I believe all of the steering components are stock. It seems like the root of the steering issues is that the PO installed a lift kit but did not adjust the trackbar (as far as I can tell), causing everything to shift over to the passenger side.
I’ve spent a lot of time reading and researching on the forum and was planning to do the following:
Does this sound like a good approach? Based on the photos, is there anything else that looks off?
Thank you in advance for any advice. This forum has been a great resource!
The TJ came with a 3” TerraFlex lift kit. I recently installed new Rancho shocks since the last ones were in very bad condition. TJ has 200k miles, I believe all of the steering components are stock. It seems like the root of the steering issues is that the PO installed a lift kit but did not adjust the trackbar (as far as I can tell), causing everything to shift over to the passenger side.
I’ve spent a lot of time reading and researching on the forum and was planning to do the following:
- I purchased a JKS adjustable track bar which will allow me to center the axle and prevent the sway bar link from contacting the frame on driver side
- When installing the adjustable track bar, I’ll make sure to center the axle using various methods (jumping on bumper, etc.)
- I got the JKS adjustable sway bar links so I can set the sway bar at the proper angle. Don’t think this is particularly necessary but an adjustable set may help keep the swaybar in place better
- While the track bar should fix the issues with the swaybar shifting, I also plan to install steel collars on the inside of the swaybar mounts to prevent any further shifting (http://www.4x4xplor.com/swaybar-fix.html#google_vignette)
- I got a Rough Country steering stabilizer, since the one I have now is shot and doing close to nothing. I’ve read that these can just mask other issues, but I figured for $34 it’s worth installing a new one and I’ll be fixing the underlying issues first
- If my steering wheel is still not properly centered, I read I can adjust it by adjusting the sleeve on the front drag link
- Going to clean up the tie rod and drag link with some fresh paint (just for aesthetics lol)
Does this sound like a good approach? Based on the photos, is there anything else that looks off?
Thank you in advance for any advice. This forum has been a great resource!