Front end play STILL

[Finallyaty]

Ok, I've replaced ball joints,tie rods,steering shaft, zq8 box, steering shaft bushing, idler arm, pitman arm. Still have about 3/4 inch of play in the wheel everywhere! Am I missing something? I love my Ty but I hate the play in the wheel! I'm willing to try just about anything! Thoughts??

 

[bonesdmz]

Re: Front end play STILL

Let someone rotate your steering wheel back and forth, and check every joint down from the wheel to steering box. You'll find where it is.

I assume you have solid jeep shaft?

 

[Finallyaty]

Re: Front end play STILL

I have tried that, the play seems in the steering box! This is the 2nd zq8 I've put. Yes it is a jeep shaft. Are the zq8 boxes really this bad? I actually tightened this box a little. Does someone make a better box?

 

[MikeRenz]

Re: Front end play STILL

with your hood up and your drivers window down...grab a hold of the steering column nub / top of the steering shaft with your left hand, and grab the steering wheel with your right. hold tight and twist them in opposite directions and see if the slop is within your steering column. our tilt columns aren't the best/tightest design ever and usually have the last bit of slop which isn't something you can easily get rid of.

 

[rentedmule]

Re: Front end play STILL

The first ZQ8 box I swapped into my truck died within a year so it is possible that it's a bad box.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Front end play STILL

I had play in my Jeep shaft, removed it, and went back to my stock shaft. Also some play in my stock steering box. I adjusted that and got rid of almost all the play. You have to be very careful adjusting the steering box. It's very easy to go from -0-, or almost -0- anyway, to binding. Best done by a shop maybe?

Also the steering box only has -0- play at its dead center position if, by chance, the box is for some reason off its center position while you're going straight it will have some play. Since you replaced the pitman arm I would definitely look into that.

Edit: If the pitman arm and steering box shaft are "indexed" than the above could be a non issue but the the box still needs to be in the center of its travel when the wells are centered.