Sloppy Steering

T

TURBO2

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2002
I have a 1986 GN and my steering is very sloppy. If the road has any contours to it, the car will follow it. I tried a suggestion to tighten up the steering box and it made no difference so I ordered a new box. With the new steering box, different rims and tires, and a front end alignment it still has made no change. The mechanic that did the work said that the rag bushing looked like new and the suspension pieces were all good. What could be causing this?
 
TURBO2 said:
I have a 1986 GN and my steering is very sloppy. If the road has any contours to it, the car will follow it. I tried a suggestion to tighten up the steering box and it made no difference so I ordered a new box. With the new steering box, different rims and tires, and a front end alignment it still has made no change. The mechanic that did the work said that the rag bushing looked like new and the suspension pieces were all good. What could be causing this?
Click to expand...

I have the same issue on my 87.
I had to change upper and lower ball joint to tall, shocks, arms, and add a. Bumpsteer kit



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Oh and adding a thicker rear sway bar helped alot


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If you still have the rag joint in the steering shaft that causes a lot of slop
. That’s why a lot of ppl replace it with a Jeep steering shaft to eliminate that rag joint .
 
The rag joint could look alright but I’m sure that’s what’s causing your play in the wheel .
 
dank GN said:
If you still have the rag joint in the steering shaft that causes a lot of slop
. That’s why a lot of ppl replace it with a Jeep steering shaft to eliminate that rag joint .
Click to expand...
Do you know what part number to use to get the right Jeep shaft?
 
TURBO2 said:
Do you know what part number to use to get the right Jeep shaft?
Click to expand...
I don’t know the part number I pulled mine at a junk yard . I believe it came out of a 90s Jeep Grand Cherokee. If u do a search on here I’m sure you will find a part number.
 
Have you made any progress on your steering problems? I'm chasing steering slop as well, although I don't have any issue with mine following the road contours.
 
edfiero said:
Have you made any progress on your steering problems? I'm chasing steering slop as well, although I don't have any issue with mine following the road contours.
Click to expand...

Stock wheels?


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After years of being sidelined by life, I now have everything replaced in the front end. Steering linkage, upper and lower control arms, ball joints, sway bar bushings, tie rod ends, shocks, springs, steering box, upgraded steering shaft and bearing, rims, tires, front end alignment, and it still has play in the steering. The steering wheel has no movement up, down, left, or right and everything is new, and the steering box is adjusted to have no play, but the car still steers like shit.
 
We had similar issues. We replaced EVERYTHING you could replace and it helped some but not enough..we replaced steering box, switched columns, the bushings and bought steering shaft replacement from G Body. We tried the Jeep shaft first in fact and it did not help it any. The smoking gun in the end was the bolt/nut that squeezes the top of the shaft was not tightened sufficiently and once we really put the torque to this it helped tremendously. The rag joint may have had some play in the GM part over time but when we bought the new steering shaft and really tightened it down the play was gone.
 
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