Curve Ball trail Breakage need pro's

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pilot

pilot

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Oct 6, 2008
Threads
24
Messages
200
Location
Richmond, Va
OK went hard wheeling this weekend in a full AllPro SAS'ed 88 4 runner with the high steer kit. GOt into the rock garden, and out of the blue I lost partial steering. ALL NEW PARTS PUMP/STEERING BOX/LINES/ EVERYTHING IS NEW!!!!!! She had a VERY tight turning radious before the rock garden 1) Part of the problem was the front axle (due to extreme flex) was shoved hard to the drivers side about 2 inches , and I basically lost steering to turn the vehicle left, I could turn it right, but then to turn left, I would spin the wheel 4.75 turns from hard lock right, to go to left and would go as far as center and thats it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. We thought it was a stripped pitman/steering shaft, but after removing pitman, there was no viseable damage . 2) all tie rods/ends/drag link/both steering arms/ etc.etc. are in their proper spot and tight. THe shaft going into the top of the steering gear is perfect and operating as it should. we winched the rig out, and I got Partial steering back( I think because the axle was recnetered under the truck and not under any side pressure,,, it will go lock to lock, but not as far as before. In other words, my steering does not have the tight radious that it used to, and I cant figure out what the hell the problem is... Has anyone ever had this issue before. Am I going freakin crazy?????
sorry to hound you guys with this issue, but I am lost.
 
The whole rest of the day, I had to do 2 and 3 point turns around trees, where the uzj80 cruiser ahead of me would tightly turn and go. So I know there is a problem, cause before the rock garden, I was pulling sharp turns that the 80 series actually had to do some 2 point turns. I think it my be something internally in the steering gear??????
 
I'm thinking it's internal in the steering box. Put the thing up on stands, disconnect the draglink from the pitman arm, make sure everything after that is working OK, go from there.
 
Are you sure you got the pitman arm back on in the correct spot? Did something get bent? Is the steering box limiting your turning radius or are the stops?
 
No Broken Birf. I am running the 30 Spline longfields with a detroit locker. everything is aperating as it should as far as 4x4. the steering just lost "hard" right and hard "left"
 
GOt it home and it is up on the jack stands. the chromoly arms are not bent, the chromoly drag and tie rods are straight, and 80 series ends are where they should be. at dead center of the steering wheel (with straight wheels) I got 2 1/4 turns to full lock on both sides. THe pitman arm is the All Pro arm and is straight, and does not hit the bump stops. How many turns do you all have from lock to lock on your steering wheels? I AM SURE THAT IT IS 43/4 turn from L to L. DOes axle movement REALLY effect steering that much to lose full left or right steering when jammed into a rock? Can a steering box drop a bearing or something that might stop it from turning full L to L?
 
It feels as though the steering box is limiting the amount of travel. In other words at full lock, It looks like the pitman arm can go another 1 inch further to the left and 1 inch further to the right, but does not, but that is what it needs to get the steering radious back to before the rock garden. That is why I question how many turns on a steering wheel from L to L on a comperable vehicle. And yes the pitman arm is dead center in the steering gear.
 
Holy Freakin sh&t. I figured it out............... I bent a god damn Chromoly pitman arm..............Its bent down 1" and twisted slightly clockwise. Not noticeable to the naked eye, but when you hold up a spare pitman arm to the location, it is def. bent. I cant believe it would make that much of a difference on my steering. I cant believe that slight difference would cause MAJOR steering holdbacks. WOW. thank god I had a spare, or there is NO WAY I would have figured out that one. with out having a spare laying around....... Sorry to waste your time guys, that one was throwing me for a loop.........
 
pilot said:
Holy Freakin sh&t. I figured it out............... I bent a god damn Chromoly pitman arm..............Its bent down 1" and twisted slightly clockwise. Not noticeable to the naked eye, but when you hold up a spare pitman arm to the location, it is def. bent. I cant believe it would make that much of a difference on my steering. I cant believe that slight difference would cause MAJOR steering holdbacks. WOW. thank god I had a spare, or there is NO WAY I would have figured out that one. with out having a spare laying around....... Sorry to waste your time guys, that one was throwing me for a loop.........
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Holy s***....Man you must have put some pressure on that arm:D

Glad it was not the box.
 
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