Hey all, forgot to mention this before but recently I test drove 2 older Grand Cherokee's, a 1994 and a 1997. Both had very very sloppy steering, and I had to hold the steering wheel sideways slightly to keep it straight. Are all old Jeep/Dodge vehicles like this? Only asking because I have grown fond of the older Jeeps and older Rams (Lets say 1994-1998 for the Jeeps and 1994-2001 for the Rams) Thanks!
Are all old Chryslers/Dodges/Jeeps like this?
- Thread starter renegade_987
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My 2001 Chrysler T and C stays straight as an arrow. Steering has always felt pretty good in it. I'm guessing someone did a decent amount of offroad driving in that GC.
I had a buddy in High School, 1997 or so, that had a jeep from around that time.
He too had sloppy steering. It was almost like the steering wheel was loose, and there was give between when the car would begin to adjust left from right.
He said that driving on the highway was interesting because you were always weaving back and forth keeping it between the lines.
I too always wondered if he needed new steering components, seemed unsafe at high speeds, but he was my ride. I didn't complain on the suburban streets we took to and from school.
He too had sloppy steering. It was almost like the steering wheel was loose, and there was give between when the car would begin to adjust left from right.
He said that driving on the highway was interesting because you were always weaving back and forth keeping it between the lines.
I too always wondered if he needed new steering components, seemed unsafe at high speeds, but he was my ride. I didn't complain on the suburban streets we took to and from school.
I heard the sticks have sloppy seconds.
SuperDave456 He too had sloppy steering. It was almost like the steering wheel was loose said:
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I presume IA doesn't do state inspections?
That strikes me as a "gas n go" type vehicle where someone wouldn't invest money in hard parts if not cornered by the force of law.
Nope, no inspections here.
I presume IA doesn't do state inspections?
That strikes me as a "gas n go" type vehicle where someone wouldn't invest money in hard parts if not cornered by the force of law.
Nope, no inspections here.
This sort of sloppy steering develops slowly over years so sometimes the driver may not even notice it. Excessive wear in the steering gear or the track bar may not be noticed by a mechanic who's working on other things. The result is that the problem gets ignored and the steering stays sloppy.
Originally Posted By: renegade_987
Are all old Jeep/Dodge vehicles like this?
Nope. My '96 GC drives straight. I have noticed that the steering is very tractor like, but it isn't loose or sloppy.
I wouldn't worry about it; they are super easy to work on and the parts are cheap too.
Are all old Jeep/Dodge vehicles like this?
Nope. My '96 GC drives straight. I have noticed that the steering is very tractor like, but it isn't loose or sloppy.
I wouldn't worry about it; they are super easy to work on and the parts are cheap too.
My '96 Cherokee goes straight down the road with the steering wheel level. No slop in steering.
Don't know much about the new stuff,,my time zone on Jeeps was the old CJ-5, 304 V-8. Old fashion , yep, were they fast, fast enough to roll over,,,o to 60 was about 9 seconds,,mileage, poor, maybe 12 mpg. The girls loved them, but that's a blurr to.
Check the tie rods and track bars.
Our Cherokee goes perfectly straight. My Wrangler does too, even at 70MPH in the Utah desert running 38x16 MT Claws.
Our Cherokee goes perfectly straight. My Wrangler does too, even at 70MPH in the Utah desert running 38x16 MT Claws.
It's fairly common for the drag link end to wear out on GC's of that age. It results in a lot of slop and wandering when it gets bad. The tie rod adjuster threads also like to rust solid on those so some techs will go out of their way to not adjust the steering unless they absolutely have to.
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
How many miles did they have? I too am betting something is wore out.. If ZJ's are known for slopping steering, its a new one on me.
One was at 200K and the other 182K
How many miles did they have? I too am betting something is wore out.. If ZJ's are known for slopping steering, its a new one on me.
One was at 200K and the other 182K
Sloppy steering is usually caused by a worn out trackbar bushing. You can buy a hard plastic one that lasts much longer than the oe rubber one does.
if its anything like the older f150's that slack is usually found in the steer gear
play in the steering box ??
The steering boxes in the Jeeps definitely can wear out. Even with new TREs, etc. I have about a 1/2" of slop in mine (it tracks perfectly, however). A full steering box adjustment or rebuild will tighten it up a good bit.
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