I have been driving like this since i got the jeep a year ago. i have heard if it doesn't wander it's not a jeep. but now i've let some other jeepers drive mine and they think it's crazy how much it wanders. i'm used to it. i've been driving old wandering cars and trucks my whole life. this is the first one that i am investing time and money into. i've never been obsessed with a vehichle before. anyway, back to my point. i've got a 2 1/2" spring lift i haven't put on yet. once i put it on i will be buying 33" TSLs. is this going to make it worse? where do i start to adress this wandering. i will probably end up replacing a lot, but what would ya'll do first? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I just fixed this problem in my jeep...all new front bearings. I can now drive mine fast enough to get a speeding ticket, even with only 4 gears.

do you have power steering? if not, is it a workout on the trails with the bigger tires? it sounds like we have very similar jeeps. have you beefed up any other steering components? results? how much did you spend on bearings and are there bearings that are better than others? lastly, is there anything else that should be done at the same time? i have my haynes and tools and a brain i just want to hear from other people that have already been through it.

Yeah I got power steering and its all stock. Its not really a workout, if your talking about resistance.

I got all 4 sets of new bearings for the front for about $30 at Napa, but my company gets a discount there. 10% i think. Cleaned the hub, packed em and preloaded em.

While I was in there, I also cleaned and lubed up the hub locks. Mine were horrible bc when i bought it the bolts were loose, had no lock washers, and there was no gasket, so it was full of dried dirt and grease. All you need for that is some gasket maker, grease, something to clean with i used brake cleaner, tons of paper towels, and time. Also cleaned up my brakes, my pads and rotors were fine.

oh and about that haynes manual, i have one too and wish i had my money back. its not always right and often vague. ie. it leaves out one of the parts in the drums and i had to start over bc i had never done it before. it also says to preload the bearings to 50 ftlbs or until the bearings bind...mine binded way before 50 ftlbs - 50 doesnt seem reasonable to me, i think its a misprint. someone else maybe able to enlighten us more.
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I bet you got loose steering components and a bad alignment. You should have a buddy turn the wheel back and forth while you look at all the steering components.

does your CJ have a sway bar? what tire pressure are you running? could be a multitude of things that is causing your CJ to wander. when I first got my CJ7 back in the early 80's there were no large radial off road type tires and most off roaders ran the Armstrong Tru-Trac. those Tru-Tracs were great off road but their on road manners made for some white knuckle driving! what a difference it made when I went with my first set of BFG M/T's! it was like night and day there was so much difference.
anyhow, ask around for a reference for a reputable front end shop and have them have a look at your ball joints, check all bushings and possibly replace them with the non rubber type. how much play is in your steering box? I could go on all night here........

To check the bearings just jack up your front end and see if the front wheels have any play. Before I did mine, I had like a 1/2 inch of play in one, and more than that in the other. And like sunder said it could go on....

i don't have pwr steering.
i am running 31" bridgestone a/ts. i drive it 30 mins to work every day and it has even tread wear all the way around.
i have no play when the steering wheel is locked and the jeep is in the air and i try to move the wheel top to bottom or side to side.
after the first time i took it out the wandering tripled. i had someone turn the wheel and i watched the steering components. THE STEERING BOX BOLTS WEREN'T EVEN HAND TIGHT!!! after a little thread lock and a good tourqing that was resolved and it was back to it's old self. (still lots of play) i've watched the components many times trying to find an obvious answer and nothing looks out of whack.
yes, it has a anti-sway bar. i'm running 35 psi and have never aired down. i have 1" lift shackles and all poly bushings in the susp. i have 2 1/2" lift springs in my garage and don't want to install untill i resolve this b/c i'm worried it will be worse w/ the bigger tires.
i'm thinking steering box? fix or replace?

Obviously you start with a thorough inspection of ALL steering AND suspension components (don't neglect the rear) . This has been pretty much suggested and you have a good start on it judging by the previous posts. I question your resolve to solve the problem before for you switch suspension and tires, seems like a possible waste of time. You may well come across the cause while doing the swap. But it's your project and you will do as you like. I suggest reducing the tire pressure to 30 psi and see if that makes any difference. On my CJ Tire pressure has a noticeable effect on handling, not that it's bad. I have a worn out u joint in the steering shaft resulting in some play but wandering is not a problem for me. The worst wandering CJ I've ridden in has a bent frame. I would recommend installing the lift, and putting stock length shackles on, then see if you can get a shop to do a good alignment. If the problem persists afterwards come back here and we can run around in some more circles. Good luck! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

i had this problem before i put my shackles and bushings on. and no i am not dead set in not putting the lift on first. so, ok i'm going to install but i'm leaving my shackles the way they are and i'll get back. i apreciate the help and will be checking in while i'm waiting for shocks to come in the mail.