Drastic steering issue
02-10-2018, 08:37 AM
#31
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
It's hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like the Track Bar may be interfering with something. Possibly the SS? Hard to tell from the angle of the pics, but I noticed some scrapes on that TB, which means there may be some other part that has scrapes on it as well that it rubs against during different steering and suspension flex situations.
02-10-2018, 12:35 PM
#32
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Removed the stabilizer and literally no change other than it now wants to pull left when braking. I did notice more though that it seems like when transitioning from turning left to right that it has to get past some hump to get the tires to react. Like it just needs a bit extra umph to start turning right. I will install the drop brackets this week but I'm guessing it' not going to correct my steering issue. It may help the incredibly harsh bump steer, but the steering will still be jacked. Next step I guess is to drop it off at the 4x4 shop and let them figure it out. Has anyone had any issues with the stock steering box when they go to 35's? Sitting still everything works just fine other than it just seems like there's a lot of play both directions before reaction from the tires when turning the wheel.
02-10-2018, 01:06 PM
#33
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
So I'm not sure if I'm missing something somewhere but... if the track bar is raised on the axle side, but the drag link isn't flipped, wouldn't that possibly be causing some of my issue?
02-10-2018, 01:33 PM
#34
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The flip you are referring to moves the axle end of the draglink to the top of the knuckle, and raises the axle end of the trackbar up the same distance. Keeping the bars parallel.
Your draglink is lowered from the frame with the drop pitman. The trackbar bracket on the axle moves that end 'in', not just up, keeping them parallel. But as you just noticed, and as was posted earlier, this is the cheap method, and the planes of movement might become a little wonky. It's not hard to find older threads where people with these drop pitman setups were a lot happier after swapping back to the stock pitman. (or moving to an actual flip)
But just for your own consideration, snap a pic showing both ends of both of those bars. Then open it in paint or whatever, and draw straight lines from mounting hole to mounting hole on each bar. That will show just how parallel they are, without looking at the bends in the bars.
I don't recall who posted this originally, but it shows what I'm referring to anyway.
Last edited by nthinuf; 02-10-2018 at 01:48 PM. Reason: added image
02-10-2018, 01:41 PM
#35
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Another option, if you have secondary transportation, might be to pull the box and send it to West Texas Offroad (Redneck Ram) for a rebuild and port. That way it would be rebuilt, and set up for hydro if you ever decide to go that route. Assuming you determine that the box is actually bad, of course.
02-10-2018, 04:01 PM
#36
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Ok so now I know a little more than yeserday about this. The alignment is actually in spec with the caster right at 4... So not perfect but will be fixed this week when I install the aev brackets and get rid of the cam bolts. I've done a ton of searching and it's going to cost me more than I was hoping, but as mentioned earlier I'm going to have to build around this lift. I'm not willing to yank it and start over so I'm just going to have to make the changes necessary. I'm getting rid of the drop pitman arm and going back to stock with the yeti no drill drag link flip. If I'm doing that I may as well just put a good track bar on and that will give me chance to have everything apart and make sure this jeep hasn't had a death wobble experience that has caused damage I can't see now. My question would be that since a TB bracket was already installed with the lift will that need to be replaced with something else or am I able to use that one? I believe the three big changes I'm making will correct my problems. If not, anyone in the market for a Jeep?! Haha!
Last edited by 16blackUS; 02-10-2018 at 04:29 PM.
02-12-2018, 07:31 AM
#37
JK Jedi
My question would be that since a TB bracket was already installed with the lift will that need to be replaced with something else or am I able to use that one? I believe the three big changes I'm making will correct my problems. If not, anyone in the market for a Jeep?! Haha!
02-12-2018, 09:28 AM
#38
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I have not compared a bracket used in a flip setup to a bracket used in a drop pitman setup to know if they move the axle end of the trackbar to roughly the same place. It may have just been an assumption in my mind that they move the axle end of the trackbar to different places. Maybe they remain positioned top/bottom in a flip, but more front/back in the drop?
16blackUS , any chance you could snap a pic just for my personal curiosity?
16blackUS , any chance you could snap a pic just for my personal curiosity?
02-12-2018, 10:08 AM
#39
JK Jedi
Measure the height of the bracket from factory bolt hole to the new mounting hole. It should be right at 3". I really don't get why RC goes the route of the drop pitman rather than a DL flip when it comes to high steer. Can anyone explain? Is it because they're more truck based and that's just what you do with a pickup....so for ease they've applied it to the jeep as well? Just asking out of curiosity.
02-17-2018, 10:57 AM
#40
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Alright guys, thanks for all your help and advice. Update as of this morning I actually drove the Jeep to work for the first time! AEV drop brackets are installed, changed track bar to the Rough Country adjustable, went back to stock pitman arm with Yeti no drill drag link flip. I still have to install the Yeti HD tie rod assembly tomorrow. It drives so much better now. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was torqued to spec in the steering system. Some were way over and many bolts were way under torqued. The pitman arm fell off immediately once I hit the puller with the impact and I was expecting a fight. Luckily no holes were wallowed out from all the movement, but a couple bushings were showing damage. It was worth the money to upgrade all of the components and next onto gears and led headlights. Thanks again for all the advice and I learned more about my Jeep than I could have imagined the day I bought it.