Steering Play

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mattcogdell

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I’ve been trying to pin point the play in my steering for a while. Completed numerous steering tests. No play in ball joints, unit bearings, trac bar and so on. The two last possible things I can think of is 1.) the steering box 2.) the steering shaft.

This video is the free play at the steering box. My hand is positioned at the top of the box, rotating the shaft till it catches tension (twisting the shaft back and forth by hand). There is no movement in the sector shaft or pitman arm.

 
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Look at the lower steering shaft, right above where it connects to the steering box, there is a pin which allows the shaft to collapse in case of an impact. In my shaft it had worn a grove that caused that small area to have play before it would catch.
 
Make 100 percent sure your pitman arm isn't moving when you turn the shaft.
Better yet be 101 percent sure your steering spline shaft to the pitman arm isn't moving with your shaft turn.

Yes pitman arms can wear out as they're a softer material than the splines from the box. Not saying yours is but just verify there is absolutely zero steering movement before your "slack" is taken up.

Once you've confirmed this I wouldn't even piss with the tighten screw. Odds are it won't make much of a difference and it certainly isn't long term. It might remove some slack but don't expect miracles like the entire slack gone.

If it were mine and you can confirm the play is 100001 percent in the box...I'd get a new box and not even piss with the adjustment screw. It's only going to band aid ultimately a bad box
 
Nick21 said:
Look at the lower steering shaft, right above where it connects to the steering box, there is a pin which allows the shaft to collapse in case of an impact. In my shaft it had worn a grove that caused that small area to have play before it would catch.
Click to expand...
I will look more into this but the two halves rotate together. I held one in each hand while someone turned the wheel back and forth and there wasn’t play between the two halves.
 
Rubicon88 said:
Make 100 percent sure your pitman arm isn't moving when you turn the shaft.
Better yet be 101 percent sure your steering spline shaft to the pitman arm isn't moving with your shaft turn.

Yes pitman arms can wear out as they're a softer material than the splines from the box. Not saying yours is but just verify there is absolutely zero steering movement before your "slack" is taken up.

Once you've confirmed this I wouldn't even piss with the tighten screw. Odds are it won't make much of a difference and it certainly isn't long term. It might remove some slack but don't expect miracles like the entire slack gone.

If it were mine and you can confirm the play is 100001 percent in the box...I'd get a new box and not even piss with the adjustment screw. It's only going to band aid ultimately a bad box
Click to expand...
Turning the shaft by hand (back and forth) above the box ensured the box wasn’t turning the sector shaft. I’m at the point I’m 99.9% sure it’s the box.

I’m hoping someone with a new/aftermarket box can relate or describe the amount of play they have for me to compare to.

Best way to describe it is, going through an “S” turn. The initial turn in is good and tight. The transfer back to the other direction has a dead spot till the Jeep travels past the dead spot and has steering input again.
 
mattcogdell said:
I will look more into this but the two halves rotate together. I held one in each hand while someone turned the wheel back and forth and there wasn’t play between the two halves.
Click to expand...
It's quite hard to see the area in question, as mine is an early model tj I'm not sure if the later is the same. But in the attached picture you can see the pin that wore the Grove in mine (red). The area that would spin would be that small section where it connects to the gear box (teal)

Screenshot_20210412-183909_Gallery.jpg
 
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Nick21 said:
Look at the lower steering shaft, right above where it connects to the steering box, there is a pin which allows the shaft to collapse in case of an impact. In my shaft it had worn a grove that caused that small area to have play before it would catch.
Click to expand...
That pin is actually to prevent collapse or disconnect of that joint. It is a rubber element bonded to an inner and outer shell. The pin through the holes in the outer shell is there to stop the two halves from coming apart if the rubber element dies or separates.

If the pin is making contact when the wheel is turned with the engine off, you will hear and feel a clunk which indicates the shaft needs to be replaced.
 
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toximus said:
There should be no play when it's straight.

That must be very difficult to stay in your lane?
Click to expand...
@Lou sent me a video of his free play. That’s where it gets interesting, his free play is almost identical to mine based on what I can tell.

Yes, the dead spot makes it difficult keep in the land while transitioning back and forth in corners (from left to right, vise versa).
 
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Any way to eliminate an alignment? I don’t see how toe or caster could effect this. My return to center is good and no vibes.
 
The OP mentioned a dead spot.
'Best way to describe it is, going through an “S” turn. The initial turn in is good and tight. The transfer back to the other direction has a dead spot till the Jeep travels past the dead spot and has steering input again.'
IIRC, that can also be from the TREs rolling over.
Or something like that.
 
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