CJ7 turning radius

CJ7 turning radius
jeepboy45

jeepboy45

Old Time Jeeper
Posts
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Location
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Vehicle(s)
1979 CJ-7, Newly rebuilt AMC 360!, fully rebuilt GM TH400, Quadra-trac TC w/Milemarker 2x4 conversion, AMC mod 20 rear w/1 piece Moser axleshafts, mod 30 front w/tie rod flip and castor correction shims, 4 in lift, Centech complete wiring harness, dual electric fans on 3 core aluminum radiator, tilt steering wheel, 20 gal poly gas tank, new J20 steering box, MSD 6A ignition combined with TeamRush distributor mods
Hey everyone,
Quick question:

How many turns do you get lock to lock on your CJ7 ? I guess the question might only apply to those with the narrow track.

I have a 79...

Any difference from center to full locked left as opposed to center to full locked right?

thanks
brian
 
I get about 1 1/2 turns from center to left or right. If your not getting the same left or right then the steering may not be centered, or the stops at the steering knuckles might be adjusted differently.
 
Purple77CJ7 said:
I get about 1 1/2 turns from center to left or right. If your not getting the same left or right then the steering may not be centered, or the stops at the steering knuckles might be adjusted differently.
Click to expand...

Also if you have a drop pitman arm you might have lost some of your turning radius, as most of them are shorter than stock.
 
I am getting about 1.75 rotations each way. Almost 3.5 turns lock to lock.
If you are not getting at least 3 rotations check to see if you are hitting the stops at each steering knuckle.
 
I currently have 1.4 turns to the left from center and 1.2 turns to the right from center. Totaling 2.6 turns total lock to lock.

On the bench, the new gear gave me a total of 3.4 turns lock to lock.

Obviously the knuckles are limiting my overall travel and not allowing the gear to go to the end of its limit.

I was just re-reading an older thread about alignment issues "troubleshooting and correcting your steering" and see that it is very important to have the steering gear be centered in its travel when the wheels are centered as well.

Now, because of questions of the limit stops being mis-adjusted, I need to pull the pitman back off and make a mark on the steering gear when it is at its center of travel. (thankfully pitman is currently untorqued until I am sure where it needs to be.) (pulling it off will allow me to find center of steering gear without any limitations from the rest of the steering assembly) Then I need to make adjustments to the limiting bolts to allow the same turns left as is right FROM CENTER OF STEERING GEAR.

Does that sound correct?

brian
 
jeepboy45 said:
Now, because of questions of the limit stops being mis-adjusted, I need to pull the pitman back off and make a mark on the steering gear when it is at its center of travel.
Does that sound correct?

brian
Click to expand...

No. Not yet. Lets check a few more things first. When you try to turn as far as you can to one side does the steering stop at the steering knuckle hit?
steer-stops01.jpg
The above picture isn't a CJ but yours should look similar.
Do you have a dropped pitman arm. As OldDog pointed out that could limit your steering.
Now as far as you turning further one way than the other that could be the drag link needing adjusting. Maybe you already checked that but I wanted to make sure.

pitman-knuckle-draglink.jpg
 
BusaDave9 said:
No. Not yet. Lets check a few more things first. When you try to turn as far as you can to one side does the steering stop at the steering knuckle hit?
steer-stops01.jpg
The above picture isn't a CJ but yours should look similar.
Do you have a dropped pitman arm. As OldDog pointed out that could limit your steering.
Now as far as you turning further one way than the other that could be the drag link needing adjusting. Maybe you already checked that but I wanted to make sure.

pitman-knuckle-draglink.jpg
Click to expand...


I just did a tie rod flip, getting rid of the drop arm

Replaced whole drag link and it could very well need adjusting as I just put it together and put it on. New tie rods as well.

New PS gearbox from a J20 with variable ration (I have been led to believe)

Yes Dave, the stops hit their limit when the wheel it turned to lock..

According to that article, the author says it is very important that the gear be centered within its travel when the wheels are centered on vehicle. Since the Jeep is limiting the amount of travel I get in the box, I figured I should pull the pitman and make sure it is at its center point. (or at least KNOW where its center point is)
 
This was so easy... once I understood the dynamics of everything involved.

I popped off the pitman (still connected to the drag link)

Then counted the full turns that the PS box was allowing me to make. 3.4 turns lock to lock, NOT being Limited by any jeep suspension, etc

Centered the wheel (1/2 of the total turns)

Then I centered the wheels by eye...

Tried to put pitman back on but could not until I adjusted the drag link...

So that is what I did, adjusted the drag link to match center of gearbox, with center of wheel travel...

Re-attached pitman to gearbox

And now I am back to 1.25 turns center to lock....BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT!!

I'm sure I could have just adjusted drag link, but for me i understood it better to do it this way....Plus now I am certain that the center of the gearbox travel matches the center of wheel travel. Since the box allowed more travel than the suspension, I wasnt TOTALLY sure of center of gearbox travel until I dropped pitman..

thanks for the imput BusaDave9, Purple77CJ7, and OldDog for the imput..

Now to make final adjustments, but at least I know it is very close now.

brian
 
BusaDave9 said:
I am getting about 1.75 rotations each way. Almost 3.5 turns lock to lock.
If you are not getting at least 3 rotations check to see if you are hitting the stops at each steering knuckle.
Click to expand...


Now I get 1.25 turns each way....total of 2.5 lock to lock..
I wonder if it is because of the variable ratio box I put in. From what I understand, the further into the turning limit you go, the faster it moves the pitman. That might explain the less full turns I get...

Thought about adjusting the limit bolts, but at lock, the rear of my tires are only about 1.25 inches from hitting the spring. If you think it is safe to adjust the bolts to allow lesser gap, lemme know..

thanks guys
 
It's better to have your steering limit hit the stops at the knuckle rather than hitting the limits in the steering box. That is what I was always told is the best for the steering box longevity. That is how mine is adjusted, hits the stops at the steering knuckle just short of the tires hitting the springs.
 
Last edited:
jeepboy45 said:
Now I get 1.25 turns each way....total of 2.5 lock to lock..
I wonder if it is because of the variable ratio box
Click to expand...
It must be.
If you are hitting the stops your tires are going as far as the manufacturer intended. I wouldn't change those stops.
 
Purple77CJ7 said:
It's better to have your steering limit hit the stops at the knuckle rather than hitting the limits in the steering box. That is what I was always told is the best for the steering box longevity. That is how mine is adjusted, hits the stops at the steering knuckle just short of the tires hitting the springs.
Click to expand...

sounds good to me!!!

by not hitting the springs, it might affect tire longevity too!!! LOL
 
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