Weird steering behavior with shimmy

[pirahnah3]

Ok, got the jeep out the other day and managed to take a quick run with her. While I was out I had some strange behavior from the steering. when I was trying to hold the wheel straight the jeep had a horrible shimmy in the front end, didnt act like death wobble but really bounced the whole jeep side to side. I could keep it at a minimum by keeping the wheel turned a bit past 45 degrees in either direction but if I went back to center it would come back.

I checked the lugs and those were fine, looked at the tie rod ends and they seem ok, rims dont appear bent, and Tire pressures in the front are within a pound of each other.

When I was parked at home and I turn the wheel from center either left or right I noticed that the entire body shifts oposite the direction i turn the wheel, IE if I turn the wheel left the body shifts right. It will do this for about that 45 degrees, and then begin to want to turn the tires.

Any clues or advice on where to start digging on that one?

[Kurt]

If the body is shifting it sounds like one or both ends of the track bar may be loose.
Check for movement between both ends of the track bar wrt the frame and axle when turning the wheel left and right while parked.
If not bad track bar TRE's or a loose bolt at the frame then usually the issue is the mounting hole for the axle end has "egg'd" and is allowing the bolt and sleeve in the track bar end to slide side to side where it mounts to the axle.
Sometimes just tightening the bolt at the axle end will help.
If you can make it we could address it at the wrenchfest Saturday at my place.

[pirahnah3]

I tried to move all of the steering and track bar items by hand but tires were on the ground, still need to jack it up and try it. Been a slow couple of weeks on the Jeep front for me, prob one more slow one too.

Sat I dunno yet, Might make it, might not.

[-HAZARD-]

Trying to move things by hand will not always show the failure. Especially a track bar.

Best to have someone turn steering back and forth while you are under it looking at the various components.

[pirahnah3]

FInally got a hand to work on this, got slowed down with a pulled back muscle that put me down for about 2 weeks.

Culprit is the bolt on the axle end of the track bar. Not sure if its loose yet or egged out but thats the only part thats moving when the steering wheel is turned.