Steering advice - maybe broke something?

boardsurfer

boardsurfer

Active Member
Yesterday I smacked my Jeep into a concrete wall after a blind corner in the parking garage at work. There was a patch of ice there that I didnt see. I was barely moving, but it was enough to knock my steering wheel almost 90 degrees to the right. My front left wheel took the hit, nothing else.

I had a friend crank the wheel back and forth while I looked around underneath - everything looked to be in order. Nothing moving that should not be, etc. I couldnt drive it though because with the wheel so far off, the traction control was freaking out. So I busted out some tools and adjusted the drag link to center the steering wheel and I was able to drive home just fine.

What I cant help to think is that adjusting the drag link is only compensating for .. something being off. I just dont know what is off.

Can the drag link buckle actually skip threads? I figure if that happened, I would know it when I adjusted it. I was able to spin it easily to center the steering wheel.

Are there gears or teeth in the steering box that can skip? Can the pitman arm skip teeth?

The tie rod looks like it is still straight but I need to measure my toe in to be sure. (It was freezing last night, I just wanted to get home)

Track bar is solid.

Since driving home yesterday everything feels totally normal. It drives straight, steering feels like it always has.

I dont know. What else should I be looking at?
 
Being that you're saying that everything else checks out, it's very possible/likely that you've twisted your sector shaft.
 
I think Slimebones had this exact scenario happen to him on a rock on a trail and since adjusting the drag link, he hasn't had any abnormal symptoms. I don't know that he found out what caused the wheel to originally be off though.
 
I did have something similar happen to me up on Red Cone this year. End result was front wheels being toed "out" by one quarter inch.
General consensus at that time was that the threads had slipped on tie rod adjuster. Seemed a little strange to me but I adjusted toe back to spec and adjusted steering wheel then with drag link and everything drove correct at that point. A twisted sector shaft seems to make sense, as Eddie suggests and would like to know how to check that as well.

Saw this earlier but had to wait till I got off work to reply. Hope you have found the problem by now.
 
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wayoflife said:
Being that you're saying that everything else checks out, it's very possible/likely that you've twisted your sector shaft.
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Had this exact thing happen to me 20+ years ago.

I had a 1991 Dodge 250 with a Cummins and 42's.

I even removed the pitman arm and did not see the crack.

Driving down a curvy country road and my steering wheel began to move off center with each turn.

I pulled over in a strangers driveway and as I made the turn into the driveway the sector broke and my drag link fell off.

Probably the closest I have ever came to killing myself in a vehicle.

1hL2Uv9.jpg
 
wv14jk said:
Had this exact thing happen to me 20+ years ago.

I had a 1991 Dodge 250 with a Cummins and 42's.

I even removed the pitman arm and did not see the crack.

Driving down a curvy country road and my steering wheel began to move off center with each turn.

I pulled over in a strangers driveway and as I made the turn into the driveway the sector broke and my drag link fell off.

Probably the closest I have ever came to killing myself in a vehicle.

View attachment 282594
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Holy sh*t. [emoji44]
 
fiend said:
Holy sh*t. [emoji44]
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Yeah ... I've kept it all these years as a reminder ...

Never again let anything like that go without fixing it, even if it means replacing everything.

My wife and kids rode in the truck with that thing fractured up in the steering box.
 
wv14jk said:
Yeah ... I've kept it all these years as a reminder ...

Never again let anything like that go without fixing it, even if it means replacing everything.

My wife and kids rode in the truck with that thing fractured up in the steering box.
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This is a sore subject for me as well.... I have snapped 3 Pitman Arm shafts on my 2500hd w/ 35" tires.... Once in a driveway after a long drive, Once while launching a boat 400 miles from home and once in my driveway while servicing parts.... It's f'n scary and I would be lying if I didn't say every time I make a turn it's in the back of my head.... It's crazy to me how one little part can kill you if it snaps at the wrong time. I have been following closely to sector shaft breaks here on the forum and plan on taking any precautions necessary.
 
Did you figure it out? I had the same thing happen in Colorado this summer and it turned out to be the frame side track bar mount.
 
Thanks everyone for the posts.

aTX427 said:
Did you figure it out? I had the same thing happen in Colorado this summer and it turned out to be the frame side track bar mount.
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I have not had a chance to dig in yet, it gets dark before I get home from work. :icon_crazy:

Tomorrow I will investigate. I am afraid to pull the pitman arm though because I am not sure I can get it back to 225ft/lbs.
 
boardsurfer said:
Thanks everyone for the posts.



I have not had a chance to dig in yet, it gets dark before I get home from work. :icon_crazy:

Tomorrow I will investigate. I am afraid to pull the pitman arm though because I am not sure I can get it back to 225ft/lbs.
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If the sector shaft is twisted, you might be able to see evidence of it just above the pitman arm.
 
boardsurfer said:
Thanks everyone for the posts.



I have not had a chance to dig in yet, it gets dark before I get home from work. :icon_crazy:

Tomorrow I will investigate. I am afraid to pull the pitman arm though because I am not sure I can get it back to 225ft/lbs.
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If you are going to pull the pitman arm, spray it down with PB Blaster tonight. It will help a ton. Those things are on tight. I assume you have access to a pitman arm puller as well?
 
WJCO said:
If you are going to pull the pitman arm, spray it down with PB Blaster tonight. It will help a ton. Those things are on tight. I assume you have access to a pitman arm puller as well?
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I dont have a puller. I suppose Autozone or whatever can lend one.
 
boardsurfer said:
I dont have a puller. I suppose Autozone or whatever can lend one.
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Yes, you can rent one for free at Autozone but really, before you start pulling anything, I would try my hardest to look and see any signs of twisting or cracking first.
 
boardsurfer said:
Thanks everyone for the posts.



I have not had a chance to dig in yet, it gets dark before I get home from work. :icon_crazy:

Tomorrow I will investigate. I am afraid to pull the pitman arm though because I am not sure I can get it back to 225ft/lbs.
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Do you have a torque wrench? It's actually not that bad, I just reinstalled mine last week. It's not in much of an awkward spot so you can actually get some leverage.
Impact + Pitman arm puller + hammer made short work of the removal. Mines older than yours and I had it off in a couple of minutes.
Torque spec is only 185 btw.
 
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