Play in the WHEEL!

[Rusty Shank]

I have some play in the steering wheel.

I can grab the intermediate shaft and it is really loose at the steering box.

I was wondering if the shaft is bad or could the steering box the problem.

I no nothing about steering so bare with me please.

Rusty Shank..

 

[IOPort51]

Morris 4x4 Center-Steering Shaft Coupling Kit With Manual Steering
This could be the problem, the bottom joint is , perhaps, not the best example of superior engineering. get down and look, see if the play is in the joint or the actuator itself.

 

[coldwater]

Yeah, could be the steering coupler. Inside there are two little steel dogs held into place with a flat spring. Sometimes they go all to hell on you.

 

[BajaEdition]

I once had CATS, but it hit the end of it;s run then PHANTOM OF THE OPREA did a run, but the play that is now in my wheel is PIRATES OF PENZANCE.

 

[DHugg]

Rusty Shank, I'm new with Jeeps, but having read every post on this forum at least twice, I can safely say that loose steering is the No. 1 topic.

I was just tightening down my pitman arm an hour ago; had my bride moving the wheel with engine off. My Jeep is all new hardware from the P/S pump through the Flaming River shaft to the AGR Super Box II locked up with a Rocky Ridge Hvy duty bracket. With just a teeny-weeny girl turning the wheel 30 degrees either side of center, I could see the box shift right-left-right. The movement was in the frame arms; I could see them flex.

Remember, this was wiggling the steering, engine off, not actually turning enough to change the tire positions.

Don't know what I'm going to do about the frame flexure. If the frame is wiggling like a hula dancer, any talk of alignment, caster, adjustment, and other near-religious topics for Jeepers is like kissing your sister..... nothing good gonna come from that!

I think I see some serious, industrial-strength steel cutting and welding in my future. Hope you can get a handle on your steering movement easier than I have.

 

[Kane]

Dhugg several companies make a steering box brace that is. Bolt on and will solve that flex issue at the frame. Simple fix really. Curries ent makes a nice one of under 100 clams.

 

[Rusty Shank]

Just wanted to say thank you to all that replied to this post. I went down to tri county gear this morning and picked up the coupler kit for the steering shaft. I got the shaft apart to find that the inner clip that holds the square tabs in place was missing. Put all back together and it's like new.

Thanks again.

 

[DHugg]

Thanks, kane. I looked at that, but it isn't the box that's wiggling. Both the front frame arms move in unison. If I brace the right frame against the steering box, the whole shooting match will still shift from side to side. It was my belief that the axle was supposed to keep both spring mounts rigid, and those, attached to the frame sides, would keep the front end box-rigid.

I gotta go look at the setup while my girl turns the wheel. If I can pin down exactly what parts are moving, then I will apply massive overkill engineering to fix it.

Appreciate your words. It sure bothers me to have stuff moving that ain't supposed to be.