Help me not poop my pants over 45mph. Please?

[ndonaldj]

Pardon my ignorance as I am pretty new to this stuff. I recently bought a 1978 CJ5 and have been trying to get it reigned in so that it is more enjoyable to take out. It has 5" shackles on it, which I guess translates to a 1" lift. I put new ball joints, tie rod ends, drag link, steering box mount and brace on it and then had it aligned. None of this seemed to help and actually almost made the steering worse. From reading through different threads it sounds like my symptoms point to bump steer, but it doesn't seem like I've got an issue with the angle of the drag link. Any ideas?

The old shackle bushings aren't in great shape and I'm missing the drivers side sway bar bushing. Both of which I am in the process of changing out. Could these potentially be the problem? I'm lost.

 

[BIG4D]

Well, first off, it’s a Jeep, and a CJ5 at that. You have to drive it.
What size tires do you have?
Get rid of those giant shackles, if you want it lifted, do it correctly.
Check you steering shaft, they are notorious for wearing out and getting loose. While your there, check the bearing at the bottom of the column. They are also bad about wearing out and falling apart. You need to find and repair any and all sources of play in the steering wheel. That will go a long way to fixing your problem.


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[ndonaldj]

Personally, I don't really have any desire for a lift at this point. The big shackles were put on by the previous owner. Taking them back to the stock length has been on the list, but I didn't realize they could be the culprit of the wonky steering. There doesn't seem to be much play in the steering shaft, and I suppose it is very likely that I'm just being a little b**** and need to cowboy up some. Thanks!

 

[BIG4D]

Oh yeah, that allows for a lot of leverage on the bushings, causing them to flex more than they should. Try the other tings as well.


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[Torxhead]

I think this is one the greatest posts on this forum:

Troubleshooting & Correcting your Steering

When you're not satisfied with the steering in your Jeep, these are the steps you need to take to find & correct the problem(s). Step 1 - find and correct any worn or damaged parts. Begin with the rear suspension. Rear suspension issues can cause nearly as many steering problems as front...

jeep-cj.com

The sway bar support can be purchased online or at a local 4wd shop.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

:ww:

Please post the print out from the alignment shop.
You want your caster towards the high end of spec.
Same for toe-in.
Going back to OEM shackle height is a step in the 'rite' direction-maybe.
LG