Wobbling in Steering Wheel. Time for New Tie Rod/Drag Link?

[ShadowsPapa]

Every wheel should have a few weights on it, if yours are missing, get it into a tire place and have them do a rebalance. That may be your problem.

You've not seen General tires, apparently. My neighbor has one wheel with no weights, another with a really small weight.
Mine - minimal weights.
"A few weights" means the tires don't balance well, or the wheels don't.

efore anything I want to mention I've already installed the Steersmarts track bar and sector shaft brace due to some wobble when I bought the Jeep.

The just start tossing parts at it plan? Sector shaft brace doesn't do squat for wobble - it may brace the steering gear, but it's like saying put on the seat belt in order to keep the truck from going off the road.

Probably a stupid question but I went out and looked at the wheels. The driver side has no weights, the passenger does. Did they fly off or possible they were never there?

I could show you my neighbors new wheels and tires - he's got one that balanced fine with no weights.
So it doesn't mean anything until you have them actually checked. Also know where to look - often they are where they are hard to see.

I have it towed in just a bit. I was under the impression tow in for RWD. I had just adjusted it before leaving and it was fine on the way there but on the way back it was a bit rough driving

Sounds real accurate.. LOL
If the wheels have been changed and not the same backset, etc. - or there are spacers, you may have to reconsider the proper TOE settings needed.
Normally, STOCK wheels and tires, toe-in is needed.

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[mx5red]

Probably a stupid question but I went out and looked at the wheels. The driver side has no weights, the passenger does. Did they fly off or possible they were never there?

Like @Tech Tim said. Worth checking. Maybe it didn't need any weights to balance but odds are it did.
Those junk MT/Rs I have are full of weights and still wobble

 

[Jteakus]

I tend to always start with a rotation and balance if nothing jumps out at me.

 

[BringTheLightnin]

I just realized the title was changed since I posted it. I was wondering if a drag link and tie rod would help not they are installed and started to wobble. But thank you everyone. When I get a chance, probably Monday, I'll check if anything of the ends are loose (not the bolts already torqued them down) and go get my tires looked at. I'll keep up to date with what it is or think it is

 

[mdyucca]

Are you still using the stock uppers?

Yes I have the original upper control arms.

 

[THE SANDALORIAN]

Was wondering if getting a new one will help. Do you have to drill holes for the apex?

No holes for the tie rod or drag link. I did install a new steering stabilizer and relocation bracket that required a small hole be drilled next to the track bar bolt. Nothing intrusive.

 

[Tech Tim]

You've not seen General tires, apparently. My neighbor has one wheel with no weights, another with a really small weight.
Mine - minimal weights.
"A few weights" means the tires don't balance well, or the wheels don't.

I've been in the 4x4 industry for 30 years and have never seen a 35" tire/wheel combinationation take zero weights. Not saying it couldn't happen, just never seen it in hundreds of sets of tires.

I've seen quite a few take very minimal weights, we even had a 40 in here a few weeks ago take 3.5oz which was pretty surprising.

**Edit** I went down and talked with the mechanics. They assemble multiple sets of wheels/tires every week. One of them has been with us 3 years and he says he has seen two 35" tires come through not needing weight. Another mechanic has been with us 4 years and he says he's seen 4 or 5 not needing any weight. So it's definitely possible.

I could show you my neighbors new wheels and tires - he's got one that balanced fine with no weights.

Please do, I'd love to see a 33"+ wheel/tire combo with zero weights. Even more impressive would be to see the balance read-out on it.

Here's a screen grab of the balance read-out on a 37" tire balancing to 3.5oz., that is dang good in my book for a 37" with a beadlock.

From this video:

 

[BringTheLightnin]

Alright so it was daylight yesterday after work for once and I found the weights on the wheel. The passenger side definitely has way more than the driver side but it didn't look clean anywhere like they had fallen off. Still going to get it checked out Monday though.

I did just think of something though... When I adjusted my tow before the trip my tie rod felt extremely loose. Like I could move it around with ease after loosening the clamp to adjust it. Is this normal? Or should it be tight even with that clamp loosened?

 

[BringTheLightnin]

Got into the tire shop today. Wheels were out of balance. It definitely drives better. Thanks to everyone.

However, it's still not completely right.. the steering feels looser than it did before taking it off road and there's like a ghost of a death wobble. Not full on death wobble but a small hint of it if that makes any sense. Gonna try adjusting the toe on Monday and see if that helps. Tried to get an alignment when I was at the shop but got a call half way through saying they didn't have the right tools to do it ...

 

[BringTheLightnin]

I think I figured it out for the most part. The nut on the sector shaft was so loose it nearly fell off when I took the brace off to retorque it. Slobbed some red loctite on and torqued it down. Drives great. Still pulls so thinking of adjustable lower control arms and taking it in to get it aligned

 

[Lunentucker]

Wow

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think I figured it out for the most part. The nut on the sector shaft was so loose it nearly fell off when I took the brace off to retorque it. Slobbed some red loctite on and torqued it down. Drives great. Still pulls so thinking of adjustable lower control arms and taking it in to get it aligned

We've seen a couple of those after dealers did the TSB for the steering gear - they re-used the factory nuts which is a no-no. Tyler has a video and write-up on it out there.
Ideally you use a NEW nut and the subsequent TSB did come out finally telling them to use a NEW nut. But at the very least- Loctite. Me, I'd buy a new nut (mine being stock).

Wow

I view that 177 as a minimum. Heck, the control arm bolts get more than that.
I guess what you are suggesting is that someone didn't read the book LOL
Loctite AND torque of that magnitude it should never come loose. In the 1970s and 80s, you even staked the shaft to prevent the nut from coming loose- in addition to the other. No way in #@$% it was going to come loose.
Think of the forces on that thing - the steering force, the fact it absorbs any vibrations not taken care of by the stabilizer, etc. - it's a lot of stuff that thing has to handle. And yet people don't lock that nut in place - and techs re-using the old nut. Scary.

 

[BringTheLightnin]

We've seen a couple of those after dealers did the TSB for the steering gear - they re-used the factory nuts which is a no-no. Tyler has a video and write-up on it out there.
Ideally you use a NEW nut and the subsequent TSB did come out finally telling them to use a NEW nut. But at the very least- Loctite. Me, I'd buy a new nut (mine being stock).


I view that 177 as a minimum. Heck, the control arm bolts get more than that.
I guess what you are suggesting is that someone didn't read the book LOL
Loctite AND torque of that magnitude it should never come loose. In the 1970s and 80s, you even staked the shaft to prevent the nut from coming loose- in addition to the other. No way in #@$% it was going to come loose.
Think of the forces on that thing - the steering force, the fact it absorbs any vibrations not taken care of by the stabilizer, etc. - it's a lot of stuff that thing has to handle. And yet people don't lock that nut in place - and techs re-using the old nut. Scary.

I did 185 on it as I couldn't physically get it any tighter while laying on my back lol.

I still have a bit of wobble when driving. Assuming it's the drag link but I'll look at the bushings when I get home today and my wife can wiggle the steering wheel

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I did 185 on it as I couldn't physically get it any tighter while laying on my back lol.

I still have a bit of wobble when driving. Assuming it's the drag link but I'll look at the bushings when I get home today and my wife can wiggle the steering wheel

I can still get down and under things - getting up I sometimes need a bit of help LOL So I just roll around on the creeper, hopefully with any tools I need until I'm done.

 

[Lunentucker]

I guess what you are suggesting is that someone didn't read the book LOL
Loctite AND torque of that magnitude it should never come loose.

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