Is my steering box shot?

[jjvw]

....

Or maybe I don't understand what a dry steering test is.

I don't understand why people call it dry. It's a steering test. But it is what you describe. Short repeated turns on the steering wheel side to side from about 10 and 2, while someone is underneath feeling each and every steering and suspension connection looking for clunks, slips and looseness. Doing this with the engine running will reveal things like a loose track bar bolt.

 

[hosejockey61]

I don't understand why people call it dry. It's a steering test. But it is what you describe. Short repeated turns on the steering wheel side to side from about 10 and 2, while someone is underneath feeling each and every steering and suspension connection looking for clunks, slips and looseness. Doing this with the engine running will reveal things like a loose track bar bolt.

Dry steering is when you turn the wheels without them being in forward or reverse motion. It creates unnecessary wear on the tires.

In the sense of a dry steering test, the friction is enough to create other things to move if they are worn or loose.

 

[hosejockey61]

with the engine off I have 20+ degrees of play before I get any resistance and nothing south of the box has moved yet

Can you see any pressure on the pitman arm during that process?

It sounds like it's either the steering shaft or the box for sure. Trying to explain my thought is tough, but you have to watch at the pitman arm and determine if your play is before the connection to the box or after it.

 

[jjvw]

Dry steering is when you turn the wheels without them being in forward or reverse motion. It creates unnecessary wear on the tires.

...

What is a wet steering test?

...

In the sense of a dry steering test, the friction is enough to create other things to move if they are worn or loose.

All the more reason you have the engine running for the power steering to do the hard shoving against the tire friction to help reveal loose connections.

 

[Ocho]

What is a wet steering test?

 

[jjvw]

View attachment 483480

Did the guy down there feeling for loose connections ever come back up?

 

[Ocho]

Did the guy down there feeling for loose connections ever come back up?

he's happy down there..

 

[jjvw]

he's happy down there..

View attachment 483481

In Florida?

 

[hosejockey61]

What is a wet steering test?

Haha, make fun of it all you want. We used to dock points on our engineer promotional tests if people dry steered.

 

[macleanflood]

Another way to know is swap boxes...you've got more than one Jeep. Use that to your advantage.

-Mac

 

[jjvw]

Haha, make fun of it all you want. We used to dock points on our engineer promotional tests if people dry steered.

I will! It feels like an antiquated and poorly implemented term made obsolete by power steering and logistical necessities of parallel parking.

 

[hosejockey61]

I will! It feels like an antiquated and poorly implemented term made obsolete by power steering and logistical necessities of parallel parking.

It has nothing to do with that. Tires for a fire truck cost over $500 a piece and they get replaced twice a year on our 80,000 lb. trucks. At 5k a pop for 10 tires unnecessary wear is what they try to eliminate.

Have you ever tried to parallel park a fire truck?

 

[jjvw]

It has nothing to do with that. Tires for a fire truck cost over $500 a piece and they get replaced twice a year on our 80,000 lb. trucks. At 5k a pop for 10 tires unnecessary wear is what they try to eliminate.

Have you ever tried to parallel park a fire truck?

Welcome to Fire Truck Forum?

 

[97JadeTJ]

On both my 97’s the little u-joint at the end of the lower steering shaft, before it connects to the input shaft of the gear box, was wore out and had a very little play which equaled a good couple inches of play at the steering wheel… have somebody turn the steering wheel back-and-forth just a little bit and shine a light down there right at the input shaft of the gearbox and watch that u-joint… If there’s play, that could be your problem… it’s hard to see you have to look close…

 

[LONGJP2]

I agree. There is an adjustment but you can only adjust it a tiny bit before it’ll cause very accelerated wear.

A little unrelated (and not a recommendation), but I thought I read that to tighten the steering you back the screw out (counter clockwise).
Am I remembering that right or wrong?

 

[Geepum]

A little unrelated (and not a recommendation), but I thought I read that to tighten the steering you back the screw out (counter clockwise).
Am I remembering that right or wrong?

If you need to make an adjustment, you start by turning the adjustment screw counter clockwise until it’s all the way up. Then you go clockwise one full turn at a time until you reach the torque spec. That’s the official procedure. If you’ve played with a bunch of them, experience will let you tighten it just a tad (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 turn), but you really need to know what you’re feeling for or you could end up with some scary problems.

 

[Geepum]

A little unrelated (and not a recommendation), but I thought I read that to tighten the steering you back the screw out (counter clockwise).
Am I remembering that right or wrong?

The lock nut that secures the adjustment screw has to be loosened counter clockwise before you can turn it. Maybe that’s where that stems from?

 

[Rickyd]

What is a wet steering test?

get drunk and perform it

 

[hear]

What is a wet steering test?

It's like a dry steering test but with more foreplay.

 

[CreepinDeth]

On both my 97’s the little u-joint at the end of the lower steering shaft, before it connects to the input shaft of the gear box, was wore out and had a very little play which equaled a good couple inches of play at the steering wheel… have somebody turn the steering wheel back-and-forth just a little bit and shine a light down there right at the input shaft of the gearbox and watch that u-joint… If there’s play, that could be your problem… it’s hard to see you have to look close…

View attachment 483490

This video was helpful in ID ing the very last part I need to swap. Ive replaced EVERYTHING except my shafts….and I still have something loose, so its gotta be this joint. $31 off Amazon VS $300+ for a new lower shaft