Steering play

[inverted3600]

Hi Guys, I just got my brand new 1989 GW yesterday and put some miles on it today. WOW! It's so great to be back! Ok, so the steering has kind of a looseness going down the road. It's like I get the wheel a bit to the left and then I'd better do a little bit of right and then do the left, etc. You get the point. I must constantly 'drive' with both hands on the wheel. Is this something that can be tightened up or do I just have to learn to live with it?

[FSJ Guy]

You can adjust the steering box to be tighter, but 1 inch of play, measured at the circumference of the steering wheel, either way is fairly normal IMHO.

[Cheap Hobby]

Do you have loose steering or wandering waggie?could be a bit of both. Play in the steering wheel is pretty much a given and can made worse by bad tres and ball joints. I would check everything. In the steering system and start gathering parts then do it in one shot.

[Tatsadasayago]

Congrats on another FSJ find!
I remember a batch of early production 89s coming off the car carrier in Reno that wandered like you describe. It was determined that the main cause was weak frame rails that were 'twisting' while driving, even at lower speeds.
A few months later the problem was fixed...but there were many out there with the problem and Jeep's official solution was to add stiffer track bar bushings and ignore the rest.
It's possible yours just has worn components or it could be the other.

My 76 did the same thing and it turned out to be finger-tight front axle U-Bolts.

[miltos68wgoneer]

I have the same issue for me it looks like the frame is flexing. Also there was a crack in my bracket that was hidden under crud.