Steering let go

On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998 wrangler,
I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for me I had just
gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40 mph. I hit the brakes
and it started for the ditch, I let off the brakes and rode it down the
ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way hoping it would connect again. Once
I was out in the hay meadow I hit brakes again and stopped it. The
disconnect appears to be under the dash, I can spin the wheel and it
continues to spin freely while nothing moves under the hood. I'll take some
tools out tomorrow and get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I can
see.
Any ideas, happened before? Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?

Jeff Monsebroten
Rural North Dakota

"North52" > wrote in message
m...
> On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998 wrangler,
> I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for me I had just
> gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40 mph. I hit the
> brakes and it started for the ditch, I let off the brakes and rode it down
> the ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way hoping it would connect again.
> Once I was out in the hay meadow I hit brakes again and stopped it. The
> disconnect appears to be under the dash, I can spin the wheel and it
> continues to spin freely while nothing moves under the hood. I'll take
> some tools out tomorrow and get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I
> can see.
> Any ideas, happened before? Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
> would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?
>
> Jeff Monsebroten
> Rural North Dakota
>
>
I guess it would depend, if the vehicle had been serviced on a regular
basis.

bmc

North52 wrote:
> On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998
> wrangler, I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for
> me I had just gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40
> mph. I hit the brakes and it started for the ditch, I let off the
> brakes and rode it down the ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way
> hoping it would connect again. Once I was out in the hay meadow I hit
> brakes again and stopped it. The disconnect appears to be under the
> dash, I can spin the wheel and it continues to spin freely while
> nothing moves under the hood. I'll take some tools out tomorrow and
> get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I can see.
> Any ideas, happened before? Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
> would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?
>
> Jeff Monsebroten
> Rural North Dakota

How long did it take to get the seat cover back out?

I'd certainly talk to Jeep.

Also want to report what you find to the NHSTA http://www.nhtsa.gov/
(report a vehicle or child seat defect)


First thought is the crush clip. In the steering shaft there is a
section that colapses in the event of a head-on. Usually there is
a plastic clip to keep this from accidentally collapsing and falling
out. Jeep had a recall on my 93 ZJ to put a plastic clip in because
the shaft could fall away. O_O comforting isn't it?
In my ZJ it's under the hood and a pain in the ass to get to.

http://www.revbeergoggles.com/temp/shaft.jpg
and
http://www.revbeergoggles.com/motormount/
Down a little more than half way.

If you have an airbag or any buttons on the wheel then you have something
else to work on. The clock-spring. Odds are if you spun the wheel too far
then that doodad is broken. If you don't have one then consider yourself
luckier than you already are.

http://www.links4jeeps.com/writeups/clockspring/

If you have an airbag, please put that sucker face up when you lay it down.
If it accidentally goes off when face down the charge side will impale itself
in the ceiling.

--
DougW

In article > , north52
@hotmail.com says...
>
> On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998 wrangler,
> I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for me I had just
> gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40 mph. I hit the brakes
> and it started for the ditch, I let off the brakes and rode it down the
> ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way hoping it would connect again. Once
> I was out in the hay meadow I hit brakes again and stopped it. The
> disconnect appears to be under the dash, I can spin the wheel and it
> continues to spin freely while nothing moves under the hood. I'll take some
> tools out tomorrow and get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I can
> see.
> Any ideas, happened before? Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
> would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?

There are three universal joints on the steering shaft. From what
you're describing it sounds like one of them (probably the uppermost)
has gone bust. On the 98 they're not designed to be replaceable--once
you figure out which one is bust you will probably need to replace the
section of steering shaft to which it is attached.

If you look near the firewall you should see the first one. Follow the
shaft down and you'll find a bearing attached to a frame member, then
about that far past the bearing you'll find the second one. Then follow
along the shaft coming out of that one and you'll find the third.

If you need to replace the shaft you can get a new one from the dealer,
a used one from a junk yard or ebay, or an aftermarket one from Borgeson
<http://www.streetperformance.com/spe...s/?yearID=1998
&makeID=42&modelID=4158&implementation=borgeson >.

Also, something to watch out for--don't spin the wheel while it's
disconnected--there's a hundred buck spring that's part of the airbag
system that could get busted that way.

Note that I'm no TJ expert--what I've just posted is mostly from google-
fu and pretty much exhausts my knowledge.

On Jun 4, 5:43*pm, "DougW" > wrote:
> North52 wrote:
> > *On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998
> > wrangler, I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for
> > me I had just gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40
> > mph. I hit the brakes and it started for the ditch, I let off the
> > brakes and rode it down the ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way
> > hoping it would connect again. Once I was out in the hay meadow I hit
> > brakes again and stopped it. The disconnect appears to be under the
> > dash, I can spin the wheel and it continues to spin freely while
> > nothing moves under the hood. I'll take some tools out tomorrow and
> > get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I can see.
> > * Any ideas, happened before? *Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
> > would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?
>
> > Jeff Monsebroten
> > Rural North Dakota
>
> How long did it take to get the seat cover back out?
>
> I'd certainly talk to Jeep.
>
> Also want to report what you find to the NHSTAhttp://www.nhtsa.gov/
> (report a vehicle or child seat defect)
>
> First thought is the crush clip. *In the steering shaft there is a
> section that colapses in the event of a head-on. *Usually there is
> a plastic clip to keep this from accidentally collapsing and falling
> out. *Jeep had a recall on my 93 ZJ to put a plastic clip in because
> the shaft could fall away. O_O *comforting isn't it?
> In my ZJ it's under the hood and a pain in the ass to get to.
>
> http://www.revbeergoggles.com/temp/shaft.jpg
> andhttp://www.revbeergoggles.com/motormount/
> Down a little more than half way.
>
> If you have an airbag or any buttons on the wheel then you have something
> else to work on. *The clock-spring. *Odds are if you spun the wheel too far
> then that doodad is broken. *If you don't have one then consider yourself
> luckier than you already are.
>
> http://www.links4jeeps.com/writeups/clockspring/
>
> If you have an airbag, please put that sucker face up when you lay it down.

"DougW" > wrote in message
...
> North52 wrote:
>> On the way home the steering completely disconnected on my 1998
>> wrangler, I could just spin the wheel and nothing happened. Lucky for
>> me I had just gone through a 4 way stop and was only going about 40
>> mph. I hit the brakes and it started for the ditch, I let off the
>> brakes and rode it down the ditch, spinning the wheel the whole way
>> hoping it would connect again. Once I was out in the hay meadow I hit
>> brakes again and stopped it. The disconnect appears to be under the
>> dash, I can spin the wheel and it continues to spin freely while
>> nothing moves under the hood. I'll take some tools out tomorrow and
>> get the plastic covers off the dash,see what I can see.
>> Any ideas, happened before? Should I call my lawyer and see if Jeep
>> would give me a few bucks to just shut up and get it fixed?
>>
>> Jeff Monsebroten
>> Rural North Dakota
>
> How long did it take to get the seat cover back out?
>
> I'd certainly talk to Jeep.
>
> Also want to report what you find to the NHSTA http://www.nhtsa.gov/
> (report a vehicle or child seat defect)
>
>
> First thought is the crush clip. In the steering shaft there is a
> section that colapses in the event of a head-on. Usually there is
> a plastic clip to keep this from accidentally collapsing and falling
> out. Jeep had a recall on my 93 ZJ to put a plastic clip in because
> the shaft could fall away. O_O comforting isn't it?
> In my ZJ it's under the hood and a pain in the ass to get to.
>
> http://www.revbeergoggles.com/temp/shaft.jpg
> and
> http://www.revbeergoggles.com/motormount/
> Down a little more than half way.
>
> If you have an airbag or any buttons on the wheel then you have something
> else to work on. The clock-spring. Odds are if you spun the wheel too
> far
> then that doodad is broken. If you don't have one then consider yourself
> luckier than you already are.
>
> http://www.links4jeeps.com/writeups/clockspring/
>
> If you have an airbag, please put that sucker face up when you lay it
> down.
> If it accidentally goes off when face down the charge side will impale
> itself
> in the ceiling.
>
> --
> DougW
>

Well I fired up the old 48 CJ2A threw some tools in it and went to rescue
the 98 TJ. I kind of like that, the 48 still has the original "monkey
motion" steering and has never come apart yet. The TJ had the bolt on the
steering knuckle under the dash loose and it had come apart there, of course
I took all the dash apart before I found the joint. I like all that extra
work :-) . Slipped it back together and tightened the bolt, drove it back
to the shed. My wife followed with the 48 to make sure I made it home, can't
trust them newer Jeeps you know. Jeff