I just recently completed an soa on my jeep using 2.5 springs and full width axles. For the steering i used a high steer arm on the passenger side and left the tie rod in its original location for now. My problem is this, I took it out for its first drive and it would steer fine under 20 mph or so but when i got it up to speed it would not turn right. It would turn left just fine, but if you turned the wheel right it wouldnt respond, then all of a sudden it would jerk right. I thought it was steering box flex, so i installed a Heavy Duty steering bracket, and steering box brace. It helped some but it still jerks right instead of steering right? What's up??

more newbie stuff, you have to see what's loose, tierods, sttering arm, drag link, etc.

Nothing is loose. Everything is new, balljoints, tre's.

pitman is not centered, and the caster is probably off

I used a chevy full width axle that was originally set up for a spring over, so the caster should be fine. As for the pitman, when you mean centered, do you mean should be set with the wheel in the center of its travel or should be set in the center of the steering bos when the tires are straight ahead?

I used a chevy full width axle that was originally set up for a spring over, so the caster should be fine. As for the pitman, when you mean centered, do you mean should be set with the wheel in the center of its travel or should be set in the center of the steering bos when the tires are straight ahead?


Did you check the castor? Just because the axle was originally SOA in the truck doesn't mean its right under your jeep.

Pitman arm: Turn your steering wheel lock to lock (with drag link disconnected from the pitman arm) and count the revolutions. Now from full lock, turn it back 1/2 the revolutions. This will center your steering box. Now with the tires straight check how the drag link meets up to the pitman arm. If its not lined up right, adjusted your drag link until it is...

Is it RPM related? Same box you had pre-SOA and no problems before the SOA?

I used a chevy full width axle that was originally set up for a spring over, so the caster should be fine. As for the pitman, when you mean centered, do you mean should be set with the wheel in the center of its travel or should be set in the center of the steering bos when the tires are straight ahead?


Are you sure the spring angle is the same where the axle mounts to the spring? If it is at a different angle, due to SOA &/or SRS, then the caster will be off.

rkcrawl
That is prety much how i set up the pitman arm, as far as the caster i am going to check it right now, The shackles are in the stock position not srs

Ok i checked the caster and it has positive caster, didnt get my angle finder out but it looked like around 4 degrees or so. I put the jeep up on jackstands and with the jeep running it turned fine both ways, nothing binding, springs were not close to any of the links. I turned it off and it turned ok but when the pitman was pointing straight back and the wheels were straight ahead it kinda bound up and was harder to turn. Same box as pre-soa, never had any problems before. The jeep turns fine both ways in the driveway, gain any speed at all and it dives.

put up some pics of the front/steering or have someone do it for you.

What kind of angle is there on the drag link? It sounds to me like bump steer being induced by brake dive.

If that's the case, the two solutions are to put on a track bar parallel to the drag link, or to use a combination of high steer/drop pitman to level the drag link. The second alternative is much better IMHO.

As to the other problem, have you checked for clearance of the drag link to the leaf spring? It doesn't sound like the issue, because it will jerk and turn, but it is pretty easy to look at the drag link and rule out the simple stuff.

Ill see if i can get some pics tomorrow. The drag link is almost parallel already, it has a slight upward tilt to it but nothing drastic

Sounds like a caster problem to me. Is the axle centered under the Jeep?? If you have a CJ or YJ you would of have to move the spring hangers outboard the frame.