Easy Steering

Project done with the PS upgrade and WOW is it one finger driving. Is there anything to tone this down? It is a 74 with a 83 CJ5 PS setup.(Still ahve the bus wheel) I'll love it once a get it back on the trails at low speed but pavement is twitchy.

 

Thats the way mine is (factory PS/75) Bus wheel doesen't help, thats for sure. I'm used to it now, it's awesome on the trail. I think that is just the way power steering was back in the 70's. Ever drive an older chrysler product? Same deal.

 

yep, thats how my 72 is.
A breeze on the trails, al little too breezy on the street.

 

How many turns, stop to stop? I bought a used ps setup on ebay( not exactly sure what yr. jeep it was out of) . Same thing-real easy! It is 3 1/2 turns, stop to stop. I also have a small steering wheel, which doesn't help. It took a little getting used to, but now I love it. It's like driving a go kart...makes me keep both hands on the wheel, though!

 

Click to click it's 4 or 4.25 turns.

 

Guy I worked with used to pull that fan belt off while city driving, re-installed it for the trails.

 

How about a smaller steering wheel, will that help?

 

I've read lots of post here and elsewhere about swapping to a smaller wheel when you upgrade to PS. Does it make that much of a difference? I have a new OE style bus wheel I was going to put in, but if a smaller wheel will improve the feel I'll go smaller. I have also heard of going to the dual steering dampeners to slow down the steering feel. The only problem is they will slow down the return to center action after turning. I run 31's with 3" lift.

 

Have you checked your steering geometry? You mentioned you have a lift - if the caster is off, that could contribute to a "too light" feeling. Increasing the caster will make the steering tend to come back to center more strongly. If the toe-in is off, there could be more wander than if it were correct (but I'd guess it's the caster).

In stock form, the steering is fine ... light but not twitchy. SOme people don't like it because of the lack of road feel, but I have not heard complaints about being directionally over-sensitive.

 

Drove it to work today so I might find a shop that can put it on the rack and get a front end print out. The toe is correct per my super technical piece of metal and tape measure front/back measurements. I may also reset the gearbox to center and check the draglink to make sure it's all at center.

 

Ok, had the alignment printed out and here is what it said.

Left Front
Camber: 1.1 degree pos
Caster: 1.4 degree pos
Toe: .17 degree pos

Right Front
Camber: 1.4 degree pos
Caster: 1.4 degree pos
Toe: .38 degree pos

Left Rear
Camber: .5 degree neg
Toe: .61 degree neg

Right Rear
Camber: .5 degree neg
Toe: .42 degree neg

Front Cross Camber .3 neg
Cross Caster 0.0
Total Toe .53 pos

Rear Total Toe .18 neg
Rear Thrust angle .52 neg

To me it looks like I need 4 or 5 degree axle move via shims or rewelding the perches. Sound right and is there anything else in the printout?

 

Not a good idea. This is hard on the steering parts, and can be even harder to steer than a manual box.

 

The '72 manual calls for 3 degrees caster, so you are under that. You don't need to do anything as drastic as rewelding.

 

Where should I shot for my caster. Mcruff here will make them 3,4,or 5 and I just need to choose the size. On older post people where shooting for 5-6, in the 76-80 spec it says 4, in the 72 it says 3(thanks timgr). Being this is a 74 w/ 3" lift and 1/2" longer front shackles, I'm leaning to hit 4.5 to 5 after shims. Sound right? What does everyone else run?

 

BTT and a big thanks!!!

Got my shims from McRuff here on the board- 5 degree - nicely milled and priced right. R) Went in easy and well worth it. Immediate change in steering feel. Spent this morning tweaking everything else. Took apart drag link, reset and centered wheel. Reset the tie rod to give a 1/8" toe in. Aired down and up to find best ride - 22 front 23 rear. Went out to the country to test and drove straight and true @ 65 mph. Still danced with her a tad on the back roads with all the dip and swoops and potholes. Still, very happy.
Again - Caster is very important in stability on a lifted Jeep. Shims helped.

While I had the Jeep down I also finished the sliders/steps

 

Yep, went out to the traffic circle. Beautiful day for a drive. I'll finish the towbar over the next couple of weeks and see ya'll @ Gulches ORV and maybe Tellico in October.