Solution for steering slop?

[Aeroking]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

i bet this will fix it. I could grab my steering shaft and wiggle it side to side. I thought, that would not cause a twsting slop in the shaft, but it did.

Like mentioned above, night and day difference. I paid $44 from the dealership. No special tools. Once the jeep shaft is off, it will take you about 2 minutes to replace the bushing. You need to press-fit the bearing into the plastic adapter. I did i with my benchvise. Good luck, report back when you're done.

 

[b00sted87]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Very cool, I was just think of this the other day. My next upgrade/replacement for sure!

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Hopefully I can make it over to the stealership this week.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

I finally ordered the parts today, hopefully this does the trick.

 

[elorejas]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

My truck had a lot of play in it and it was 2 bolts inside the steering column that came loose took everything apart and thighten them and wala there's no more play in it. I had swapped the gear box to a zq8 and a u joint shaft didn't fix nothing until a friend told me to check for those bolts that his buick regal was the same way and that fixed it so I tried it in less than 2hrs it was fixed.

 

[whiteTy1214]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Great post! Went and checked my upper steering shaft. Found lots of play side/side & up/down.
I will be getting this repaired very soon. Thanks for the part numbers!
Hopefully this is a great improvement.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Where does this bearing go? What is involved in replacing it?

 

[DanenGraham]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Remove the steering shaft, and its right there going into the firewall. Someone in this thread said it should take 2min to install once the steering shaft is removed.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Cool - found it. Thanks!

 

[Throws]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

How long does it take to get the steering shaft removed?

-P

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

How long does it take to get the steering shaft removed?

-P

If you're good, 3 min. 2 min to undo the bolt and then 1 min to hammer/lever the shaft away.

A screwdriver/rod in the holes for the bolt works wonders plus WD40 on the shaft.

 

[DanenGraham]

It took me over an hour to get the steering shaft out of mine. But the slip joint was ceased up and I had to drop the box. But It should be easier than that.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

I was done in about 10 minutes. It takes longer to take the wheel off and then put it back on. I should have taken pics along the way. Just remember how the retaining ring goes in. The old "bearing" isn't even a bearing, it's just there for a reference than anything else.

Sadly though, this did not help me. I still have shaft play. I have new everything now and I still have it. I got the ZQ8 steering box and I wonder if I need to adjust it some? It only has about 200 miles on it so far. The steering shaft didn't have much play before the new bearing. The shaft itself moves with the steering wheel but the pitman arm doesn't move, hence the steering slop. Any ideas?

 

[DanenGraham]

Don't adjust the box. People have had it lock up while driving after the adjusted them.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

I don't know what else to do. I have the same amount of slop as I did with my old steering box.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Im leaning towards my steering box being bad. Has anyone else got a bad box from AutoZone?

If I have the engine off, and I turn the steering wheel back and forth, it sounds like there is air in the system, but I look at the fluid, and there isnt any in there. Ive been driving around with this steering box for awhile now and if there was any in there, it should ealily be gone by now.

If I watch the steering shaft where it connects to the box and turn the steering wheel back and forth, I can see the shaft moving and all, but the wheels dont budge until I go past the slop.

Anything I should try before I have to pull this thing out again?

 

[RealFastV6]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Sorry to hear that wasn't the fix. I posted somewhere else (I thought it was here but not) the way to find out if you need to do this is just grab the top of your steering shaft and see if it moves (perpendicular to the shaft).

Seems obvious I guess if you can see that the steering shaft moving into the box and the pitman arm isn't moving in kind that it's the box itself.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

I might try and tighten down on the allen screw a hair and see if that helps anything. I dont mind puting money into this truck if it fixes the problem, but Im not getting anywhere with this steering slop. Replacing everything so far and 2 alignment jobs so far and it barely did anything for me.

 

[Damian]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

A stupid request/question, can someone take a picture of the steering box hydraulic lines or tell me which lines go where? Im pretty sure the fittings only go one way but I just want to double check.

 

[SYO237]

Re: Solution for steering slop?

Figured Id add to this thread some reference pics of the new adapter and bushing. I didnt realize that the stock setup didnt actually have a bearing, but just an adapter. You can see the differences between the orig and new setup (size, rubber ring doesnt get reused). The new adapter has a larger inner diameter than the stocker, which is where the bearing comes into play to hold the shaft in place.

You have to push the bearing into the new adapter and the bearing does face AWAY from the firewall when installed, which I figured out really quickly when the adapter wouldnt go into the shaft housing the other way.

I havent had a chance to drive the truck yet, but the wheel does feel tighter than before. Very easy upgrade, took about 15 minutes total.