Hi everyone!
So a couple questions regarding Heim joints in a steering setup. I got this Jeep in January 2021 with the steering setup as you see it in the pics I attached below. The previous owner only put about 900 road miles on it before selling to me, and as I’m a young(23) guy with dreams bigger than my wallet, I bought it as a replacement for my totaled TJ, which I daily drove, and continue to do with this one.
Problem is, this is the first wrangler I’ve DD with Heim joints. And talking to a few mechanics who are off road enthusiasts as well, they seem to say Heim joints are great…for off roading. Due to being pure metal on metal, they wear quicker when daily driven.
Which is evidenced in my Jeep right now. Lately, very occasionally I’ll hit a bump or pothole going 35-40 and the wrangler will start shaking, won’t stop until I slow down.
According to one mech buddy, Heim joints like these should be pretty tight, ie hard to get movement under pressure or on a lift. Mine? Oh, they’ve got play. The worst is the link dropping from the steering box, it has quite a bit of ‘slop’. The other links all have a bit of play, which can be moved simply by turning them with the hand, but less than the first.
So questions,
Is there a relatively easy, yet quality way to replace these?
Do they all need to be replaced? Or could my death wobble be tied to that one real bad Heim joint?
Would replacing with Heim joints best the best option(cheapest) short of replacing the whole steering setup?
Are Johnny joints a possibility in this equation?
Any input would be highly appreciated. I’ve had it on a floor jack and wiggled everything else I could, ball joints, u-joints and such all seem to be good and solid.
So a couple questions regarding Heim joints in a steering setup. I got this Jeep in January 2021 with the steering setup as you see it in the pics I attached below. The previous owner only put about 900 road miles on it before selling to me, and as I’m a young(23) guy with dreams bigger than my wallet, I bought it as a replacement for my totaled TJ, which I daily drove, and continue to do with this one.
Problem is, this is the first wrangler I’ve DD with Heim joints. And talking to a few mechanics who are off road enthusiasts as well, they seem to say Heim joints are great…for off roading. Due to being pure metal on metal, they wear quicker when daily driven.
Which is evidenced in my Jeep right now. Lately, very occasionally I’ll hit a bump or pothole going 35-40 and the wrangler will start shaking, won’t stop until I slow down.
According to one mech buddy, Heim joints like these should be pretty tight, ie hard to get movement under pressure or on a lift. Mine? Oh, they’ve got play. The worst is the link dropping from the steering box, it has quite a bit of ‘slop’. The other links all have a bit of play, which can be moved simply by turning them with the hand, but less than the first.
So questions,
Is there a relatively easy, yet quality way to replace these?
Do they all need to be replaced? Or could my death wobble be tied to that one real bad Heim joint?
Would replacing with Heim joints best the best option(cheapest) short of replacing the whole steering setup?
Are Johnny joints a possibility in this equation?
Any input would be highly appreciated. I’ve had it on a floor jack and wiggled everything else I could, ball joints, u-joints and such all seem to be good and solid.