Do a thorough search on JK specific forums for steering issues, including clunk. It is a common problem.

Since you first noticed it after the trackbar replacement I would be suspicious of wrong size bolts or wallowed out holes in the brackets. Looseness here can translate directly into perceived steering play.

Many worn parts in the steering system can cause loose steering. If you have more than 30k miles on it check ball joints and tie rod ends.

Per MKJeep, adjusting the steering box without knowing what you are doing or following explicit procedures can cause more problems.

A common problem is that the lower sector shaft bearing fails in the steering gear which causes the shaft to flop back and forth. It is not much, but it translates into big play in the steering wheel. You can look for it if you follow an earlier posters procedure.

Not anything on the market as far as a good replacement steering gear. Beware of being a guinea pig for new products.

I am trying the JKS sector shaft brace on a newly rebuilt steering gear and hope that it prevents the bearing from failing again.

Good Luck,

 

Yes, the lift included a caster adjustment. I see various posts about steering box adjustments. Does anyone recommend that option or suggest against it?

 

Steering box adjustments need to be done on a bench with the proper tools and tech data.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ng+shaft,11373

I fixed my clunky/sloppy steering wheel with this part. Even after new ball joints and tie rod and drag link I still felt it to be sloppy. Now it's perfect.

 

Had this problem on my JKU yesterday after having installed a new dual steering stabilizer and tracking bar last week, well the steering has sort of always felt loose...or at least since the death wooble began and the mechanic began a series of fixes which initially fixed the really bad wobble but it wasn’t until the installs last week that the wobble finally disappear. The loose steering, not so much. I described it as a bit wiggly when my husband asked how I thought it was driving... but I initially just chaulées it up to the Jeep (Wrangler-Lifted) nature compared to my having been driving my husband’s Hummer for the past month while we were figuring out the best next steps to finally make the Jeep fully repaired, and my husband drove it locally this past week after the installs. Well, the bit wiggly became more like difficult to control and a little scary once I hit full speed on the interstate, and I was annoyed & a little concerned. I drive between our home and family (just over an hour) once or twice a week, and a vehicle should not be this difficult to control and nerve wracking. I know they can be off road vehicles, but they are also used as regular vehicles and I should be able to expect a reasonable amount of control and feeling of assurance if I am regularly maintaining my vehicle. Long story - short, after arriving in the town of my destination, I had to make a quick turn to my left to try to avoid a vehicle that a suddenly stopped in front of me. We were traveling at a very low rate of speed as we were in a continuous turn lane going onto a slow business street, so maybe 5-10 mph at most. The Jeep didn’t fully respond to the turn/steering wheel, meaning it turned...but more like angled even though I TURNED the steering wheel much farther to the left.
After gathering myself and continuing onward towards my final destination, I suddenly realized the steering wheel was upside down!! Then noticed the wheels were barely responding to the steering wheel at all!! It’s back at the mechanics (towed all the way back), and he hasn’t fully assessed but he thinks the steering gear has a missing tooth!?! I’m assuming this will mean a new steering gear? I saw your mention of the JKS Sector Shaft Brace which stops the play in the steering shaft box?? Am I correct on that? My assumption is that all the wiggle and looseness and control difficult I was feeling was that same play and that culminated in snapping a tooth on the gear when I tried to make that quick turn... Does that sound like a reasonable, logical assumption? And if so, would the Shaft Brace likely be a worthwhile addition so we don’t return to the same situation, immediately or down the road? Was it quite pricey?
Thank You for any input or incite you provide, I genuinely will appreciate it so very much. Suze

 

OP - to start with you have a classic case of bump steer which worsens with a lift due to the angle of the trackbar. The trackbar and the drag link should be parallel to each other when viewed from the front. If they are different most likely you have to raise the TB and that is preferable at the diff end not the frame end. Same applies for the rear system which does wonders for handling improvements. For slop in steering box you need to verify it is the box as suggested already. If it is the steering box then adjusting the sector shaft is not the answer as that stiffens up the steering if overdone and will not let the wheel self center from a turn - be careful doing this. Most likely an combination of a few loose other parts will have the same effect on the steering slop.

 

Suze,
Sounds like the trackbar came loose at one end or the other. Given that is what was replaced I'm guessing someone did not install correctly. I doubt that the steering gear is at fault.

 

That’s what I assumed...well, not specifically the trackbar, I’m not that smart about car mechanics, but one of the newly installed parts! I was guessing the steering stabilizer, probably bc it has steering in it’s name!! lol
I’m going to watch over this “repair” closely...
Thank you for your input! Much appreciated.

 

If is play, I dont think the bars have much to do with it. If it feels floppy, could be the ball joints on the end of the bars. Want to go heavier? PSC big bore steering box, you can cap it and not add the power assist till later if you need. Take it to a certified Jeep dealer to get an opinion for a factory setting. Cry once, the first time.

 

Where you able to adjust out the play in the steering gear?