Why Is My Steering Wheel Off Center?

[Steelheader]

I need some input on why my steering wheel is off center now. I put the S/S Hunter through the most grueling wheeling yet. I have a popping noise (intermittent) from the rear also. It still rides true on the road. I do have a few more vibes since the hashing I put it through also. Is this as simple as an alignment? Or did I really screw something else up? TIA and Happy Jeepin'! :)

[Stubbs]

Have ye had yer alignment checked me friend?? Any time after wheeling that my steering wheel has been out of line, it has allways been the alignment.

As for the pop in the rear-end.. You haven't been eating a lot of beans of late have ya? :jester:

Seriously, when you say rearend, do you mean the back part of the jeep or the diff??

[Jeepur]

The vibes are probably from a not lubed enough u-joint.
Do you have some kind of traction device in the rear, I've heard that some of them like to make noise, when does the popping noise occur.:silly:

[RICK]

I've had that same experience after every "rough" use. The last time I thought it was really serious and took it to the dealer. The technician test drove it and began hosing out the front wheels and front brakes. He did this about a dozen times and finally the steering was centered again. Did not need an alignment.

[Jerry Bransford]

Steelheader, the rear popping noise could be the track bar bumping the fuel tank, or it could just be the shocks sliding a bit to the side on their upper mounts. Front vibration after offroading is often caused by two possible things... you knocked a wheel balancing weight off, or there is mud or something stuck on the inside of the wheel. Mud is common, so is knockig a weight off.

For the steering wheel being off-center, most likely the front tie-rod is bent since it's the most exposed steering component. The steering wheel can easily be recentered, but you need to see if something got bent first since a bent tie rod (or other steering component) can fail which would be bad news. I'd check out the long rod (tie rod) that connects the two wheels together and the other rod (drag link) that connects the tie rod to the steering lever (Pitman arm) and make sure neither are bent.

[Steelheader]

Many, many thanks gentlemen. Your all numero uno to me. :D http://www.ilovejeeps.net/images/icons/icon14.gif Here's the rundown of what I know so far. Maybe it will narrow things down a bit.

Stubbs, no alignment done yet, but I was thinking the same thing.
"As for the pop in the rear-end.. You haven't been eating a lot of beans of late have ya? http://www.ilovejeeps.net/images/smilies/jester.gif
Good one! I'm ROFLMAO! :D
I believe the popping is coming from the brakes. The adrenaline was pumping and my nerves were on end. I had the e-brake on and forgot to release it when I was trying to back out of a hole. I heard them popping and chattering when I was in 4-Lo reverse. I must have taken 10Kmiles noff of the shoes when I looked up and seen the red light on my dash illuminated. DUH me! :mad: So, I am leaning towards the popping noise having something to do with the brakes.

Jeepur, I have open diffs. The popping noise happens when coming to a slow stop at the very moment before the Jeep stops. I cannot feel the pop while my hand is on the stick shifter, but I can feel it through the brake pedal and clutch. I hope that made sense. ;)

RICK, I completely hosed down the underside (I hate having dirt and mud fall on me when I'm under it ;)) yesterday and got the Jeep all spiffied up. I hosed out all the dirt and mud

Jerry, I checked the front and rear track bars, tie rods, all driveline and axle u-joints, and tire weights. Everything appears to be in tact. I didn't check the shocks, but I will now. ;) I think you may be onto something with the tie rod being bent. I was in some perty hairy predicaments while in the creek. You would not believe the the sinking feeling I was having in my stomach. It took me 1 1/2 hours to go about 500 yards, if that's an indication of how hairy it was. How would be the best way to check for a bent tie rod? Would it be visibly bent enough to knock the steering wheel off center about 1/2 inch from the original setting?

Thanks again for all the help guys. :)

[Stubbs]

Have you pulled off the drums on the rear to see if something is screwed up in there?

Could just be some dirt or something :grasping at straws:

I know the last time I wheeled hard and in a muddy area, when I took the drums off in the rear I was suprised at how much crap there was in there.

You say you can feel it just before the jeep stops, is it a feeling in the brake pedal?

[Steelheader]

Have you pulled off the drums on the rear to see if something is screwed up in there?

Could just be some dirt or something :grasping at straws:

I know the last time I wheeled hard and in a muddy area, when I took the drums off in the rear I was suprised at how much crap there was in there.

You say you can feel it just before the jeep stops, is it a feeling in the brake pedal?

Yea, I pulled the drums yesterday and found a bunch of crap in there also. But it feels mechanical when it pops. I cleaned them out really well with some brake cleaner and it hasn't popped since then. But then again, the popping was intermittent to begin with, so we will see if that helps any. The pop transfers through the steering wheel, brake and clutch then stops immediately after the pop. I don't think it's the diff or the the driveline since I can't feel it through the shifter.

[Jeannie]

First Vince, let me just say, the letter's in the mail :p. Could it be that when you're sitting in your jeep, your eyes are crossed? Or if that's not it, is your head screwed on straight? That seems to be my problem :D.

No seriously, I have no clue, just wanted to say Howdy to my jeepin' bro :)

[Steelheader]

First Vince, let me just say, the letter's in the mail :p. Could it be that when you're sitting in your jeep, your eyes are crossed? Or if that's not it, is your head screwed on straight? That seems to be my problem :D.

No seriously, I have no clue, just wanted to say Howdy to my jeepin' bro :)

:D ROFLMGDAO! :D you know that as soon as I saw that you made the last post, I was gonna ask, didn't you? ;)

My head hasn't been screwed on straght since I got my TJ. So, this may be my problem too. :D

[BrewJeep]

Steelheader,

TJ's have a habit of bending the tierod right at the factory bends. It's sometimes hard to tell if it's been kinked a little more than stock or not. Might be worth a trip to the dealer to compare the angles.

The other thing to check out would be the draglink for whacks and kinks. That's where the centering of the steering wheel is done, BTW.

I've also seen a couple of outfits "pop" their adjustment sleeves out a couple of threads on the tierod or draglink after a good impact or after catching some air (1969 Chevy wagon, but we won't go there. Pigs CAN fly! Eeeek...!)

Hope this helps!

--Paul

[Jeannie]

:D ROFLMGDAO! :D you know that as soon as I saw that you made the last post, I was gonna ask, didn't you? ;)**** right I did :D. I don't forget too much ever, just procrasinate a lot LMAO.

[Jeepur]

Jeepur, I have open diffs. The popping noise happens when coming to a slow stop at the very moment before the Jeep stops. I cannot feel the pop while my hand is on the stick shifter, but I can feel it through the brake pedal and clutch. I hope that made sense. ;)


In that case it is definitely not what I said.

Like, if they're open how does the fluid stay in em. HA

[T.Dome]

hey buh-thuuu

i hate to say it but when my rear end (on the jeep) was popping it was my spider gears breaking off. actually it was more of a snaping noise.

go to wally world and drive in circles to see if it gets louder or worse or your tires locking up like a spooled rear end also listen for the popping noise when you shift from 1st to reverse and back into 1st again. make sure you roll back and forth to load the drive train in each direction.

my other rear end was popping after dev and i drank all that beer and ate all them beans the night before the tsf run.. i got off a few good ones!

should of played hookey that day, it was a hoot!

[Jerry Bransford]

You can also tell if the tie rod is bent by a simple measurement, if it's carefully taken. Carefully measure between the tires at the front of the tires and then measure between the same points at the back of the tire. That'll give you a rough idea if something up front is bent.

[Steelheader]

UPDATE: I am now leaning towards what T. Dome has stated. I am getting 2 pops when I take off in first gear. It ain't sounding good. :( It does it anytime I take off with a little bit more gas than a slow roll to start off. Reverse isn't popping yet. Should it if my gears are going? If it is gears then I might as well upgrade to those 4.10s I've been wanting. Anybody got a good deal on 4.10s anywhere. ;)

Brewjeep and Jerry, thanks for the input on the tierod. I will check them as soon as the rain stops around here. If it is bent, will I have to replace it, or can I get it adjusted the way it is. If it's bent, it is slightly out of whack. My steering wheel sits about 1/2 inch of center now. It's not really bad, just noticeable to me from driving it every day. :)

Jeannie, I ain't gonna let you live that one down for a long, long time darlin'. ;) :p :D

Happy Jeepin ' All! :)

[Jeepur]

You know, I always described it as more of a clunk clunk.
Mine has done this for about the past year. From a hard start or a fast right turn where I hit a bump causing the clunk clunk. If it is the same noise. However mine is under my feet. I've heard it's from the Transfer case linkage hitting the floor board because some bushing is out. Just another idea.