Ok, so I think that I have it figured out, but always looking for advice/knowledge from those more experienced.
So after a big issue with getting the wrong product, I finally received and installed a heavy duty steering kit. It went on easy peezy, no issues. The problem surfaced when I did a dry steering run.
For context, the steering kit was installed correctly, bolts were torqued properly, and toe was measured upon completion, which was dead on perfect. I was hoping for a 1/16th toe in, but perfectly even was fine for the steering test.
The Jeep's tires are up in the air, it's on jack stands. I turn the wheel left to start, no issues all the way to it's end range. But when I turn it right, it felt like someone was turning the wheel against me. After a couple of quick wrist snaps, it released and moved freely and smoothly, until I turned the wheel left again, then tried to turn right. Then, same thing.
I had someone cycle the steering wheel for me while I was underneath, and I could see the steering shaft turning, but it was bound up in the steering box/pittman area. To narrow it down as to whether it was the new steering linkage or the gearbox/pittman, I disconnected the drag link from the pittman. Problem is still there, so it's not the new steering linkage, I believe that it's somewhere in the pittman/gearbox.
I believe it's the gearbox for multiple reasons. It's 23 years old, it's been slowly leaking, and when I separated the original stock drag link from the pittman, I have to give a pickle fork and the pittman itself some solid whacks with a hammer. I believe that these blows were the straw that broke the camel's back.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this, as to what it might be, if I'm in the right ballpark? I was going to replace the gearbox and pittman, since a new pittman only costs slightly more than a pittman puller that I'd have to buy anyway, and I'm not really interested in having the fight trying to get the pittman separated.
So after a big issue with getting the wrong product, I finally received and installed a heavy duty steering kit. It went on easy peezy, no issues. The problem surfaced when I did a dry steering run.
For context, the steering kit was installed correctly, bolts were torqued properly, and toe was measured upon completion, which was dead on perfect. I was hoping for a 1/16th toe in, but perfectly even was fine for the steering test.
The Jeep's tires are up in the air, it's on jack stands. I turn the wheel left to start, no issues all the way to it's end range. But when I turn it right, it felt like someone was turning the wheel against me. After a couple of quick wrist snaps, it released and moved freely and smoothly, until I turned the wheel left again, then tried to turn right. Then, same thing.
I had someone cycle the steering wheel for me while I was underneath, and I could see the steering shaft turning, but it was bound up in the steering box/pittman area. To narrow it down as to whether it was the new steering linkage or the gearbox/pittman, I disconnected the drag link from the pittman. Problem is still there, so it's not the new steering linkage, I believe that it's somewhere in the pittman/gearbox.
I believe it's the gearbox for multiple reasons. It's 23 years old, it's been slowly leaking, and when I separated the original stock drag link from the pittman, I have to give a pickle fork and the pittman itself some solid whacks with a hammer. I believe that these blows were the straw that broke the camel's back.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this, as to what it might be, if I'm in the right ballpark? I was going to replace the gearbox and pittman, since a new pittman only costs slightly more than a pittman puller that I'd have to buy anyway, and I'm not really interested in having the fight trying to get the pittman separated.
