Driver side lower steering arm striped out of.

THE OLE MEASURING TRICK REALLY JUST AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH

THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE----EVEN DRIVING REAL SLOW MAY BE DANGEROUS

I TAKE MY VEHICLES TO THE SHOP THAT "ONLY DOES ALIGNMENTS". THEY DO THE BIG TRUCKS AS WELL

NOT TRYING TO TROD ON PEOPLE WHO MIGHT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING

I, AND OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW, HAVE RECEIVED CRAPPY ALIGNMENTS, FROM THE "SUPER QUICKIE ALIGNMENT'S R US SHOPS" --$29.99 OR $39.99 WONDERFUL RATES

I'VE TAKEN MINE TO ONE OF THEM BEFORE--DOIN' FINE--BUT WITH NEW TIRES, JUST WANTING TO INSURE MY ALIGNMENT WAS STILL DEAD ON---OR JUST TO TWEAK IT A BIT SO THAT MY NEW TIRES WOULD NOT WEARAFTER A FEW DAYS OF SLOW AROUND TOWN DRIVING---I GOT HIM OUT ON THE HIGHWAYTHE INABILITY TO KEEP HIM STRAIGHT AND WANDERING ALL OVER MY LANE AT 50-55 MPH, LED ME TO TAKE HIM BACK.

I WAS TOLD I HAD HIT SOMETHING HARD (NO WAY!) AND THEY WOULD CHECK IT. GOT THE SAME RESULTS WHEN I DROVE IT AGAIN.

I THEN GOT THE SPEECH I'M GIVING YOU, FROM A MAN DOWN THE ROAD FROM US.

WHEN "MY NEW ALIGNMENT SHOP" CHECKED HIM OUT, THEY FOUND SEVERAL NO-NOs THAT WERE PERFORMED ON MY RIG

THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAD BEEN GETTING A GOOD BIT OF BUSINESS----DUE TO THE OTHER SHOP'S DOWNFALLS

I HAVE FOUND THAT THE "ONLY ALIGNMENTS" SHOP HAS HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCED CREW AND "KNOW" THEIR TRADE WELL

AS YOU "ADJUST" ONE THING DURING AN ALIGNMENT, OTHER GEOMETRY MAY CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM---THESE GUYS REALLY TAKE PRIDE IN DOING IT RIGHT!

.I DON'T MIND PAYING A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THAT KINDA SERVICE

IF YOU'LL TALK TO MAYBE A COMPANY WITH DUMP TRUCKS AND LARGER VEHICLES, MAYBE YOU CAN FIND A SHOP LIKE I USE

"JOHNNY", THE "SPORTS GUY", DOWN THE STREET MAY NOT BE YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR THIS KINDA INFO!

(MY WIFE SAYS I DON'T EXPLAIN THINGS WELL) SO. EVERY TIME I MENTIONED "HIM" ABOVE, I WAS REFERRING TO MY JEEP(S), "MANLY VEHICLES" HAVE "MANLY NAMES".I'VE NEVER OWNED A "SISSY VEHICLE"

RETURN WITH GOOD NEWS

THE MEDIC

WELL.

I'D GO WITH THAT, SINCE IT WAS SORTA OK, BEFORE THE NEW PART?

IF YOU WANNA CHECK THE PITMAN OR STEERING BOX FOR PLAY,

HAVE SOMEONE "WIGGLE" OR BARELY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL MAYBE A 1/8 TURN EACH WAY---OVER AND OVER AND OVER---NOT REAL FAST AND NOT IN SLOW MOTION!WE'RE JUST WANTING TO MOVE ANY SLOP "BACK AND FORTH"NOT TURN THE WHEELS!

IF YOU WILL GET UP FRONT--EVEN LAY DOWN UNDER ITLOOK FOR LOST MOTION IN THE MOVING PARTS. THINGS THAT SHOULD BE TIGHTLY COUPLED TOGETHER AND "MOVE AS ONE" SHOULD DO SO, AND NOT HAVE A "HESITATION" BEFORE THEY MOVE WITH IT'S "MATING PART"

LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN THE SYSTEM THE OTHER TIE ROD ENDS, THE GEAR BOX ITSELF AND THE SHAFTS GOING IN AND OUT OF THE GEAR BOX----THEY SHOULD ROTATE ONLY--- NOT "RISE" UP AND DOWN OR IN AND OUT BEFORE THEY BEGIN TO ROTATE/ TURN

INSURE THE GEARBOX IS ANCHORED WELL--NO BOLTS MISSING ALLOWING IT TO WANDER

AFTER A COMPLETE INSPECTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL 1/8 TH MOTION

NOW TURN THE STEERING WHEEL 1/4 TURN BOTH WAYS----IN REALITY IT'S TRAVELING 1/2 A TURN FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER

STAY UP FRONT AND WATCH THE GEAR BOXTHE WHEELS SHOULD BE TURNING ----THE GEARBOX BODY SHOULD BE "STEADFAST" IT SHOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL (OTHER THAN INTERNALLY MOVING THE WHEELS

ON SOME VEHICLES THE FRAME IS WEAK/ BENT OR EVEN CRACKED WHERE THE GEAR BOX JOINS ONIF YOU SEE THE BOX MOVING, YOU NEED TO SEE WHY

A WHILE BACK I REPLACED MY 1977 JEEP CJ 5's OLD STEERING GEAR (PIC 1)

I HAD A LOT OF SLOP IN THE STEERING WHEEL (PICS 2-3---THE MARKER MOVES THAT FAR---WHEELS DID NOT MOVE--"THE SLOP ZONE")

NEW GEAR, MANUAL STEERING OEM "SAGINAW" BOUGHT ONLINE AT A GREAT PRICE! (PIC 4). GREEN PAINT WAS MY TOUCH!

MY FRAME UP FRONT ALSO WANTED TO "TWIST" AS THE GEARBOX WAS TURNING THE WHEELS (THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, JUST TWIST)

I ADDED A "HOMEMADE" BRACE TO THE BRACKET TO STOP THE TWIST (AN AFTERMARKET BRACE IS ABOUT $75---IS NO BETTER THAN MINE)----(PICS 5-6 ANGLE IRON)

LAST THING TO KNOW----USUALLY YOUR EVIL BUDDIES TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN "ADJUST" THE "SLOP" OUT BY TURNING THE LITTLE SCREW ON TOP

WRONG!----WRONG!----WRONG!----WRONG!----WRONG!

THIS ADJUSTMENT IF USED WHEN THE GEAR IS BRAND NEW!---INITIAL SETUP!

IF YOU MESS WITH IT AFTER THE BOX IS WORN---YOU VERY WELL MAY MAKE A TURN---AND THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT COME BACK----THE BOX ***MAY LOCK UP!*** AND YOU WILL "CONTINUE TO TURN", UNTIL YOU STOP/ HIT SOMETHING/ FLY OFF THE ROAD OR CLIFF! THE ADJUSTMENT IS ON TOP AND CAN BE SEEN THRU THE HOLE (PIC 7)

ALL OF THAT RUST IS GONE NOW---THIS IS JUST ONE OF MY JEEPS (PIC 8)

I LIKE THE LOUD PAINTS--HIDDEN UNDER MY JEEP--IT SORTA LETS PEOPLE KNOW I'VE HAD ALL OF IT OUT AND REBUILT IT, WHEN THEY GAZE UNDERNEATH---LIKE MY TRANNY AND TRANSFER CASE (PIC 9)

EVEN WITH CHECKING ALL OF THIS ABOVE STUFF---I'D HAVE A REPUTABLE SHOP CHECK IT OVER

THE MEDIC