Steering Rolling the dice
DAHoyle
Jeeper
- Posts
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- Location
- Texas
- Vehicle(s)
- 1981 CJ7 Renegade with AMC 258, T5 transmission, Dana 300 and stock axles
Well, I am tired of dealing with not having any feel at the steering wheel, and ABSOLUTELY no return to center. The thing tracks as straight as an arrow as long as I don't do anything, and I mean anything, to alter the steering input. If I sneeze or even scratch my nose, I am liable to end up over the centerline or in the ditch. The steering box is tight, toe is as close to perfect as I can get it with a tape measure, and there is no slop in any of the steering linkage. As I said, it will go exactly where I point it. The problem is that it takes about 90 percent of my attention to keep it where I want it, and the slightest pressure on the steering wheel is enough to create a steering input. Initially, I thought the issue might be just overboosting in the power steering, but that doesn't really explain why it doesn't return to center. I have to consciously steer out of every corner and curve.
I may be wrong, and to be honest, I haven't even checked what it is set at, but I have decided to add 4 degrees of caster to it and see what that does. Worst case is it does nothing, and I have an extra set of degree shims laying around the shop. I considered taking it to have the caster checked at an alignment shop, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it doesn't really matter what that might tell me, it still wouldn't make the damn thing return to center. It is a case of "I want what works, not what is written in the spec sheet" It should be somewhere near the factory specified setting, because the suspension is bone stock, but who knows. Maybe after I get it sorted out I will take it to a shop just to find out what settings actually worked, for futures posterity.
Any ways, will post the results when I get everything buttoned back up.
I may be wrong, and to be honest, I haven't even checked what it is set at, but I have decided to add 4 degrees of caster to it and see what that does. Worst case is it does nothing, and I have an extra set of degree shims laying around the shop. I considered taking it to have the caster checked at an alignment shop, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it doesn't really matter what that might tell me, it still wouldn't make the damn thing return to center. It is a case of "I want what works, not what is written in the spec sheet" It should be somewhere near the factory specified setting, because the suspension is bone stock, but who knows. Maybe after I get it sorted out I will take it to a shop just to find out what settings actually worked, for futures posterity.
Any ways, will post the results when I get everything buttoned back up.
