Steering issue

[lcoutback]

Project rust bucket has hit a snag. My $400 '89 Comanche has yielded a good running 4.0 Renix with 137k miles and a clutch that appears good. Just four rust spots in the floor that will be an easy fix, other rust is cosmetic.  I was going to take it for a spin to see if the BA10 is a survivor, and my steering gave up as I pulled onto the road. Luckily I have a large yard that I could back into with the gentle sweep to the right I seem to be stuck with at the moment. The steering wheel turns about half a turn, power steering pump is quiet and full of clean fluid, and I can't find any mechanical obstruction with the front end. Thoughts?

[rokinn]

Might want to check this on your steering column shaft for tightness.

[Green Mesa XJ]

If I remember right the Xj and MJ of this era had the gm style couplers some were rubber rag joint that could fail like this, later coupler were stronger less prone to failure.


At least in the early xj the style used there is different from the 91 era despite essentially the same steering column and steering gears. I don’t think it’s as bad as the gm design but there is a difference between the early amc and later Chrysler 91-94-95 style. It could be renix is the same as the later Chrysler

I had trouble with the 91-92 steering gears, rebuilt all the steering components to find it still was sloppy, swapped two rebuilt steering gears. On a whim I swapped a later(98-99) low mileage steering gear in and it was a huge difference. Found out later those steering gears we bought from the parts stores had issues with being worn out to start with and just being refreshed with new seals,

Now the amc steering gears seemed better built than the 1991s, the old amc xj beat up and taken around the world never had bad steering with 300k miles. I was always frustrated the 91s steering was so sloppy.

Now if the steering shaft is ok then look at the drag link, stabilizer and other connections if one breaks or was installed wrong it screws it all up.



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