Extra Play in Steering

[Teal-J]

I know this might be a bit n00b of me, but I've notice a bit more play in my wheel and am thinking it might be my drag link flexing or maybe even rotating. I can grab a hold of everything and jerk on it pretty hard and nothing moves, but my drag link does rotate at the ball-joints. :confused: No one around right now to crawl under or move the wheel for me to inspect. Everything else is tight and driving down the road is fine except for that extra bit of movement. It doesn't feel like its clicking or or binding, just a bit more movement than the norm. And I'm guessing an alignment might help.

But I'm thinking I might want an HD steering system for X-mas. :whistling:

[desertdawg]

Check your pitman arm. I noticed the same thing as I was driving a couple of weeks before my pitman arm broke on the trail. The play went away after installing a new pitman arm.

[rosshh]

make sure the nut on the pitman arm is tight... if it is loose it will cause play.

[YGOHOME]

after wheeling on the woodpecker saturday run one of the jeeps steering had a popping sound. while he turned the wheel I was watching and listening under there and we found that the trackbar at the frame was loose. He was able to put at least three turns of the wrench tightening it.

I've had the same deathwobble, popping & looseness in my steering previously with my older suspension and it was again the trackbar at the axle bushing end. I probably couldve just tightend it up again but instead I replaced the bushing and drilled out the crush sleeve to handle a 7/16th grade 8 hardware.... then cranked that sucka as tight as I could.

[Teal-J]

Everything is tight. The Jeep, although a 97, still has less than 60k on it... and Payette was it's first real off-road experience. Pitman arm was never touched, and is still tight, with no signs of fatigue. Some one mentioned the track bar bracket on the frame end getting cracks, and none there.

The last time I noticed anything in the steering, the axle end of the track bar was slightly loose, but that was just the bushing making a squeaking noise. I did how ever find out that I need to spray my tranny mount with something as its squeaking a little.

I'll definitely keep an eye on stuff. Thanks for the pointers guys.:pimp: