Tightening steering steel steering box

[Gren71]

It's not a fix for that...........steering - even normal steering - will feel "lighter" when enough weight is transferred off the front. It will give the feeling of loose steering.
Be careful - too much can lead to trouble.

Im aware, thats why I haven’t messed with it. Sometimes doing Less is more with the Jt. But I definitely keep wondering about it

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[OHJeeper]

I had over an inch of dead-spot play in mine to the right and left. Making the adjustment tightened that up.

It did not fix what I would consider a "soft" steering feel, and I didn't expect it to: that would be more of what the sector shaft braces and firmer steering stabilizers would address.

 

[Lunentucker]

I finally did this today. I ended up moving mine just over 1/8 of a turn, closer to 1/4 and the slop (dead spot) is much better.

I started with a 4mm allen key, but could see it starting to slip and didn't want to strip out the set screw for obvious reasons. Moved to a 5/32" allen key and was able to break the seal and get the set screw moved. I used a 5/32" allen on a 3/8" drive ratchet with an extension bar to get down in the engine bay. Using a t-shaped allen key was not going to cut it... you need leverage.

I think the seal is actually the paint sprayed over the set screw, 15mm nut and the body of the steering gear. Not sure if there is any loctite on there, but I definitely didn't back the screw all the way out to check!

4 mm fits perfectly.
Yes, it's either loctite or painted in.
I think it's loctite.
I had to heat mine up pretty good before it would give.
This is still the single most effective fix for steering that I've done. Mine was done last February and it's still doing great.

 

[SC Doberman]

Is there an aftermarket steering box that will fix this?

 

[CrazyCooter]

PSC does have a big bore ported box that is a direct replacement and could be used for ram assist later.

I feel ram assist is in my future becuase it splits up the loads applied to the frame, track bar bushings, sector shaft, etc.......Should improve the play/dead spot situation and increase the overall life of the components with a ram actually generating direct forces to the actual tie rod without all the other pivot points?

 

[OHJeeper]

This is still the single most effective fix for steering that I've done. Mine was done last February and it's still doing great.

How far did you move your set screw?

 

[Lunentucker]

How far did you move your set screw?

I ended up around 1/8 turn, but I moved it up gradually, one clock position at a time.
And I went back to check the allen wrench size. It's 4mm.

 

[OHJeeper]

I ended up around 1/8 turn, but I moved it up gradually, one clock position at a time.
And I went back to check the allen wrench size. It's 4mm.

After taking some sage advice from @ShadowsPapa, I stress tested mine at lunch today. I sat on my driveway, which has a 10% grade, with the front wheels facing downhill to put as much weight on them as possible (and I have 37's). After turning the wheel lock-to-lock repeatedly for about 3 minutes I could definitely feel it getting tighter/heavier. Still not to the point where I could not turn it, but noticeable.

I'm going to back it off to closer to 1/8 of a turn and retest this weekend.

For me, the 4mm allen was just a tad (smidge?) too loose, the 5/32 was perfect. YMMV.

The picture I posted above (the "after") is a little misleading because of the angle of the camera - the set screw is not as close to 1/4 turn as it appears, it's more like 3/16, but I'm still backing it off a bit.

 

[Lunentucker]

After taking some sage advice from @ShadowsPapa, I stress tested mine at lunch today. I sat on my driveway, which has a 10% grade, with the front wheels facing downhill to put as much weight on them as possible (and I have 37's). After turning the wheel lock-to-lock repeatedly for about 3 minutes I could definitely feel it getting tighter/heavier. Still not to the point where I could not turn it, but noticeable.

I'm going to back it off to closer to 1/8 of a turn and retest this weekend.

For me, the 4mm allen was just a tad (smidge?) too loose, the 5/32 was perfect. YMMV.

The picture I posted above (the "after") is a little misleading because of the angle of the camera - the set screw is not as close to 1/4 turn as it appears, it's more like 3/16, but I'm still backing it off a bit.

Maybe I did settle on 4.5 mm. My memory sucks.

 

[Northridge4x4]

Is there an aftermarket steering box that will fix this?

PSC does have a big bore ported box that is a direct replacement and could be used for ram assist later.

I feel ram assist is in my future becuase it splits up the loads applied to the frame, track bar bushings, sector shaft, etc.......Should improve the play/dead spot situation and increase the overall life of the components with a ram actually generating direct forces to the actual tie rod without all the other pivot points?

Yes, as @CrazyCooter mentioned above, PSC has their Big Bore box and that is definitely the way to go when you get into 37+" tires.

It truly is a game changer. The steering feels much more controlled and @CrazyCooter is correct, the ram takes a lot of load off the steering box.

PSC makes multiple different kits depending on your model and whether or not you want/need hydro-assist ram (recommended above 37"s) and whether it is the factory axle or aftermarket front axle.

PSC 3.6 JT w/ assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...teering-package-for-aftermarket-d44-d60-axles

PSC 3.6 w/o assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/hydraulic-steering-kits/sk689r36jp3-psc-adventure-steering-kit

Many more kits found here: www.northridge4x4.com/brand/psc

They do take quite a bit of work to install. But if you like to wrench on your Jeep, it is doable in your own garage or driveway.

 

[Snapper692]

Yes, as @CrazyCooter mentioned above, PSC has their Big Bore box and that is definitely the way to go when you get into 37+" tires.

It truly is a game changer. The steering feels much more controlled and @CrazyCooter is correct, the ram takes a lot of load off the steering box.

PSC makes multiple different kits depending on your model and whether or not you want/need hydro-assist ram (recommended above 37"s) and whether it is the factory axle or aftermarket front axle.

PSC 3.6 JT w/ assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...teering-package-for-aftermarket-d44-d60-axles

PSC 3.6 w/o assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/hydraulic-steering-kits/sk689r36jp3-psc-adventure-steering-kit

Many more kits found here: www.northridge4x4.com/brand/psc

They do take quite a bit of work to install. But if you like to wrench on your Jeep, it is doable in your own garage or driveway.

For those of us who dont plan on going bigger than 37" tires, but want to beef up the steering a little, how about this kit from Apex?

Apex Performance Steering Boost Kit w Cooler - Jeep Rubicon 2018-2022 | X02-04-002|Northridge4x4

 

[Northridge4x4]

For those of us who dont plan on going bigger than 37" tires, but want to beef up the steering a little, how about this kit from Apex?

Apex Performance Steering Boost Kit w Cooler - Jeep Rubicon 2018-2022 | X02-04-002|Northridge4x4

Those are a great kit, we love 'em, especially for the 35 and 37" applications.

Here's one of our How-To videos on the Apex kit:

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yes, as @CrazyCooter mentioned above, PSC has their Big Bore box and that is definitely the way to go when you get into 37+" tires.

It truly is a game changer. The steering feels much more controlled and @CrazyCooter is correct, the ram takes a lot of load off the steering box.

PSC makes multiple different kits depending on your model and whether or not you want/need hydro-assist ram (recommended above 37"s) and whether it is the factory axle or aftermarket front axle.

PSC 3.6 JT w/ assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...teering-package-for-aftermarket-d44-d60-axles

PSC 3.6 w/o assist ram:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/hydraulic-steering-kits/sk689r36jp3-psc-adventure-steering-kit

Many more kits found here: www.northridge4x4.com/brand/psc

They do take quite a bit of work to install. But if you like to wrench on your Jeep, it is doable in your own garage or driveway.

It's obvious - to me, anyway, that the stock steering gear isn't going to handle the heft and "to the road grip" of the 37" tires very well.
I can stop my power steering just with stock tires and the load I have on the front end. When I have my snow plow lifted, not moving or moving very slowly, and I try to make a quick turn, it's dead for a split second. I'm pushing the limits when my tires (not quite as large as the Rubicon A/T tires but larger than stock Overland tires) which grip the concrete REALLY well. So adding 300+ pounds to the front - the steering is just handling it.
Frankly, if I were the sort to ever run tires bigger than 35 (doubtful I ever would - but if.....) I'd absolutely want a steering upgrade as far as the steering gear setup.
I don't know how these guys with the 37" tires getting into really rough rocky ground where turning the wheels means the tires are shoving big rocks - I don't know how their stock gear handles it.

 

[CrazyCooter]

It's obvious - to me, anyway, that the stock steering gear isn't going to handle the heft and "to the road grip" of the 37" tires very well.
I can stop my power steering just with stock tires and the load I have on the front end. When I have my snow plow lifted, not moving or moving very slowly, and I try to make a quick turn, it's dead for a split second. I'm pushing the limits when my tires (not quite as large as the Rubicon A/T tires but larger than stock Overland tires) which grip the concrete REALLY well. So adding 300+ pounds to the front - the steering is just handling it.
Frankly, if I were the sort to ever run tires bigger than 35 (doubtful I ever would - but if.....) I'd absolutely want a steering upgrade as far as the steering gear setup.
I don't know how these guys with the 37" tires getting into really rough rocky ground where turning the wheels means the tires are shoving big rocks - I don't know how their stock gear handles it.

It doesn't handle the rocks very well at all. The 37's were tolerable on the street assuming the air pressure was kept up, but I ran into issues while backing a trailer when it was hot and tires were sticky. A guy we just did Rubicon with was man handling his steering wheel a lot.

A guy like you with an intermittent load of the snow plow and smaller tires especially in the cooler weather could probably get away with the Apex booster.

The extra leverage generated by 35"+ tires on the trail just screams to spread the loads out to the components that are moving them....IE Tie rod. No way I could get behind someone on 40's, aluminum steering knuckles, and an Apex booster combined with a big bore box. Yes, it will probably work for a while till it doesn't and you end up with a bad failure on the trail in the middle of nowhere?

 

[Northridge4x4]

The APEX valve make turning 37s pretty easy, even off-road. Now it isn't a replacement for the PSC box, but for many people it will work.

The stock aluminum steering box seems to handle the 37s well enough. The steel boxes will be better, but they are still undersized for bigger tires.

What we're guessing going to see is the sector shaft bearings will start getting sloppy after a few years of wheeling with bigger tires, eventually with a few broken sector shafts. This what we saw in the JK world.

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