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

My mistake, I did desribe it right though, just got my + and - backwards.

 

Here is the Wikipedia def. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle

You want positive caster.

BTW, It can be spelled caster or castor.

 

I had a very similar concern when I drove mine home. The rig was fitted with 12.5" 33" ATs (I was all over the road) the tread face was primarilly flat and since they were worn I changed over to 10.5" 33" MTs these tires have more of a crowned tread profile. Man that did it. It made a huge difference. Now the jeep tracks true and steers easily, even at a stand still.

 

new tires always make it better for a little while but dont fix problem

 

As usual, I'd opt for the simple solution first.

Wear.

You can get the alignment checked and that will tell the tale. However, wear of steering components and steering box would be the 'usual suspects' for me.

 

Yep. This topic has been covered oer and over here. Search the old threads. The right place to start is to eliminate worn components, and measure the steering geometry. Remove the shackles if you don't need them - they only add half the amount of lift as their length, and will exacerbate any looseness from worn spring bushings. Ditch 'em.

 

Just a couple of coments about your oil leak.

The oil pan gasket is last in line of three things I'd suspect.

First is the valve cover gasket. The 232/258 is notorious for having a leaky valve cover. The oil will pool at the back of the cover, leak out, run down the engine, and it will drip off the bell cover. If you have any oil stains above the midline of the engine, it's almost certainly the valve cover leaking.

Search for previous threads about this. If the cover leaks, you should straighten it and (IMO) use the OEM-style rubber gasket.

Second, I'd suspect the rear main seal. If you pull the pan and don't know the history of the car, replace the rear main seal.

Last is the oil pan. IMO less likely than the prior two.

 

Another comment - I've owned two of the Intermediates, both bought brand new by me. I could drive them easily at super-legal speeds (tickets to prove it). The lift will increase your COG but your Jeep should still track straight, if the lift was installed properly and the suspension components and frame are in good condition. Careful about lane change maneuvers with mucho lift and wide tires though! The soft top will help to keep the COG low(er), but be cautious till you get the feel.

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but post 75 CJ's have poor spring eye mounts that are prone to cracking. The added lateral torque exerted by the lift shackles can cause early failure.

 

Good call daddy, both mine were broken. I could not see them until I painted them. With the new paint I could see rust around the welds after I got back from an off road weekend. Both were cracked right through the welds.

 

That's because you don't know my wife....our baby's playpen, diaper bag and stroller all say JEEP - and she bought all that stuff. I like it, but she is OBSESSED with Jeeps.

The PO said he never adjusted the caster angle when he put the shackle lift on (doh!) and when he went from 31s to 35s the road wander got really bad. I want mud tires anyway, so Im going to step down to a 33 and either remove the shackle lift or have the caster adjusted (or both).

I was on quadratech website and noticed that they sell a "drop pitman arm"...do you think this will help at all?

 

Thanks for the advice. The leak is definately from the pan down - rest of the engine is remarkably dry. How easy is this rear main seal to replace?

 

Awkward, but otherwise pretty easy. You'll need a torque wrench, since you'll need to R&R the rear main bearing cap. Look here www.c104.net for a '72 manual if you haven't bought the FSM yet. The instructions will be the same. The manual will tell you to loosen all the main bearing caps, but yo can usually get away with not.

 

Your wander problem really isn't from your steering so I say hold off on the dropped pitman arm. If you plan to remove or shorten your shackles a new pitman arm will be a waste of money. If you want to leave the shackles you might look at a set of tapered shims to adjust your caster. I had my spring perch's cut off when I redid my front end so I set the caster when I welded the new ones on. If you go with the shims just check them every once in a while to make sure they are tight and haven't shifted any. Good luck and consider yourself lucky to have a wife into Jeeps. I still think you should drive it for a while just to make sure it's safe(wink-wink).

 

i got lifetime allignment from firestone for $120 they know me very well i get my $120s worth i love america

 

Just wanted to update and say that although not suggested here, I adjusted some of the slack out of the steering box as suggested on the Jeepsunlimited forums. I was careful, and made it so the steering wheel has about 1 inch of play before the front wheels move.

While this doesnt eliminate wander, it makes it MUCH more controllable and helps to minimize the over-correcting. The slack was pretty bad before - reminded me of my old 64 Catalina (now I know why they didnt make Catalinas with a short wheelbase - tother than the fact that it would be plain silly)! I know it doesnt actually fix the problem, but it is something that needed to be done to really see how bad the wander was.

The underneath and steering is in great shape, so my next step is castor angle adjustment. Alignment is oddly enough very good for a little while until the wander sneaks up on me. I feel like Im driving a Jeep with ADD...just rolls along well behaved until it sees something in the other lane or on the side of the road that looks interesting and its "Ooooo - something shiney! Let's go get that!" and I spend the next few seconds wrestling it back to center!


Also - the oil leak appears to be coming from in between the tranny and the motor, (or in that general area) so Im guessing thats where the rear main seal is? I have a book on it, just havent checked yet. Even woking on it is tough right now because its hidden out in the woods until Christmas! Im lucky - when it snows it will be hands off until christmas because the tracks will lead my wife right to it!

Anyhoo...thanks for all the suggestions.

 

i would go with tims thought .pull valve cover first like he said oil ponds at rear runs down in between there .makes you think rear seal.voice of experience.if were wrong you needed a new gasket anyway.

 

Good point - I could use a new gasket anyway.