I feel like I'm steering a boat, not a jeep.

When I get my '74 cj6 on the asphalt, it's an art to keep it steady on the road. Allot of slop and sluggish response. I realize I didn't buy an antique corvette, but it's not a pleasant feeling to have this much play. I just changed the poorly designed bell coupler for a new one with really no significant improvement and after eyeballing all the points of articulation, it looks like swapping out the steering shaft to a borgeson steering shaft and new tie rods and such would be the way to go. I realize too that the 36 year old springs and shocks have allot to do with the steering response as well.

So with all that said, what should my plan of attack start with first?

I'm not even sure of just how "tight" I can get this ole jeep's steering. I've never driven a new '74 model and can only assume there was play in the steering from the factory considering how this bell coupler is made, but it had to be better than what I'm dealing with now.

Is it even possible to get the steering on my jeep comparable to a new jeep's steering?

 

When I first got my '73, it felt rather sporty to me. Certainly it gave the feeling of being very maneuverable, and quite stable on the road. I know that doesn't help much, except to tell you that there's definitely something wrong.

The steering gear is a common source of sloppiness. My pickup has a lot of play in the steering, and I attribute all of it to the steering gear. They can be adjusted, but it's supposed to be done with the steering gear out of the vehicle. You'll need an inch-pound beam-type torque wrench and some way to turn the input with the wrench.

Spring end bushings are another source of sloppiness...

Others have posted here that the Omix-Ada bell coupler replacements are not much of an improvement over the worn-out originals. You could replace the coupling with a u-joint from Borgeson. I don't think there's anything really wrong with the column as such. There's a bushing that wears out in the bottom of it, but I think you have a few options to replace that.

 

Check the following for play:

steering gear
steering gear mount
tie rod ends
ball joints
wheel bearings
couplers and joints for the steering shaft, check upper and lower
bushing in the bottom of the column
springs and bushings
U-bolts for looseness
frame cracks around the steering gear mount and around the clutch linkage bellcrank

 

not really, I mean yes you can but you create another problem.
no flex or "give" in the steering system; it'll pull apart or bust the first "flex" opportunity that arises.

 

The Borgson steering shafts have a slip joint to allow for flex/collapse in an accident. Have replace the entire shaft if you go that route.

Also, a slow ratio manual box will always feel a bit "loose".

BTW you don't drive a jeep, you avoid things

 

lol! I think your statement is closer to the truth than I want it to be.

I think I've got a game plan now. Thanks guys!

 

Been running u joints in the steering for years without any issues the slip joint is there for a reason. Make sure the steering box is tight on the frame.