*sigh* New (old) jeep off to a bad start - help please..

OK - so I went and picked up the Jeep I bought for my wife - the one in my avatar above...its a 76 CJ5 with the 258. The engine leaks oil like crazy from down by the pan, but a new gasket should (theoretically) be easy enough... The problem is the steering. Please tell me that you guys who own these CJ5's arent scared to death when you are driving them! This thing "walks" the road like crazy...every little bump will send it going one way or the other... The guy I bought it from didn't seem to think there was an issue, but I sure as hell can't drive it like this - its difficult to stay in a lane!

Is this normal? Please tell me it isn't!

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Do a search on here for caster angle. My guess is that when the PO lifted it, they never corrected the front axle caster angle which is causing the wander. A steering stabilizer will probably help a bit too.

 

dont know if its your first jeep or not but the short base makes them drive like nothing else.ounce i quit over steering mine it was fine but after driving my chevy hd all week i have to teach myself all over on weekend.

 

A shackle reverse makes a big diference to check and make sure the shackles are not worn or that the buchings in the leaf springs are not worn.

 

Thank you for this suggestion! I was searching for "steering" with little result - "castor" produced MUCH better results. My jeep has a pretty big shackle lift and I bet there are no shims or toe in adjustments, which could very well be it. One thing is for sure - Im not letting my wife drive it until it is under control! (it is a Christmas present for her)

Thanks again!
Does anyone know where, or what type of place can get this done correctly?


I should add - it steers very smooth without any wobble at all. It just has a lot of play and a mind of it's own.

 

check your spring bushings for wear... i installed polyurethane ones and it made a huge difference. Also get your steering components checked. I would not suggest a steering stabilizer as they dont solve issues, they just cover them up.

 

Check the castor, the lift would affect the castor but the long shackles will do it quicker and will dramatically affect its wandering in the lane.
The jeep looks good but the 35" tires, 4" lift and long shackles all add up and the previous owner probably didn't know what to do to correct it so they just got used to it.

 

Do you think I should remove the shackle lift and see what happens? I have this sinking suspicion if I mention shims to the local shop they will just stare at me blankly....

 

Another quick give a way that the castor is off is if the steering does not "return to center" after you turn a corner. If you draw a vertical line down the center of your ball joints, the top of the line needs to be toward the back of the Jeep. (negative castor) I like to have about 3-5 degrees of negative castor. The important thing is that you do not have positive castor. Which usually results from someone unknowingly trying to decrease the front driveline angle by rotating up the pinion angle without knowing that the castor angle is very important. Or in your case adding long shackles to the front of the Jeep. For every action there really is an equal and opposite reaction.

 

If this Jeep is for your wife, does it really need the lift and tall tires? If this is going to be a daily driver for her, she'd probably be a lot happier and more comfortable with a more normal stance.....unless she's as much of a rockcrawler as the boys are! Even stock, I would think it should take her anywhere she wants to go with it.

At least for awhile, until she gets used to it. You can always put the stuff back on.

 

I'd probably start there.

 

Oh yes....it is important, she always wanted an old, lifted jeep...if I have to spend $500 on new smaller tires, Id rather invest that into "re-installation" of the lift with correct steering geometry.

I think I am going to remove the shackle lift for now, as the spring lift should be enough to clear the tires.

 

Go to a good alignment shop that has worked on older cj's. Have them check the caster and toe. I had mine put @ 3/16" toed in - but it is not my daily driver.

Also, I took a lot of play out by bracing and strengthening my steering box. Search steering box here for ideas on that. Also the coupler before the steering box can play a big part.

 

Also, real quick, when your out there... grab the steering shaft right where it goes into the gear box. See how much you can rotate the shaft back and forth without the wheels moving. I've got a ton of play in mine, but I'm used to it.

 

The shackle lift is a huge issue if there isn't correction to the castor somewhere. Loosing the shackle lift is a great start.

Both of my jeeps drive down the highway quite well. But with both jeeps I have completly gone trough the front ends. Ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rod and drag link ends. I have replaced many of the parts, but inspect them carefully and replace anything that shows any wear.

You can check the castor angle by parking on a level surface and take a reading off the flat part of the lower ball joint. I don't recall the exact spec off the top of my head, but I think it is like 4 deg positive castor. I am sure there are many on here that know what it should be.

 

I also agree with removing the shackle lift. That will put more negative caster back in the geometry and help the situation. I have so much negative caster in my Jeep that the front pinion angle is actuall about -1*, that is the pinion points down at the ground rather than at the transfer case. It might seem extreme, but the Jeep tracks perfectly straight and returns to center very well after cornering. The only thing I've noticed is that it does slightly wear the outer edges of the tires, but it's not my DD anymore so I don't care.

 

kinda reminds me of when homer bought marge a bowling ball with his name on it.

 

Before I would do any mods. I would just check normal parts for wear, fix them, do an alignment, balance tires if they are worth it, and then see what you think. Parts to check are the shackle bushings, tie rod ends, drag link ends, ball joints, steering column shaft components. Then you will have an idea how well it drives stock, and you can decide if you want to make any changes. Good luck!

 

I just did a major rebuild on my front end. This goes back to the never ending thread. I set my castor at 5.5* positive. With the correct castor and good front end parts it should drive pretty well. Steering stabilizers really aren't for road wander, you should only try one if all else fails. Although you may want to drive it yourself for a year or so before you turn it over to your wife. Just tell her your looking out for her safety!