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Loose Steering Box Bolts

Renegade

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I noticed a creaking sound today coming from my steering. I had my daughter turn the wheel while I checked for play in various components, and noticed the steering box moving. I checked the bolts attaching it to the frame and 2 of 4 bolts were loose. Now, I have been fairly hard on it off road, but they still should not have been loose with 8,500 miles on it. I tightened them back up and there was no more creaking. I will pull them one at a time and add locktite when I get the opportunity. If anyone else hears or notices something similar, check your bolts.
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I noticed a creaking sound today coming from my steering. I had my daughter turn the wheel while I checked for play in various components, and noticed the steering box moving. I checked the bolts attaching it to the frame and 2 of 4 bolts were loose. Now, I have been fairly hard on it off road, but they still should not have been loose with 8,500 miles on it. I tightened them back up and there was no more creaking. I will pull them one at a time and add locktite when I get the opportunity. If anyone else hears or notices something similar, check your bolts.
ill have to give em a look
 

Gren71

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Spec is 99 ft/lbs. All of mine were out of that, but 2 were very loose.
thanks!!! Saved me a TON of aimless googling to find that.:fist bump:
 

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Checked mine after reading this and all 4 were loose, at least one full turn of the bolt before I got to 99 ft/lbs. So I started checking other bolts and so far the box was the only thing that was not torqued to spec.
 

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Gren71

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I checked mine yesterday and they were less than 95ft lbs. tightened em up and it seems to have made a difference.

On my way in to work today, all highway for about 45 miles. I typically get 22-24mpg with cruise set to 65mph. And ive had a slight pull to the right before i did this.

The pull to the right is stronger now, feels like i have to hold the wheel a bit more to maintain straight. Also i got 18-20 mpg the drive in. The only thing I did was tighten the bolts.

so today im going to do a little experiment and, when i get home, ill loosen all four bolts. Then torque to 85ft lbs and see if that makes a notable difference in my mpg.

im having a nee spacer lift and alignment done in a week so im not concerned about the pull to the right so much right now.

it will be wild to me if this makes a difference since its the only thing i “changed” Between And today.
 
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I checked mine yesterday and they were less than 95ft lbs. tightened em up and it seems to have made a difference.

On my way in to work today, all highway for about 45 miles. I typically get 22-24mpg with cruise set to 65mph. And ive had a slight pull to the right before i did this.

The pull to the right is stronger now, feels like i have to hold the wheel a bit more to maintain straight. Also i got 18-20 mpg the drive in. The only thing I did was tighten the bolts.

so today im going to do a little experiment and, when i get home, ill loosen all four bolts. Then torque to 85ft lbs and see if that makes a notable difference in my mpg.

im having a nee spacer lift and alignment done in a week so im not concerned about the pull to the right so much right now.

it will be wild to me if this makes a difference since its the only thing i “changed” Between And today.
Tightening the bolts did not affect your fuel mileage- I guarantee that. It shouldn’t have created a pull either.
 

Gren71

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Tightening the bolts did not affect your fuel mileage- I guarantee that. It shouldn’t have created a pull either.
yea Im sure, it was just a interesting combination of things from one change. Made me want to do the experiment.

Where did you find the torque specs for those bolts? Im having a hard time finding info on it.
 
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Gren71

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I mean what item are you looking at specifically?

Nothing there says it in a way that my minuscule understanding of drive linkage can process. I get that its the box that the pitman arm connects to, but cant seem to find exactly what that is called. I did see in those specs that there is an item called "power steering gear bolts", and I see that it says 99ft lbs there. But is that really what those four bolts are refereed to?

At this point im just curious to learn, not questioning your info.
 

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I mean what item are you looking at specifically?

Nothing there says it in a way that my minuscule understanding of drive linkage can process. I get that its the box that the pitman arm connects to, but cant seem to find exactly what that is called. I did see in those specs that there is an item called "power steering gear bolts", and I see that it says 99ft lbs there. But is that really what those four bolts are refereed to?

At this point im just curious to learn, not questioning your info.
Steering gear and steering box are synonymous.
 

Gren71

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Steering gear and steering box are synonymous.

Thanks!

and im sure youll be surprised to hear...changing the torque on the bolts made no difference in my MPG (shocker). Oddly enough, taking them down to 85ft lbs also didnt change the steering at all. I re tightened them to 99 to be safe.
 

EugeneTheJeep

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Here are the actual torque specs from FCA for the Gladiator as of yesterday. The long bolts are in the front. This may yield more than 99 ft lbs.

Jeep Gladiator Loose Steering Box Bolts DEF35CB0-1294-40BB-A745-60900395596D
 

Gren71

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Here are the actual torque specs from FCA for the Gladiator as of yesterday. The long bolts are in the front. This may yield more than 99 ft lbs.

DEF35CB0-1294-40BB-A745-60900395596D.jpeg
what does that even mean? 44+170' My first thought is that it mean torque to 44ft lbs, then turn the bolt an additional 170 degrees...but i feel like that is not what its saying.
 
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what does that even mean? 44+170' My first thought is that it mean torque to 44ft lbs, then turn the bolt an additional 170 degrees...but i feel like that is not what its saying.
That is how that works. The 99 ft/lbs came from the JL site’s “official” torque specs.
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