Steering Column Rebuild Kit?

[Hasselblad]

Hi all,

So after the fender bender back in October the dealership the body shop sent the rubicon to still has yet to figure out why my steering is now horribly stiff. They claim there is nothing at all wrong with the linkage, and they have already replaced the PS pump, steering box, lower shaft. NONE of which made a shred of a difference in regard to the hard steering. They say that the dampener is fine and they have done multiple alignments (they did 1 and the first mechanic did the first)

So aside from them hand wringing that they won't be able to prove that it was accident caused (it was absolutely fine beforehand, most of the linkage is <5 years old and high end) they are saying the only thing left that (they think) it could be is the column itself. Of course a 2006 steering column is not exactly available, especially new OEM, so I am researching rebuild kits but am coming up empty. My google fu is off.

Any insight?

It is driving me ^%$#ing crazy that a jeep dealership cannot fix a TJ, They've had it for a month already.

 

[macleanflood]

Disconnect the mid shaft from the steering column and see what it feels like.

Dealerships and mechanics don't fix anything these days. They just take your money and fire the parts canon...and most of the new parts you get are shit.

I'd also like to see pictures of the accident damage and any printouts from the dealer putting it on a frame rack and verifying the frame is straight. Alignment specs too if you have them.

I don't know of a rebuild kit...but let's stop throwing parts at the problem hoping it might solve the issue.

-Mac

 

[Hasselblad]

Disconnect the mid shaft from the steering column and see what it feels like.

Dealerships and mechanics don't fix anything these days. They just take your money and fire the parts canon...and most of the new parts you get are shit.

I'd also like to see pictures of the accident damage and any printouts from the dealer putting it on a frame rack and verifying the frame is straight. Alignment specs too if you have them.

I don't know of a rebuild kit...but let's stop throwing parts at the problem hoping it might solve the issue.

-Mac

Oh trust me I'm with you. This is an insurance claim (I was rear ended and then pushed into the back of a truck) otherwise I would have pulled it from their inept hands a long time back and taken it to a jeep specialist. I would have thought that they checked to see if there was binding when they replaced the shaft and it was disconnected.

They've provided no alignment or other specs. I do know that it was wandering all over the place when I took it for a test drive last week, betting the toe in at least is completely wrong.

I have suspension parts piling up in my garage that I wanted to get on with it, not to mention the regear. They should have just handed me $10k and allowed me to fix it myself.