TJ not returning to center after turn
 

I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
part. Here's what I know:

Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
replacement)
Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
anyways)
Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
ago.

I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

I had a grabbing and not returning issue on my CJ7 a bit ago. I checked
the steering shock first and found out it wasn't a shock, only a rod in
an empty tube so that wasn't the cause.

I then found a lower ball joint bad during a grease job when I noticed
the torn boot. Replaced that and all is well again.

You can sometimes pick off a bad ball joint by looking at the tires or
using a level even. If one tire seems to sit out at the top or bottom a
bit more than the other side, suspect a bad ball joint. You need a
'big' pry bar to get movement in them with the solid axle setup.

Sometimes if you are a big person, you can grab the top of the tire and
rock it in and out hard enough to get the Jeep just a bouncing, you
might feel a click or thunk or shift as the joint flexes.

On a TJ, you also might want to check the track bar bushings. If worn,
they can cause it to 'hang' before centering too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

I had a grabbing and not returning issue on my CJ7 a bit ago. I checked
the steering shock first and found out it wasn't a shock, only a rod in
an empty tube so that wasn't the cause.

I then found a lower ball joint bad during a grease job when I noticed
the torn boot. Replaced that and all is well again.

You can sometimes pick off a bad ball joint by looking at the tires or
using a level even. If one tire seems to sit out at the top or bottom a
bit more than the other side, suspect a bad ball joint. You need a
'big' pry bar to get movement in them with the solid axle setup.

Sometimes if you are a big person, you can grab the top of the tire and
rock it in and out hard enough to get the Jeep just a bouncing, you
might feel a click or thunk or shift as the joint flexes.

On a TJ, you also might want to check the track bar bushings. If worn,
they can cause it to 'hang' before centering too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

I had a grabbing and not returning issue on my CJ7 a bit ago. I checked
the steering shock first and found out it wasn't a shock, only a rod in
an empty tube so that wasn't the cause.

I then found a lower ball joint bad during a grease job when I noticed
the torn boot. Replaced that and all is well again.

You can sometimes pick off a bad ball joint by looking at the tires or
using a level even. If one tire seems to sit out at the top or bottom a
bit more than the other side, suspect a bad ball joint. You need a
'big' pry bar to get movement in them with the solid axle setup.

Sometimes if you are a big person, you can grab the top of the tire and
rock it in and out hard enough to get the Jeep just a bouncing, you
might feel a click or thunk or shift as the joint flexes.

On a TJ, you also might want to check the track bar bushings. If worn,
they can cause it to 'hang' before centering too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

I had a grabbing and not returning issue on my CJ7 a bit ago. I checked
the steering shock first and found out it wasn't a shock, only a rod in
an empty tube so that wasn't the cause.

I then found a lower ball joint bad during a grease job when I noticed
the torn boot. Replaced that and all is well again.

You can sometimes pick off a bad ball joint by looking at the tires or
using a level even. If one tire seems to sit out at the top or bottom a
bit more than the other side, suspect a bad ball joint. You need a
'big' pry bar to get movement in them with the solid axle setup.

Sometimes if you are a big person, you can grab the top of the tire and
rock it in and out hard enough to get the Jeep just a bouncing, you
might feel a click or thunk or shift as the joint flexes.

On a TJ, you also might want to check the track bar bushings. If worn,
they can cause it to 'hang' before centering too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Have the caster checked. That is many times the cause of the symptom you
are describing. It is possible you were on the low limit of caster
before, and the lift would just make it worse. Having it checked is much
cheaper than replacing parts and hoping you find the problem.

Chris

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Have the caster checked. That is many times the cause of the symptom you
are describing. It is possible you were on the low limit of caster
before, and the lift would just make it worse. Having it checked is much
cheaper than replacing parts and hoping you find the problem.

Chris

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Have the caster checked. That is many times the cause of the symptom you
are describing. It is possible you were on the low limit of caster
before, and the lift would just make it worse. Having it checked is much
cheaper than replacing parts and hoping you find the problem.

Chris

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

97tjMike wrote:
> I have a 1997 TJ Sport with power steering. I posted this question a
> while ago but never really got an answer. The problem is that the
> steering wheel does not *completely* return to center after a turn. It
> attempts to, but never completely bounces back. Also, when driving
> straight down the road, the steering wheel does not "bounce back" to
> center if it is turned or flicked a little bit. It's kind've like
> something is binding. I asked a mechanic and he suggested checking the
> U-Joints, which I did and they are both OK. I suggested an alignment
> due to a bad castor angler but he said the castor cannot go off
> enought to do what it's doing. The dealer I called also said an
> alignment wouldn't fix the problem, and it was probably a worn out
> part. Here's what I know:
>
> Recent new Steering Box (problem happened before and after
> replacement)
> Good Front U-Joints (not binding up anyways)
> New sway bars (don't think that's related but I'll put it up here
> anyways)
> Recent lube of all zerk fittings when I did my oil change a few months
> ago.
>
> I haven't had it aligned since I bought it, however I have put a 2
> inch spacer coil lift on it and when I did that I did a self-
> adjustment of the toe-in and the steering wheel centering.
>

Have the caster checked. That is many times the cause of the symptom you
are describing. It is possible you were on the low limit of caster
before, and the lift would just make it worse. Having it checked is much
cheaper than replacing parts and hoping you find the problem.

Chris

Re: TJ not returning to center after turn
 

That is a symptom of one or more bad ball joints.

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