CJ bump steer issues!!

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nooch13

New member
I am about to pickup an 83 CJ that is sprung over with a 4 inch lift on 36's. Apparently it has a nasty case of bumpsteer. How hard is that to fix and how costly is it? What would need to be replaced? It has a single steering stabilizer on it now, I know it would need a double, what else?
 
Dennis

Dennis

Administrator
Staff member
Steering stabilizers never fix a problem, they just mask it. A well-designed steering system doesn't need a steering stabilizer at all. To fix bumpsteer you need to either run a trackbar that's parallel to the draglink, or redesign the system (do crossover or hi-steer), so the draglink is close to parallel to the ground at ride height.

A picture of the steering from the front-end would help.
 
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rusty_tlc

New member
As I understand it HiSteer is the better solution since it also gets the linkage above the axle out of harms way.
Edit: Just wanted to add, I agree about stabilizers, I corrected some problems with my old set up and was able to pull the stabilizer off.
 
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Dennis

Dennis

Administrator
Staff member
rusty_tlc said:
As I understand it HiSteer is the better solution since it also gets the linkage above the axle out of harms way.
Click to expand...

depends how big of a tie-rod you build. :D:D:D it might be helpful to protect the diff cover and other things if it's beefy. plus, it's cheaper to do crossover, as you only have to do one hi-steer arm, not two.
 
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nooch13

New member
How hard is a crossover to do? I have never messed with that before. How much would it run me to try and do it myself?
 
Dennis

Dennis

Administrator
Staff member
What axles does the Jeep have? Most likely you'll need to swap to a different steering knuckle on the passenger side (flat top knuckle, then get a steering arm). Then you'll have to fab a custom drag link.

If you can post a picture of the steering it would help tremedously, as we have no idea what set-up does the Jeep currently have.

BTW, SOA with 4" springs is way too much lift for 36". My brother-in-law fit 33s on stock CJ7 with 2" body lift. SOA with stock springs should be enough. Your solution could be in bringing the ride height lower, which has it's own benefits (like, lower COG, etc).
 
Dennis

Dennis

Administrator
Staff member
It doesn't look like the drag link angle is too bad, I dunno where the bumpsteer comes from. However, people often mess up the terminology, so it could have "Death Wobble".

Hmm, it's got 4:1 kit, but never been offroad. :rolleyes:
 

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nooch13

New member
lol, I said the same thing! The guy I am buying it from already has 3 Jeeps. He just bought it from an 85 year old man who broke his hip and has no more use for it. I could be legit or it could be BS, but it still looks like a nice rig. What would you pay for it?
 
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mikeCJ-7

New member
Castor angles can cause bump steer. I would inquire more about who did the spring over and what they set the castor to. If it is in fact castor it will be a pain to change so take that into consideration when negotiating your price.
 
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nooch13

New member
OK, a bit of an update, the Jeep has no sway bars on it at all. I just found that out. When they did the spring over, there was no way to mount them as the mounting posts now face the back. I bet that has something to do with it!
 
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nooch13

New member
ok, now I am confused. I thought they did and the guy who is selling it said he has the one that came off of it, but the mounting perches are now on the back due to the SOA. He also said you can not just swap sides as the mounts are different on each side. So now I am officially confused. I guess I will stick with my plan and drop down to an SOA with a 2" lift and add a 4" drop pitman arm. I hope that will fix it as I am on a budget and I am trying to avoid a high steer due to the price
 
Dennis

Dennis

Administrator
Staff member
Sorry, CJ never had trackbars, and only front swaybar. It will barely do anythjing for how your steering feels, so I wouldn't worry about it. You'll have more sway when cornering, but with SOA on 4" springs you shouldn't drive it like a sports car anyways. I suggest going with stock Wrangler springs with SOA.
 
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mikeCJ-7

New member
A stock YJ spring is nice due to the 2.5" width. However a stock SUA spring was not designed for SOA and will sag faster. If you want a nice spring call up alcan spring and they will build you a leaf spring for your rig. As denis said, leaf spring vehicles do not use trackbars as they are not needed, leaf springs stabilize side to side travel of the axle. You will not need a sway bar just drive accordingly.
 
RARECJ8

RARECJ8

Well-known member
it all could stem from the SOA-- if the spring perches were not cut off and rewelded to correct angle, that may throw all else out of whack. ur drag link and tie-rod should both be as parallel to eachother as possible. if its death wobble, try this-- get it going and if the shakes start, stab the brakes and if that solves the shakes, u likely have DW. another way is to lift both front tires off the ground w/ a floor jack under front diff and give each wheel a good twist back/forth, up/down and look for excessive play.

whats up w/ the odd location of the hawse fairlead?

how much is it worth? thats really subjective. consider taking it to a shop or trusted mechanic and have them 'go thru' it and use any repair issues to get a lower price. generally speaking, a running CJ w/ working 4wd should fetch at least $1500
good luck

mb
 
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