Steering wander / bump steer

[Hulk1991]

Hey Guys!

My tj is having issues with bump steer/steering wander. I recently put a front and rear aftermarket adjustable track bar, and steering stabilizer . I took out the drop pitman arm and put in the stock arm and I also replaced the steering box and shafts and I got an alignment done. It did make it a little better but still has the issue. I checked the bushings and tie rods and everything looks fine. I was recommended to install the crown automotive heavy duty steering kit. Any thoughts on this? Any advice would be great because I am stuck.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

How is the driver's side of the track bar mounted? To the factory mount or is there an aftermarket dropped mounting bracket installed?

 

[Hulk1991]

I want to say it is stock but I'm not sure

 

[Jerry Bransford]

It'd be great if one of those photos showed the driver's side trackbar mount. It kinda looks like it's probably stock (a good thing) in the second photo but...

 

[AndyG]

I'm with Jerry and boy that pitman arm appears to be dropped.

Really oversize linkage components don't matter in road handling (they do add strength) as much as the connections do, ...that's where it's at...do a dry test for slop at every connection , check the ball joints , caster and alignment. Everything has to be right. Everything.

A TJ isn't finicky or delicate, just unforgiving . Not hard to get right ..just easy to mess up.

 

[PatMc]

Did the problem exist before you put those new tires on?...or is it new?

Does the driver's end of the trac bar bolt to a casting or is there is a welded drop bracket that it's fastened to? Typically, if one has a drop pitman arm, it will coincide with a drop trac bar mount. Ideally, both should go in the trash....but many times the tapered hole is drilled out of the OE track bar bracket to be a straight hole...if the drop bracket was removed and your tapered track bar end reinstalled in that OE bracket with a straight hole, it could very likely be moving around. Have a helper sit in the driver's seat, engine running, and move the steering wheel in each direction from center about 45°...while this is happening, set your hand so it's contacting multiple components...the rod end and the thing the rod end is seated in...do this for all steering components...it's the easiest best way to feel and differential movement that shouldn't exist.

 

[Hulk1991]

The two other pictures are older before I changed the pitman arm. Yes it was still doing it before the new tires

 

[Goatman]

Ball joints and wheel bearings tight too? Confirm there is zero slop in the steering.
It seems each TJ has it's own preferred role in setting. Mine wandered and pulled at 1/8", but at 1/16" it became a 1 finger steer on the highway. This is an easy setting to adjust. I just made a small change at a time (like 1 /8 twist of the sleeve) until it told me where it wanted to be at, then measured to be sure. Same with the steering wheel. If it is slightly off then the Jeep felt loose.