Steering resistance and darting
DrDoc
Jeeper
Gather 'round for a story. It's going to wordy but I want to be sure to include everything as I'm not sure what is important. I have had my Jeep for a little over a year, and as far as I know it is pretty much factory other than the fiberglass tub. It is my daily driver, and ran and drove fine all winter. It had a power steering fluid leak from the return line at the gear, but nothing major. Suddenly a couple months ago, while driving to work, I noticed it wandering more than normal. I also noticed that I started feeling resistance when trying to correct to the right while driving, after the resistance was overcome the Jeep would dart to the right. That night it got parked in the garage.
Doing some basic PS research, it sounded like binding somewhere so I started looking things over. If I was driving and just stopped, I could hang my head out the window, feel the resistance, and see the wheel kind of jump as applying more pressure to the wheel to the right, but after the first time it would not happen again until I drove it around a bit. Sitting in the garage on the ground I could not feel or see anything. Having someone slowly steer left and right while I watched the linkage and everything and I saw nothing but a little flexing of the steering gear support bracket, but nothing major (I think). “Checking” the tie rods and all seem fine, no play as far as I can tell. I then got the front up on stands and manually turned left-right and still didn't feel any binding. Wiggled around things around a bit more and found some play in the front-left wheel bearing, a bent swaybar link on the front-left, cracked bent and welded shock plat on the same side, and of course the PS leak on the gear. As far as I can tell the ball joints look good, couldn't get any play out of them. Thought maybe the wheel play might have something to do with it so ordered parts and waited a week. Got the wheel play fixed (bearing looked fine, someone before just didn't know how to set the preload), got the PS lines replaced and leak free, also replaced the PS pump while at it. Flushed the PS system and refilled. Took a test-drive and it seemed to have gotten worse, with the resistance happening at lower speeds and the dart/jump more pronounced. Have a family friend that owns a little shop, took it in there and explained what's its doing and took a quick test drive. During that test drive it started to resist and dart to the left as well but less wandering. He put it on the lift and noticed a bit too much play in the steering shaft. It had the old style coupler, and he thought looking in the torn boot that the bearings in there were shot. Another guy in the shop thought it likely the steering gear, but also thought the shaft could be the issue. So I ordered a new shaft HD shaft and installed that, NO CHANGE, and even worse. Between waiting for parts and family things (3 little kids and a birthday in there) this has taken over 2 months so far. Before ordering any more parts I wanted to be more sure, especially given the cost of the steering gear. I decided to lock the hubs, just to see, and BOOM, issue gone. Went to a large parking lot, unlocked the hubs and drove around for 20 minutes, no issue. Drove around town for another hour, nothing more than some minor resistance but never really the darting. Got home, jacked it up again, and manually turned the wheels while rotating with the hubs both locked and unlocked, didn't see any play in the u-joints or binding, but not really sure how else to check them without removing the axles.
So, this is my question to you expert Jeep-ers, do I pull the axles out or is there still something else I can check? I'm really sick of not driving it and having to get rides everywhere. Also sick of just throwing parts at it. Any input is greatly appreciated.
Doing some basic PS research, it sounded like binding somewhere so I started looking things over. If I was driving and just stopped, I could hang my head out the window, feel the resistance, and see the wheel kind of jump as applying more pressure to the wheel to the right, but after the first time it would not happen again until I drove it around a bit. Sitting in the garage on the ground I could not feel or see anything. Having someone slowly steer left and right while I watched the linkage and everything and I saw nothing but a little flexing of the steering gear support bracket, but nothing major (I think). “Checking” the tie rods and all seem fine, no play as far as I can tell. I then got the front up on stands and manually turned left-right and still didn't feel any binding. Wiggled around things around a bit more and found some play in the front-left wheel bearing, a bent swaybar link on the front-left, cracked bent and welded shock plat on the same side, and of course the PS leak on the gear. As far as I can tell the ball joints look good, couldn't get any play out of them. Thought maybe the wheel play might have something to do with it so ordered parts and waited a week. Got the wheel play fixed (bearing looked fine, someone before just didn't know how to set the preload), got the PS lines replaced and leak free, also replaced the PS pump while at it. Flushed the PS system and refilled. Took a test-drive and it seemed to have gotten worse, with the resistance happening at lower speeds and the dart/jump more pronounced. Have a family friend that owns a little shop, took it in there and explained what's its doing and took a quick test drive. During that test drive it started to resist and dart to the left as well but less wandering. He put it on the lift and noticed a bit too much play in the steering shaft. It had the old style coupler, and he thought looking in the torn boot that the bearings in there were shot. Another guy in the shop thought it likely the steering gear, but also thought the shaft could be the issue. So I ordered a new shaft HD shaft and installed that, NO CHANGE, and even worse. Between waiting for parts and family things (3 little kids and a birthday in there) this has taken over 2 months so far. Before ordering any more parts I wanted to be more sure, especially given the cost of the steering gear. I decided to lock the hubs, just to see, and BOOM, issue gone. Went to a large parking lot, unlocked the hubs and drove around for 20 minutes, no issue. Drove around town for another hour, nothing more than some minor resistance but never really the darting. Got home, jacked it up again, and manually turned the wheels while rotating with the hubs both locked and unlocked, didn't see any play in the u-joints or binding, but not really sure how else to check them without removing the axles.
So, this is my question to you expert Jeep-ers, do I pull the axles out or is there still something else I can check? I'm really sick of not driving it and having to get rides everywhere. Also sick of just throwing parts at it. Any input is greatly appreciated.
