I've finally got my Jeep back on the road (blown engine for a couple years, just finished my SBC swap into it). Now I'm having issues with the steering (manual steering box).

The steering seems really twitchy. Its hard to turn at times, sometimes I'll be trying to turn and it won't want to turn, then it seems to break free and turn easy. Other times it takes a lot of effort to turn (only when making 90 degree turns, small turns are fine) and doesn't break free. Going straight seems to be OK, but something seems to bind sometimes when I'm turning.

It also seems that after I make a bunch of bigger turns (driving down a curvy road), it gets better (ie, after working the steering right and left it calms down some).

I had it in the garage tonight to look at it, and couldn't find anything. When I first pulled in, it was binding when I tried to turn, but after it broke loose, I couldn't get it to duplicate the problem. I had it in the air, and on the ground and it was fine. I took it for a short drive, and it acted up, but again after getting it into the garage, after it broke lose it was fine. When driving, it seems to bind, break loose, bind, break loose etc.

I watched all the components while my dad turned the wheel, and the tie rod ends, ball joints, steering shaft, etc. all seemed to turn smoothly. We're thinking its the steering box, but I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks to find out.

Any ideas?

Not really worth fixing the manual steering, be better off just ditching the manual steering and go with power steering, get a box from the junkyard from a Waggy/Cherokee and go from there.

The steering box needs rebuilt for sure, and if your still driving it, STOP!! I`d go with boxers suggestion and upgrade to power. Its a bolt on swap.

yeah, i'm not driving it anymore until its fixed. i'll do some searching on swapping out to power steering. i'd like to go new vs. junkyard finds as this jeep is going to be my daily driver. any recommendation on manufacturer's for a pump and box?

finally finished swapping out the manual steering for power. its better than it was, but is still not quite right. I replaced one of the tie rod ends (the one at the pitman arm), so am now just planning on replacing the other three. Any other ideas? Still couldn't see anything binding up when looking at the different components, but not sure.

Now it seems to gradually go towards the left, then I start to turn right and instead of immediatlely going, it takes a second, then feels to break lose and dart to the right. Not nearly as bad as before, but still there.

Bet ya got a seized axle joint or two from sitting around.

could be. i swapped one out a few years ago, but like an idiot only did one side. i'll work on that next weekend.

Bet ya got a seized axle joint or two from sitting around.

I had a similar problem 2 years ago. My steering would bind up then I would have to double pump the steering wheel and it would unbind. Then one day it stopped and like a dummy I thought all was fine and it worked itself out. Well as I was about 30 feet from the driveway after wheeling in the woods by myself I lost my steering completely.

The problem was that I bought the jeep with a 2.5" body lift and it didnt have a longer steering shaft in it. So the steering shaft had worked itself out of the bell housing coupler and eventually came all the way out luckily in front of my house and not on the highway.

So a buddy and I took the steering shaft out and cut it in half, then we sleeved it gaining about an inch of length to compensate for the body lift. Havent had a problem since, however to get it back in place I had to unmount my body from the frame and use highlifts on both sides to lift the body then gradually let it down and feed the shaft onto the splines.

If you have the bellhousing coupler check that and make sure its in there snug at the steering box. If its a rag joint I dont know what to tell you.

Hope this helps.

I'd be looking at your steering shaft. After sitting a couple years I bet one of the joints is frozen. As the post above states, look at the shaft.

finally finished swapping out the manual steering for power. its better than it was, but is still not quite right. I replaced one of the tie rod ends (the one at the pitman arm), so am now just planning on replacing the other three. Any other ideas? Still couldn't see anything binding up when looking at the different components, but not sure.

Now it seems to gradually go towards the left, then I start to turn right and instead of immediatlely going, it takes a second, then feels to break lose and dart to the right. Not nearly as bad as before, but still there.


if may ask, (my cj7 is manual steering also) what all parts did you need for the conversion? just the power steering box
and pump? i thought i read i needed to new drag links or something? sorry t intrude on your post but im going through almost the same situation

nofender, the shaft is good. when I had it off for the steering swap, i made sure it didn't bind up or anything while moving the joints through a full range of motion.

gemiller,
All I need was the box, pump, bracket, and lines. Not 100% sure if yours would be the same since mine is an '81, but I think it should be. Mine was a bit different as I have a small block chevy, so I went with a Chevy pump and bracket, Chevy lines, and a box that I was told was from a Jeep J20 pickup. If you use a J20 pickup, the bell shaped coupler on your shaft will slip right on. If you use a power steering box for something else, you'll need a different coupler. From what I read, the only thing you need to make sure of is you match your connecting types for the box/pump (ie flare fittings or o-ring fittings).

I also bought a power steering box mount from MORE, even though I was told you can re-use the manual mount minus one of the pieces. You don't need new links or anything, just make sure to get a pitman arm off a CJ and your stock rod ends work. I replaced the one at the pitman arm though since it got messed up removing it.

PM me if you have more questions, or if you need the power steering line or bell shaped coupler. I bought a line for a CJ not thinking (wouldn't work with my chevy v8 so I used a stock chevy one. And the couple I didn't need since the steering box had the same input size as the manual.

Power-steering will be an upgrade, but not that much while using the stock box.(especially when you go to larger tires)(i use the stock w/ power ) I would use the PSC steering system.