Ok, here's the deal. 2000 Jeep GC. Lots of play in the steering wheel. My 1st gen tracks down the road better Ball joints are good, excellent, actually. Tie-rod ends are new. Drag link ends are new. Swapped a steering box from an '04 with 20k miles. Just installed a new track bar. While lying under the vehicle and having the wife saw back and forth at the wheel, the axle shifts a solid 1-2 inches from side to side, even with the new track bar. The track bar hardware didn't show any signs of wear, so I re-used it. Is there anything else that helps steady the axle? I'm at the end of my rope with it and am really not comfortable having my wife commute with a vehicle that takes 110% concentration to keep between the lines Any input would be greatly appreciated before I take it to the dealer this week

 

Control arm bushings shot?

Try looking around on jeepforum.com, see if they have any ideas.

 

Yeah, I've got a thread going over there as well. I'm gonna try and snag a video of the front end from under the jeep--maybe someone will see something I'm missing.

 

Hard to say without looking at it. Try getting the front end up on a couple of jack stands, crawl under it and have a buddy move the wheels back and forth to see what is actually moving/loose under it. Otherwise your kinda shotgunning it.

 

I'm going out to shoot a video of it when my camera batteries are charged up. Basically, the axle moves left to right, relative to the 'frame', when turning the wheel. Limiting this movement is the track bar's job, as near as I can figure and the play felt in the wheel seems proportionate to the amount the axle moves before the wheels start to turn. Vid coming shortly....

 

Sorry I missed the part where you had actually done what I recommended.

So this is a solid front axle that has about 2 inches play in it? Never run into that one. So from what your saying (sorry dont have a Jeep in front of me for comparison) the solid front axle conects to the track bar connects to the frame? What about the other components (i.e. suspension) connecting the front axle to the Jeep. Are they shifting as well? I cant remember off the top of my head but is this a strut front end or a spring and shock? If either, what end is loose enough to give play to the axle laterally?

 

Yup, solid front axle. Part of the reason for the purchace---ease of maintainance---haha

Yup, axle, track bar, frame, jsut like 2nd and 3rd gen Dodges.

Suspension is coil spring with damper (shock)

I think the control arms locate the axle fore and aft only....

I'm uploading vids right now....

 

Couple vids. Sorry about the poor quality--I need one of those 'no shakey' digi cams Between the two clips, it should be clear what's moving and what's not...

 

Ooooo weee, I would have to say in my professional opinion something is loose...

On the rear of the axle you have two control arms (pretty sure they are called something else. Sad I should know what being a Master Tech and all.) They let the axle travel up and down but not side to side, in the second video you can see them moving. I would say this is where your getting most the lateral travel. Some more could be gotten rid of by replacing the bushings you showed up front, but I would focus on the control arms. Those should just go up and down not side to side.

 

There are 4 control arms--two upper and two lower. I can understand that they control movement fore and aft, but I don't understand how they can control side to side movement--they have no strength in that plane---hence the track bar. I'm not doubting your opinion, just saying how I think it works out loud to try and figure out what's going on. The bushings in the first video are those of the brand new track bar, albeit an aftermarket e-bay unit....

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far...just trying to wrap my head around how control-arm bushings could contribute to side to side movement...arrrghh!

 

No worries, this site (for repairs at least) is about brainstorming. With out us on the spot and even with a video its hard to make calls about what is going on.

Have you tried a Jeep forum? Someone may have run into this problem before.

HAH! I just got finished reading your other thread on the Jeep forum and the only response was the same one I gave you. Though like him I am a bit confused how it would happen.


I even noticed that I did get the right name for the control arm.

 

I've gotten a better response here than on jeepforum I'm really stumped. Ah well, there's beer in the fridge!

 

are the wheels moving side to side or just the axle housing? i would say control arm bushings or for a left field guess...unit bearings?

 

looking at the first vid, it looks like the bushings on the panhard bar are worn.
There should be a bar on top of the axle that prevents side to side movement.

black, clean part here
http://www.expeditionswest.com/equip...%20012_jpg.htm

 

Yeah, that's what I'm calling the track bar---sorry for the term confusion. In any event, that sucker is brand new....