I recently purchased a 1999 TJ and I'm trying to fix a sway issue. It appears the problem is the rear lower control arm bushings. A local tire shop checked it out and said the steering stabilizer was bad as it had a dead spot in it. Is that normal?
Steering Stabilizer
- Thread starter bills99sahara
- Start date
Not sure if its normal exactly, but after 19 years if its the original steering stabilizer it could most definitely be replaced...same with the LCA bushings.
That depends on what they're calling a dead spot.
Please describe in some detail what you are describing as a sway issue. More detail on something like that is better than less when diagnosing the cause.
Back and forth sway? To one side? Only when driving over bumps or dips?
Please describe in some detail what you are describing as a sway issue. More detail on something like that is better than less when diagnosing the cause.
Back and forth sway? To one side? Only when driving over bumps or dips?
Yeah x2 what Jerry said. Most often correcting issues by replacing a steering stabilizer masks other problems.
The stabilizer is hard to move in and out by hand but about halfway it has a spot that has no tension on it. Driving the Jeep it has side to side sway. On a flat road it's not bad but any little imperfection and the Jeep sways side to side. I had my son push down on the front bumper while I looked underneath and the only thing I saw was the rear lower control arm bolts were moving inside the bushing housings
Sounds like a bad steering stabilizer but it's not causing the sway.
Suspension lift? Dropped Pitman arm installed?
Suspension lift? Dropped Pitman arm installed?
It has a 4" suspension lift. I'm not sure on the maker of it though however the rear control arms are identical to the ones made by Rough Country. It does not have a dropped pitman arm. The best way to describe it is the body sways and not really felt in the steering
Both antiswaybars connected? When is the last time you had the caster and toe-in angles checked? What's your tire size and exactly what air pressure is in them?
I will check the anti sway bars. It has 31x10.5x15 tires and Les Schwab just checked the alignment and tire pressure
They said they put it on the alignment rack and it was ok. They were also the ones that said the problem was the steering stabilizer.
Geez Louise! You might want to air down to 28psi. I’ll be interested to here what else Jerry says!
42psi??? What in the world were they thinking. Drop them like JMT mentioned and take it for a spin.
I aired down the tires to 30psi and still no improvement. Still the only thing I can see wrong is the rear lower control arm bushings. Don't know if that would cause the body sway though
WOW! 42psi is way way too high, I'm surprised it didn't knock any fillings out of your teeth. Well, It didn't fix your issue, but you'll have a much better ride now. And 30psi is still too high ... I would go down 2 or 3 more if it were mine.
30 psi is fine for a 31" tire. But understand that a bad steering stabilizer will not and cannot cause sway.
Lee Schwab had said the steering stabilizer was the problem. They were wrong and refunded some of the $80 parts and labor. Will the rear lower control arms cause sway?