Customized help

  • I do not know why a shop could not align a CJ7. All you can really do is set the toe.

    The rig some of the shops use is too narrow to fit a vehicle with a wide track or very deep-dish wheels. Others... just a lack of knowledge. :)

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

  • OK I got new tires, and the acute pull isnt the problem anymore, however at speeds over 30mph, any deviation right or left on the road the jeep feels like it will spiral out of control. and then its hard to center on the road again once it does veer off, there are no sway bars or a traction bar and nothing attached to the axel
    i am wondering if this jeep just isnt street safe and should be kept off road, is there anyway i can get a jeep like this street safe?
    i tried to get some pics of the front axle configuration, theres a power steering control I believe placed aftermarket.
    can anyone get any information from these pics?
    thanks everyone

  • well a cj never had a trackbar and u should not need one. A swaybay was on there at some point and can be put back on. Some say u dont need one of those either but for a street jeep i believe u should have one. That being said i thing there is a steering geometry issue. Someone spent some money on a good steering gear box and a high steer set up for the axle.


    The longer shackles, those are the shiney bars that connect the springs in the front frame, can exagerate an issue. The fact that it will dart off and not return to center makes me think there is an issue with the axle caster. Thats a measurement that is taken on the steering knuckles. I am also betting that the alignment is still off. The new tires help because they have not been worns badly yet.


    You really need someone with some experience to look at it. Ill be around the weekend if u can get it to wilm. I can pm u my addy if u can make it.

  • i would really appreciate that..i honestly dont know if i can get it there...I was on paper mill road last night going 35 mph and almost rolled it. but its worth it to even get it trailed to you.
    my phone number is 302-509-1679 call text or Pm fine too.

  • From the pictures it is pretty obviously the fact that the lift shackles have rotated the axle to the point where the caster is gone. The front face of that differential should be almost perfectly plumb, and it is not. So unless someone rotated the "c"s, the caster is screwed.
    The caster is only supposed to be five or six degrees, but more is better. You really shouldn't need sway bars, but they do help the street ride. I have more than stock caster and no sway bars or stupid track bar, I can drive with one finger, even braking. I can ride down the highway at 80 and take my hands off the wheel, I'd be happy to show anyone.
    Not that I would recommend it, but you could throw some wedges in there real quick and I'd bet the difference would be amazing. Then you could take the proper steps to correct it.

  • Has the steering gear box mount been upgraded? The stock CJ ones were crap and prone for breaking.


    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

  • Ok that' actually
    Makes sense . Sorry for my ignorance but what do you mean by putting wedges in there
    The guys that looked at it to check the alignment (but said it couldn't be done) said the steering box was in good shape .... but not sure they were necessarily jeep guys.

  • what do you mean by putting wedges in there

    Shims "wedges" between the springs and the mounting pad on the axle. By putting shims there, you can adjust the caster angle of the axle (but also changes the driveshaft u-joint angles, which might cause other issues).


    It might help if you look at this page for a quick primer on alignment and how it can affect handling. http://www.bridgestonetire.com…drivers-ed/tire-alignment


    If the caster is off too much, it'll make the front tires respond kinda like a shopping cart, they'll go any which way pretty quickly. Makes it a little hard to control. Combine that with other issues or worn components and you've got a rough time trying to drive in a straight line. In a normal situation, all you need to do for a Jeep alignment is just adjust the toe, but on a lifted Jeep, the caster and camber could be off (camber being off due to worn out joints/bearing or horrible caster).

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

  • Yes, what Jerry said. Typically in a stock jeep when the caster is right so is the u-joint angle. I would bet that it is screwed up also. You can look this up on the web but basically, unless there is a double cardan joint involved, the plane that the pinion yoke spins in should be parralel to the plane that the transfer case front output yoke spins in. That means that the angle where the driveshaft meets the pinion should be the same as the angle where it meets the front output. This will not cause the problem with the steering. It will manifest as a driveshaft vibration when in four wheel drive, and probably only at highway type speeds. Might not even be noticeable while wheeling, but will lead to premature u-joint wear.
    I believe the top of the axle needs to be rolled backwards to correct the problem.
    Wedges go in real easy. Jackstand the front of the frame, loosen the u-bolts a good bit, lift the axle off the spring and set the wedge over the center pin. Set the axle back down and retorque the u-bolts.
    You are supposed to use new u-bolts every time. I sure don't. Steel wedges are best, aluminum ones mash down and need retorquing more often in my opinion. They are available in many different angles, never use two together. The wedge uses the centering pin to hold it in place, and what is left sticking out then centers the axle. Consequently the axle is not held centered as strongly with them, and could come loose easier. That is why I wouldn't suggest them as a long term solution.

  • It also looks like you have the dynatrac u-bolt flip kit. Usually the u-bolt threaded end is on the bottom where it gets bashed up like mine. With that kit they are on top where they are safe, and there's more clearance underneath for when Stafford leads you down some trail full of huge boulders. It does look like you have some nice parts there, with some tweaking I'm sure it will be an awesome rig.

  • I wanted to give somewhat of an update. I was finally able to drive the jeep around the hood last night and this morning. One of the biggest issues was the steering was very loose, and i believe the jerk on deceleration is because of the loose sterring column...Anyway i googled that and found an old thread on a jeep site.....its below and of course it talks about the castor angle...
    One other issue i am having is i cant figure out why the jeep wont shift into another gear. its an automatic 3 gear on the column, and it seems to stay stuck in one gear. I wonder if it will ever be able to go over 30-35mph or if i need a new engine to have that happen...Theres a strange shifter on the drivers side i am assuming its the 2-4wd gear but theres nothing marked... the picture is rotated left 90 degrees...its on inside of the center console part right in front of the seat
    theres a pic below if anyone has any idea
    anyway I am trying to get it to someone to fix it, ill keep you updated if anything changes




    One of the biggest issues with Jeeps and a topic that almost repeats itself in a new thread each week is "wandering or loose steering". As a forum contributor on JeepForum for close to 5 years now, I see it over and over.


    I'll first volunteer that there isn't always a single factor contributing to all steering issues, but one prevails quite commonly and that's, Castor Angle.


    If you have no idea what castor angle is, please see this link:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle


    When you put a suspension lift on your jeep, you alter the steering geometry of the vehicle. There's no exception, if you lifted your jeep, your castor angle is wrong and your steering demonstrates one or more of the following characteristics:


    1) The steering wanders, particularly at higher speeds.
    2) The steering wheel has a lot of play, usually 1-2" before the wheels turn.
    3) The steering wheel doesn't center itself after a turn.
    4) When the vehicle hits a bump in the road, you are white-knuckled trying to correct your course

  • sorry i didnt see your message u sent me the other day. Im still getting used to this new forum format. I can pic the jeep up and bring it up to my house. I have a truck and trailer. I just need to find some time. Ill have to give u call and set something up. Im sure once i get a good look at it we can find the issues. Like i said earlier someone has spent some money upgrading a lot of parts on the front axle and steering. It should not be that hard to get that thing road ready. Not sure on the trans. We would have to figure out what trans it has in it and go from there. There r many things on an auto that can cause issues.cant really tell what that handlel is. Im guessing u dont have a stock transfer case in that jeep either so that handle may be custom.

  • That shifter on the drivers side, you have a 79 so it I would guess that is for hi-lo range for your transfer case that i am assuming is a quadratrac. The low range was optional and that is where the shifter is. Maybe it is in low, move the shifter in whichever direction it will go and see if you can go faster, or maybe it is in high and if you shift it you will only be able to go 15mph.
    Give it a shot.


    Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk

  • Wanted to give a little update .
    With much help from John The issue may still be caster but at this point the rear axle
    Isn't really engaging appropriately
    And there is a problem where the jeep isn't shifting . Maybe a cable issue going to the holly carb (via phone conversation with aaron)
    John helped me located the vacuum switch for. Emergency driving which the previous owners relocated from the glove box.
    Got the rear axle to engage but car still won't go over 25 mph. Suggestions were a cone issue and a slipping in the transfer case . Has a quadratrac
    Case another suggestion he made was maybe Change to a Dana 300 but wasn't 100% sure without more details .
    Going to need some more work I'll update once I know anything

  • catching up on my quadratrac tcase background and it may or maynot have the part time conversion done to it. It has the mile marker hubs but we cant see into the tcase. Its very bad to drive the case with the front hubs unlocked without the conversion. I am finishing up a few things and hopefully a can give u a hand this week. The trans is a th400 which is a good trans but may not be shifting properly due to a lack of a tv cable. I have to do some research on the trans too. Im sure if i can get it on the lift i can figure it out 4 u.


    Aaron

  • A turbo 400 trans doesn't have a tv cable. Just a vacuum modulator. Kick down is electric solenoid activated by a switch on the throttle linkage.
    If I remember right, the quadratrac has a differential in the case. Definitely needs the front hubs locked if stock.

  • are you sure the transfer case isn't in low range? The turbo 400 is a three speed transmission. Even in low range you should feel it shift into second and then into third. If it does use all three gears then I would say it is in low range in the transfer case. If the vacuum modulator is not connected or messed up then it will not shift properly. There is also a centrifugal governor which can be adjusted, but it's a set it and forget it type of thing and unless something failed in there it is probably not the culprit. On the drivers side of the transmission is a small plastic thing with a spade terminal on it. That is the kick down. The power to that should only be on when the petal is mashed down. If it has power at any other time it will hold it in the lower gear.
    The turbo 400 is one of the best automatics ever made, and the quadratrac transfer case is one of the worst.

  • Willyn
    Being a relative newby this may sound silly but I can't tell if the transfer case is in low range
    I have shifted the lever into all different positions and the results are the same.
    I will look at this kick down terminal today to see if I can play with that switch and see what happens.
    Thanks again for your input and will keep this updated

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