Trying to chase the cause of offset steering wheel.

Dance class??

Yeah my wife signed my six year old daughter up for Irish dance out of some misguided idea that children have to be part of some activity or another.

There has also been a new development on the issue. While fooling with it today, I noticed that the driver wheel hub was very hard to turn. The hub is disengaged, and the brakes did not seem to be sticking.
So I removed the caliper and locking hub and the inside of the hub was cruddy with grime and had water in it. The passenger side turns easily. I had it apart last year as well to adjust the bearing play, it was clean and greasy inside then.

So perhaps as I was driving around that day, the bearing was seizing and just gradually locked up as it heated up. That could explain a pull to the left at all times and some of the offset to right steering.

So currently my intention is to replace the front wheel bearings, races and knuckle seals, and the one drag link tie rod that didn't last a year. Perhaps that will solve my issue since I can't find anything suspect in the steering itself.

Just thinking, have you checked the steering box frame bolts? Or for frame cracks in the same area? One area that shall have blue locktite on the 3 bolts to keep them from backing out.

If you only have 3 bolts holding that steering box on the frame you do have troubles. All my CUCV steering boxes are held on with 4 bolts. Better check that one deep down in the web of the cross member. Have a Great Day. They are 7/16 bolts. They need torqued tight. Good Luck.

I installed the Off Road design steering brace on my steering box when I did my front end repairs. Everything is tight, I see no problem there.

Currently my course of action is going to be replacing the bearings and seals on the driver side and redriving it to check if that makes any difference. I've also got a new drag link end coming.

sneekyeye said:

I installed the Off Road design steering brace on my steering box when I did my front end repairs. Everything is tight, I see no problem there.

Currently my course of action is going to be replacing the bearings and seals on the driver side and redriving it to check if that makes any difference. I've also got a new drag link end coming.

Click to expand...

Bearings will have no effect, the drag link may be the problem, have you checked the ride height? If the left spring sags that's going to change the ride height and just like if you put a lift kit in changes the angle of the drag link and that will move the wheel off center.

I haven't put the tires back on yet to measure ride height or anything. Once I get my bearings replaced I'm going to reinstall my tires and set it back down to see how it sits.

It's sitting on jack stands in the driveway currently with the left side hub apart. With the weight on the jack stands, it seems level, but that's not really a scientific test.

Alright, there is a little bit of news to go around. I got my bearings and seals replaced and let it back on the tires again. I measured ride height at the bottom of the frame near a body mount, and got 1/8 inch higher on the passenger side. It drives the same, no pull or anything, just steering offset.
I'll check toe as best as I can tomorrow after work, provided we don't get more rain. I haven't replaced the drag link tie rod yet, I'm hoping to save that for last if there really isn't anything else to do.

I'm not sure if I should be editing posts since I was the last poster, or if since it's new info, just post again. I'm not familiar with bulletin board etiquette as it pertains to this sort of thing.

Anyhow, Ive measured the ride height and the toe. From the front leaf spring eye bushing, at the front, I get 18 3/8 from the ground at both the pass, and driver side bolt. From the frame under the front door edges, I get 15 1/4 on driver, 15 1/8 on pass. At the rear frame rail, right behind the rear leaf spring shackle, I get 26 inch on the driver, 26 1/4 on pass. I did measure from the ground to the top of the front wheel arch, at 37 1/2 driver, 37 7/8 passenger.
Toe in is as best as I can tell, about 1/4 inch. Another thing of note is that my drag link is ever so slightly higher in the rear than in the front, maybe 1/8-1/4 inch.

So in this regard, I believe I'm going to chalk this up to spring sag combined with a bad drag link tie rod at this point. Unless I get some sort of future failure that makes it obvious I had other problems, I'm going to put on the link end and adjust the steering straight when I install it. I'm hoping to have no more troubles out of it, but I suppose we'll see.

Thank everyone for their help.

Updating is preferred.

Documenting the situation from start to finish is good you both you and everyone else.