My steering is driving me nuts, I'm hoping that someone can help me out. It's a 78 Bronco 4x4 w/ 6" lift & 37 mud tires.
The truck pulls right slightly, but the real issue is cornering. If I take a right turn with the steering wheel a 6 o'clock, the wheels will come back to center after coming out of the turn but the steering wheel wants to stay at 2:00 for the first hundred(ish) yards. It will then want to be at 12:00 and eventually at 10:00 to stay in a straight line. Taking a left is roughly the same. So basically there is a delay between what the tires and steering wheel do when coming out of a turn.

So far I have:
-Swapped tires around
-Had all front suspension components checked. All were good
-alignment done
-replaced track bar bushings
-removed steering stabilizer
-pulled out fistfulls of hair

Any help is appreciated

 

I'd say yer steering box's internals are loose/worn. The pitman are should respond at the same time as any steering input. Have you checked that??

 

I have not. I'm usually doing everything alone (the motor swap was a B**CH!)
Is "tightening" the box as big of a deal as it's made out to be?

 

The steering box has some adjustment but it's based on inch-pounds and pre-set upon rebuild.

I can relate with working alone.... Climb into the engine compartment and turn the steering shaft by hand while observing the pitman arm. It should move in unison. If it does, then look downstresm at the drag link, then the tie rods.

 

Mine does this; even with new steering gear box, track bar bushings, drag link. (Everything else is fine on the steering)..

 

Steering box adjustments should always be left for last. All you are doing is raising the sector shaft to take out slack. As inocent as that may sound, over tightening (which is very easy to do) will cause accelerated wear and only cause more problems.

That said, I don't think it's an adjustment issue so much as maybe an internal plumbing issue maybe the valve inside the steering box is
sticking and causing problems.

If you make dead sure that there is no slack anywhere else in the system. I'd go for a box rebuild. Then you can see how worn the the sector shaft and phenolonic piston gear are.

Be sure to check the bolt on your upper trac bar mount. These sometimes get wallered out.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll put it up on jack stands and check things out.

I don't know if it matters, but I should have mentioned that a few weeks ago the bolts that goes through the frame for my track bar drop bracket snapped in half. Try finding a 1/2x6 grade 8 bolt at 9:00 at night...

 

So, are you saying that you're not running a track bar on it?

 

Nooooo With 6 inches of lift and no track bar I barely made it far enough to get it off the road.

 

was the 6" lift all ready installed? and was the trac bar modified or replaced to account for the lift? if your snapping the trac bolts your binding up due to the lift the trac bar is the ONLY thing keeping that front end in line with out it driveing is suicide you have movement side to side

 

Could be a froze up axle U joint. Turn the wheels all the way in either direction then reach in and turn the axles, see if they spin free.

 

I think I need to tighten my track bar bolts up more...it still wiggles..and I have like 4 inches of play in my steering.

 

^^^^ That is concerning. Why don't you snap a picture of your steering Components. Sounds to me like there could be more issues.

 

It's called a suspension system for a reason.

 

The PO installed the crazy $2200 "superflex system" from JBG. It has the drop bracket along with the HD adjustable track bar. For some reason the bolt just snapped in half...

The returning to center problem is the only drivability issuer that the truck has.