Adjusted the toe slightly in today and it helped a bit. Still doesn't steer perfect but its tolerable. I drove the truck down the highway today at 70mph. Drove great on the highway. It seems it steers worse at slower speeds. It wants follow the paths of grooves and cracks in the road. It doesn't seem like there are too many bumps that really steer the truck much.

 

That's NM roads for you.

 

just don't end up like me

ball joints ****in suck.. I think its officially time for me to move to a king pin 60.

 

oh yeah, more pics now

 

in the process of making a thread.. up until then the ranger was kickin ***..

 

Looks like you might have been having a little fun........but just a little.

 

yea just a smidge ha

 

Update:

Had my steering where it was tolerable to drive. Caster set to 6 degrees. I was messing with the steering shaft today and had my wife turn the wheel back and forth while I watched. Something strange caught my eye. My steering box was loose! I guess the bolts had worked their way out a bit and the whole box was moving close to 3/4"! I busted out the impact and torqued that SOB down again, went for a drive and the truck drives almost perfect! I'm so happy haha, and it doesn't feel like I have to turn the wheel all the way to Africa and back to get some response! I don't know how I hadn't noticed this before.

Still gonna go ahead and put the steering stabilizer on which will be here tomorrow. Also picked up a steering shaft from a jeep XJ, but its too short so I'm super happy about that right now.....the hunt for a steering shaft continues.....

 

haha that is it man...I had to hit mine couple times for the 1st week and no problems after that

 

looks amazing!

 

A little late in the game, but this was an awesome thread Ryan. Great work!

 

Thanks. Might as well post an update while I'm in here. I got Evan's steering shaft so I can ditch the crappy ranger one now, just gotta find time to put it in!

 

Just figured I'd throw out another update. I finally got around to putting the new steering shaft in and WOW! It made the steering much much lighter, I guess since the shaft isn't rubbing the firewall anymore. I still have a bit of walking while driving though. I think its gotta be bad bushings/joints because I've got everything in spec and it just doesn't feel like bump steer. I think the joints are worn out and letting the axle move a bit while driving, causing my sway. I've got new superflex joints for the long arms on the way from RE so we'll see if they help. Next I'll move on to the trac bar joints/bushings, then the upper control arm bushings/joints.

 

Are you gonna be selling parts off of it since your doin the SAS

 

I'm pretty sure he has sold everything already

 

wow okay i just saw the date lol ... nevermind

 

Yeah I sold the lift and all that junk a while back. All the stock parts I had leftover went to the dump cause I didn't wanna mess with shipping all that heavy stuff.

 

so that shaft helped you out..glad it did..it was a nice fabbed piece..

 

Yeah man. I just figured the steering was heavy because of the new steering box and axle, but I guess it was just because the steering shaft was in a bind. Its much lighter now, still no rack and pinion, but much closer than before. Plus I can get the thought of the steering shaft breaking out of my head now.

BTW I got my stuff from Rubicon Express today. I went ahead and got the entire coupler assemblies for the long arms so I could just start fresh there. The joints are definitely much tighter than the original joints. Hopefully I can get them in here in the next couple of days so I can see if I wasted my money on them lol.

 

Changed every bushing there is to change and the problem is still there. I'm going to adjust the caster a bit more positive............



This project is driving me batsh!t.

 

you need something to do anyway

 

What problem again?

 

The sway in the steering. I can't feel any bumps in the steering at all which is why I don't think its bump steer.....but I dunno. It just doesn't wanna go straight. Apparently Evan didn't have a problem like this when it was on his truck which makes me think its something other than the height thats causing the problem. I though it was bad bushings allowing play in there but I've changed all the joints and bushings and TREs that there is...................Its driving me nuts trying to figure it out lol.

 

try rotating your tires.

 

been down that road.....