Hello all, my car has been having an issue for around the past 3 months or more now I cant really recall at this point. But my issue began installing a TB and having it break all four ball joints on my car causing it to get a Death Wobble. After this the issue was fixed with a new Rough Country track bar as the original one installed had bad rubber bushings, also got synergy Ball Joints to remedy the broken ones. With that being said, there were also changes to the Drag Link (now flipped, with bracket for TB) and Tie rod (just a newer one). I have 2.5" of lift which I know is low for a flip kit but I got it since I plan to move higher with bigger tires in the future.

Now my issue begins that my car has been tending to wander to whatever side it feels like. Having me constantly adjust the steering wheel to keep myself somewhat centered. Even when I do not put in an input for it, now imagine heading from Florida to Colorado when all your car wants to do is take you off the road for 6k miles, im amazed I havent been pulled over.

So the things ive ruled out from it being after looking at this issue for so long, all the steering components seem fine, they are stiff and there is no real play on them. I have installed brackets to add more caster to my front tires to see if it would help, changed out the steering gear box as we figured that would be the issue, everything is torqued to spec. I even threw my phone and taped it to my bumper to see if I could see anything (I got a bad video angle but you can see the pitman arm turning on its own). I was hoping that 6k miles would make the issue more prominent but it hasnt done much of anything but drive the same since we began, issue is noticeable on and off highway.

The main things I could expect it to be is that my caster angle is off for one of my tires, and when having someone turn the steering wheel you can feel (but not hear) a clunk/popping in the DL. I really want to say I should unflip it to see if that will correct the drive of this car. Any help is appreciated.


Link for old thread https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modi...4/#post4346271

 

How long have the ball joints been in? New ball joints are tight for a while. As for the rest of your issues, well you have a mess going on

 

Just a little wear in tie rod ends, steering linkage and steering stabilizer will cause erratic steering

 

I went back through both the old threads to refresh how we got here as well, but you summed it up pretty good in the post. You have all factory control arms right? I'm pretty sure you do but double checking. The one time I've seen some really weird veering back and forth was on my buddy's jeep with a bad control arm joint in an aftermarket arm. I was behind him and It looked like he was drunk.....constantly drift out of his lane. I don't think that is your issue, but only thing I can visualize based on the description.

Also, just confirming....you are wobble free right, this is 100% just steering wheel play/drifting issue now right? And also, the steering wheel play and the veering are independent issues as I understand it, right?

If this were my jeep, I'd be reversing that DL flip. We don't see people flipping at that height (not much to compare this to) so I can't say the there's going to be a real ramification, but that is at least the one thing in the setup that is not correct at this point. I don't think caster is the issue myself. Anything in the 4-5* range should be ok.

When you say you saw the pitman arm moving back and forth on your video, was that implying when your turning your wheel back and forth like in the previous thread's video...you see the pitman arm reacting accordingly? If that is the case, then that would suggest that movement is not being transferred down to the knuckle. Maybe the low angle the DL is at combined with the misalignment in the joints is causing some of this steering wheel play?

One item that hasn't been discussed, and I'm kinda throwing a dart at the wall now, is wheel bearings. Wondering if that wobble might have damaged them to a point they are playing in to the veering. Anyone else have a thought? I'm definitely not suggesting you run out and replace unit bearings. Just thinking out loud.

 

I had a bobble-head feel to my steering. Was super noticeable in Southern Utah where roads warp because they are built on sand. Jeep could hand a pothole, but struggled with the wave. Hubs and bearings were totally an issue. Jack the Jeep up and see if there is any play in the tires. Second issue for me was the sector shaft. If you have a lot of play in the top of your steering wheel, then you have to do a lot of work to compensate for slight road changes.I threw a big bore box in mine and it holds the road perfectly. My guess is the tires have a mind of their own and there is a disconnect back to the steering wheel... somewhere.

 

Over 3 months, 6k miles

 

I do have factory control arms actually, I dont think they are the issue as I tried moving them but cant see any real play and I dont really know how to check them in all honesty. Steering wheel play is gone, but the car is driving as if IT were drunk.

The video is of me driving the car where you can see the DL as it veers on its own in whatever direction it feels like theres no real specific one.

Im definitely looking at unflipping the DL to see if just maybe thats the fix, also looking at the RC adjustable control arms just so I can swap out the front ones to see if thatll be the fix. Wheel bearings is definitely something ill check, just a matter of lifting the car on one side and shaking the wheel at 12&6 and 3&9 right?

 

Im not sure as my steering box is new from me trying to find the issue on this car 😭. Ive already gotten fairly used to feeling when my car is starting to throw me off so I fix it quickly, sometimes its a bit harder and ill still veer over slightly into another lane or just off mine. But KANSAS by far was the worst drive Ive ever had. Its so damn windy there and my car took me for the most stressful ride in this whole trip lol. Car handles potholes and bumps, I did some trails over in Colorado just a few days ago. Im not sure how to check a sector shaft in all honesty either.

 

TR ends are new as they came with TR, stabilizer also seems to be good but I dont believe it would push my car out of its lane. In all honesty my car is a mystery to me and all the mechanics ive had look at it to see if they could find it (even a jeep mechanic)

 

OK, so the steering box did help after all and that steering wheel doesn't have the dead spot. We're just down to the veering off course. Boy it's been a long road. I don't think it's the control arms at all....not with those factory bushings. If you ever saw a bad aftermarket control arm joint you'd understand how it could happen with those though.

If you don't have a dial indicator, you can check the wheel bearings as you noted. sometimes it's a little hard to grasp that tire good. you can also stand up and get a really good hold on the top of the tire and really push it back and forth (in towards the jeep and out away from it).

Steering stabilizers, most notably gas charged units, can indeed cause your vehicle to veer, but that would always be in one direction (as the unit is constantly trying to extend). Your situation sounds like it can randomly be either direction. Also, I think I recall from previous pictures you didn't have a gas charged unit there.

Also, the sector shaft you have is brand new.....that is what extends out of the bottom of that new steering box and what your pitman arm attaches to.