wandering wagoneers

Full-Size Jeeps - wander on wagoneers.com

Full-Size Jeeps - wander
------------------------------
Date:  20 May 97 14:24:43 EDT
From: Michael B
Subject: Wagoneer wander from 4WD Forum on CIS

Below is a message posted in the 4WD Forum on Compuserve. 

 Has anyone had any luck curing the wagoneer wander. My last one was an 81'
and drove perfectly with almost 300,000 miles on it. My brother had a 77'
that wandered, and my 85' wanders as well as several others I have seen. Some
ideas I have heard is its just the nature of the rambler steering box, and to
change to a GM unit and this will fix the problem. Tires are good, allignment
has been checked and is good, shocks are new RS9000's Ball studs are slightly
tight but within limits of 25ftlbs per jeep manual. Bushings are also good,
and it wears tires normal. It has been sugested to remove the track bars but
I saw no change after doing this, just better suspension movement. Any
comment or experience would be helpful. Thanks Norm Edson 71063,2125

 ___________________________________

 my reply to him:

 ** Has anyone had any luck curring the wagoneer wander. My last one was an
81' and drove perfectly with almost 300,000 miles on it. My brother had a 77'
that wandered, and my 85' wanders as well as several others I have seen.

 **  Some ideas I have heard is its just the nature of the rambler
 steering box, and to change to a GM unit and this will fix the problem. **

 They had GM Saginaw PS boxes (the good ones with 4 mounting bolts and
 "76" cast into the case) from circa 1966 until the final year in 1991.

 ** allignment has been checked and is good

 How about caster...did they say anything at all about the caster? Do you
 have a printout of the final specs.?

 Did they adjust the steering box and check the condition of the damper
 (if installed)?

 **  Bushings are also good, and it wears tires normal. It has been
 suggested to remove the track bars but I saw no change after doing this **

 By bushings I assume you mean the tie rod and control rod (often called the
 drag link) ends?

 I was not aware that Jeep was using track bars (also called pannard bars and
 watts bars) on '85s? Your talking about the bar directly above the axle that
 runs from one frame rail down to a mount on the opposite side of the axle
 housing?

 It sounds like you have a caster problem to me. Apparently finding an
 alignment shop that will install degree shims between the springs and the
 axle is rare these days. If everything is checked and tight, I can think of
 no other explanation.

 Both my '79s go straight and true and both of them have had caster shims
 installed at some point over the years. Sorry to ask so many questions. I
 need more input to be sure but, it sounds like caster.

 I'll forward your post to the Full-Size Jeep mailing list.

 -- Michael B
 From Reno, NV USA on 20-May-1997 at 11:20:42 PDT

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