1953 JEEP DJ steering

STEERING
SYSTEM

O-L
GENERAL

The
steering system on all Jeep Universal vehicles
consists of the steering gear, steering wheel, steering column and shaft, and steering linkage.
This

section covers wheel alignment, steering linkage,
steering gear, steering column and steering wheel.
0-2. Steering
Gear
Function

The
steering gear is a reducing gear. It exchanges a

relatively
large amount of movement with a small force (applied by the driver at the steering wheel), for a much smaller amount of movement with a
greatly increased force through a cam and lever
action type steering gear. The steering gear ratio is 17.9 to 1 on vehicles equipped with the F4
engine

and
19 to 1 with the V6 engine.
0-3. Steering
Linkage
Refer
to Fig. O-l.
The
steering linkage consists of a steering arm at­
tached to the steering gear, a steering connecting

rod,
(drag
link),
connecting the steering arm to the
beilcrank,
and a steering tie rod connecting the
beilcrank
to the axle tie rod. The beilcrank pivots
on a pin mounted just to the left of the frame front crossmember. The steering tie rod is connected to
the beilcrank and
extends
to the right
ball
joint as­ sembly of tie rod. The tie rod
extends
to the wheels,
being connected to their respective steering knuckle

arms
at the wheels.
With
this linkage arrangement,
as the steering arm
moves
rearward,
the front
wheels
turn
to the left. As the steering arm
moves
forward,
the wheels
turn
to the right.
Ball
joints are used to secure the drag
link,
steering
connecting rod and tie rod ends. The
ball
joints
assist in maintaining
good
steering control and con­
stant toe-in of the front wheels under all driving conditions. If the
ball
joints
become
worn enough
to allow free motion in the linkage, they should be,

replaced.

Note:
Ball
joint replacement of the tie rod requires
resetting of the wheel toe-in adjustment.
0-4.
Steering
Column
and Gear
Alignment
When
adjusting a steering gear remove all loads
from
the unit by disconnecting the steering con­
necting rod (drag
link)
from the steering arm and
also
loosen
the instrument panel bracket and the
steering gear to frame
bolts
to allow the steering
post
to correctly align itself. When retightening the
steering gear to frame
bolts
use a torque wrench
pull
of 45 to 55 lb-ft. [6,2 a 7,6 kg-m.] on the

Vk*
bolts
and 30 to 40 lb-ft. [4,15 a 5,5 kg-m.] on the
Vs"
bolts. 10811

FIG.
0-2—STEERING
GEAR
1—Nut

2
—Lockwasher

3—
Steering
Gear
Arm 4—
Lever
Shaft Oil Seal
5—
Outer
Housing Bushing
6—
Inner
Housing Bushing 7—
Filler
Plug
8—
Cover
and Tube
9—
Ball
Retaining
Ring

10—Cup
11—
Ball
(Steel)
12—
Tube
and Cam
13—
Shims

14—
Upper
Cover

15—
Lockwasher

16—
Bolt

17—
Steering
Wheel 18—
Horn
Button Retainer
19—
Horn
Button
20—
Horn
Button Cap 21— Nut
22—
Spring
23—
Spring
Seat
24—
Bearing
25—
Horn
Cable

26—
Horn
Button Spring
27—
Spring
Cup
28—
Steering Column
29—
Oil
Hole
Cover

30—
Clamp
31—
Adjusting
Screw
32— Nut
33—
Bolt

34—
Side
Cover
35—
Gasket

36—
Shaft
and
Lever

37—
Housing
314

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

O Note:
If the steering-gear-to-frame
bolts
are not

properly
torqued, they
will
eventually
loosen
dur­

ing operation of the vehicle. Loose
bolts
will
result
in
elongated
bolt
holes
making maintenance of bolt torque difficult, and may allow position of the
steering columns to be misaligned. Therefore,
proper
torquing is extremely important.
Do not tighten the steering gear to dampen out
steering trouble. Adjust the steering gear only to
remove lost motion or play within the unit.
0-5. Steering
Gear
Adjustment
The
cam and lever steering gear is illustrated in

Fig.
0-2. It consists of a
spiral
cam, and a cross shaft and lever assembly with two lever studs.
When
the steering wheel is turned, the cam
moves

the studs, causing rotary movement of the cross
shaft, which in
turn
causes angular movement of
the*steering arm.

Two
adjustments of the steering gear are necessary:
up and down play of the steering shaft, and adjust­ment of the lever studs (tapered pins) in the

cam
groove.

Adjustment
of the
ball
thrust bearings to eliminate up and down play of the steering shaft is ac­
complished by removing shims which are installed
between
the steering gear housing and the upper
cover. Before making this adjustment
loosen
the
housing side cover adjusting screw to free the pins
in
the cam groove. Loosen the housing cover to
cut and remove a shim or more as required.
Install
the screws and tighten. Adjustment should be
made to have a slight drag but allow the steering
wheel to
turn
freely with thumb and forefinger
lightly gripping the rim.

Shims
installed for adjustment are .002*, .003", and .010"
[.0508,
.0762
and .254 mm.] in thickness.

Adjustment
of the tapered pins in the cam
groove

is accomplished by adjusting screw. Unlock the

adjusting
screw and
turn
it in until a very slight
drag
is felt through the mid-position when turning
the steering wheel slowly from one extreme position
to the other.

Backlash
of the pins in the
groove
shows up as
end play of lever shaft, also as backlash of steer­ ing arm.

The
cam
groove
is purposely cut shallow in the

straight
ahead driving position for each pin.
This

feature permits a
close
adjustment for normal

straight
ahead driving and provides precision steer­ ing and permits take up of backlash at this point
after the wear occurs without causing a bind else­

where.
Always
adjust within the high range through
the mid-position of pin travel. Do not adjust off
"straight
ahead" position.
Backlash
in turned posi­
tions is not objectionable.
0-6.
Front
Wheel Alignment Adjustments
To
ensure correct alignment, a definite procedure
for inspection of the steering system is recom­ mended. It is
suggested
that the following sequence
be used:

a.
Equalize
tire pressures and level vehicle.
b.
Check
steering gear to steering column align­
ment.

c.
Inspect steering knuckle pivots, spindle, and
wheel bearing
looseness.

d.
Check
wheel runout.

e.
Test wheel balance and bearing adjustment.
f.
Check
for spring sag.
g.
Inspect brakes and shock absorbers.

h.
Check
steering gear assembly adjustment and
steering connecting rod.

i.
Check
caster,

j.
Check
toe-in.
k.
Check
toe-out
on turns.

I.
Check
camber.

m.
Check
tracking of front and
rear
wheels,

n.
Check
frame alignment.

The
factors of alignment, caster, camber, and toe-
in,
are all interrelated and if one adjustment is
made, another adjustment may be affected.
There­

fore, after an alignment job is completed, make a
complete recheck of all the adjustments to be sure
the
settings
are within the limit. Be sure all front
suspension and steering system nuts and
bolts
are

all
properly torqued before taking wheel alignment readings.

Proper
alignment of front wheels must be main­
tained in order to ensure
ease
of steering and satis­factory tire life.

The
most important factors of front wheel align­ment are wheel camber, axle caster and wheel
toe-in.

Wheel
toe-in is the distance the wheels are closer

together
at the front than at the
rear.
Wheel
camber is the amount the wheels incline out­

ward
at the top from a vertical position.
Front
axle caster is the amount in
degrees
that the
steering pivot pins are tilted towards the front or

rear
of the vehicle. Positive caster is inclination of
the top of the pivot pin towards the
rear
of the ve­

hicle.
Zero caster is the vertical position of the
pivot pin. Negative or reverse caster is the in­
clination
of the top of the pin towards the front
of the vehicle.

These
points should be checked at regular inter­
vals,
particularly when the front axle has been
subjected to a heavy impact. When checking wheel alignment, it is important that wheel bearings and

knuckle
bearings be in proper adjustment. Loose bearings
will
affect instrument readings when

checking
the camber, pivot pin inclination and
toe-in.
To
accurately check camber and caster, use a wheel
aligning fixture.
Camber
and caster of the front
wheels are both preset.
Camber
cannot be altered
but caster can be adjusted by installing caster shims
between
the axle pad and the springs. Wheel toe-in
may
be adjusted. To measure wheel toe-in, use a
wheel aligning fixture or follow the procedure given
in Par.
0-8.
0-7.
Front Wheel Toe-in
Toe-in
as illustrated in
Fig.
0-3, is necessary to
off­

set the
effect
of camber as shown in Fig. Q-4. 315

o
STEERING SYSTEM
FIG.
0-3—FRONT
WHEEL
TOE-IN
1—
Toe-in
Angle

2—
Vertical
Line
In
the absence of a wheel aligning fixture, toe-in

may
be set by measuring
between
the front wheels
at the
edge
of the rim, at the flange or at the tire
tread
center. When making this adjustment the
wheels must be in a straight ahead position.
It
is highly important that toe-in be checked regu­

larly
and if found to be out of adjustment, correc­ tion should be made immediately.

The
correct toe-in of
these
models is found in the
specifications at the end of this section.
0-8. Toe-in Adjustment
The
toe-in may be adjusted with a line or straight

edge
as the vehicle tread is the same in front and
rear.
To set the adjustment both tie rods must be
adjusted
as outlined below:
Set the tie rod end of the steering bell-crank at
right
angles with the front axle. Place a straight

edge
or line against the left
rear
wheel and left front wheel to determine if the wheel is in a straight

ahead
position. If the front wheel tire
does
not touch the straight
edge
at both the front and
rear,

it
will
be necessary to adjust the left tie rod by loosening the clamps on each end and turning the
rod
until the tire touches the straight
edge.

Check
the right hand side in the same manner, ad­

justing
the tie rod if necessary, making sure that the bell-crank remains at right angles to the axle.

When
it is determined that the front wheels are in the straight ahead position, set the toe-in by short­
ening each tie rod approximately one-half
turn.

0-9.
Front
Wheel
Camber
The
purpose of camber Fig. 0-4, is to more nearly
place the weight of the vehicle over the tire con­ tact on the road to facilitate
ease
of steering.

The
result of excessive camber is irregular wear of
tires on outside shoulders and is usually caused by
bent axle parts.

The
result of negative or reverse camber, if ex­
cessive,
will
be
hard
steering and possibly a wan­

dering
condition.
Tires
will
also wear on inside shoulders. Negative camber is usually caused by
excessive wear or
looseness
of front wheel bearings, axle parts or the result of a sagging axle.

Unequal
camber may cause any or a combination
of the following conditions: unstable steering, wan- 11894-

FIG.
0-4—WHEEL CAMBER

1—Vertical
Line
2—Camber Angle
dering,
kick-back or road shock, shimmy or exces­
sive tire wear. The cause of unequal camber is usu­
ally
a bent steering knuckle or axle end.
Correct
wheel camber is set in the axle at the time
of manufacture and cannot be altered by any ad­
justment. It is important that the camber be the same on both front wheels. Heating of any of
these
parts
to facilitate straightening usually destroys
the heat treatment given them at the factory.
Cold
bending may cause a fracture of the steel and is also
unsafe. Replacement with new parts is recom­ mended rather than any straightening of damaged

parts.

O-10.
Axle
Caster Caster
angle is established in the axle design by
tilting the top of the kingpin toward the
rear
and
the
bottom
of the kingpin forward so that an

imaginary
line through the center of the kingpin
would strike the ground at a point ahead of the point of tire contact.
FIG.
0-5—AXLE
CASTER

1—
Vertical
Line

2—
Caster
Angle
316

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

The
purpose of caster Fig. O-S, is to provide steer­
ing stability which
will
keep the front wheels in the
straight
ahead position and also assist in straighten­
ing up the wheels when coming out of a
turn.
Caster
of the front wheels is preset. If the angle of

caster,
when accurately measured, is found to be

incorrect,
correct it to the specification given at
the end of this section by either installing new

parts
or installing caster shims
between
the axle

pad
and the springs.

If
the camber and toe-in are correct and it is known
the the axle is not twisted, a satisfactory check

may
be made by testing the vehicle on the road.
Before road testing, make sure all tires are properly

inflated,
being particularly careful that both front
tires are inflated to exactly the same pressure.
If
vehicle turns easily to either side but is
hard
to
straighten out, insufficient caster for easy handling of vehicle is indicated. If correction is necessary, it

can
usually be accomplished by installing shims

between
the springs and axle pads to secure the
desired
result.
0-11-
Front
Wheel
Turning
Angle
When
the front wheels are turned, the inside wheel
on the
turn
travels in a smaller circle than the out­side wheel, therefore, it is necessary for the wheels
to toe out to prevent the tire on the inside wheel

frOm
being scuffed sideways.
This
angle for toe out
on turns is designed to permit both front wheels to

turn
on a common center by having the ends of the
steering
knuckle
arms closer
together
than the king­

pins.

To
avoid possible damage to the universal joints
on the front axles of 4-wheel drive vehicles, it is advisable to check the turning angle.
Wearing
away
of the upset
edge
on the spindle housing bolt which
10607

FIG.
0-6—TURNING
ANGLE
STOP
SCREW
1—Stop
Screw
contacts the
stop
screw
will
increase the turning
angle to the point where the universal joints may
be damaged.

The
Jeep Universal Series vehicles should have a

turning
angle of not more than 27^° both left and

right.
To adjust the
stop
screw, it is necessary to

loosen
the locknut holding the
stop
screw. When
the adjustment has been made, tighten the locknut
on the screw to prevent any movement. Refer to
Fig.
O 6.

The
left steering knuckle arm controls the relation­
ship of the front wheels on a left
turn
and the right
arm
controls the relation on a right
turn.

0-12. Steering
Knuckle
Arm

Should
a steering knuckle arm
become
bent, the

knuckle
housing must be replaced. It is not safe to
straighten the knuckle arm.
0-13.
Front
Wheel
Shimmy
Wheel
shimmy may be caused by various condi­
tions in the wheels, axle or steering system, or a
combination of
these
conditions. Outlined below

will
be found the usual corrections of this fault:

a.
Equalize
tire pressures and see that they are
according
to specifications.

b.
Check
the wheel bearings for
looseness.
Be sure
that the inner wheel bearing race is not too
loose
on the spindle.

c.
Remove both steering knuckles and carefully inspect the upper and lower king pin bearings.

Inspect
the bearing cups for evidence of brinelling,
pitting, or fretting. Any bearings that show the slightest imperfection must be
replaced.
Reassemble

and
lubricate the front axle and steering linkage,
installing
new steering knuckle oil seals if present
seals show any wear.

d.
With
full
weight on the front wheels and one

man
working the steering play with the steering
wheel, a second man should closely observe the steering bell
crank
for any rocking motion and the
double tie rod socket for any rocking motion or

looseness
at both points. Replace the complete bell
crank
assembly if it has even the slightest rocking motion. The same applies to the double tie rod
socket.
e.
Check
wheel run-out.
This
check should include
radial
run-out and wheel
looseness
on the hub.
f- Test wheel balance—check for blowout patches,
uniform
tire tread, vulcanized tires, mud on inside
of wheels, and tires creeping on the
rims.

g.
Try
switching front wheels and tires to the
rear,
criss-crossing
them in this operation.

h.
Check
for front
spring
sag. Also check for broken

spring
leaves, broken center
spring
bolt,
loose
spring

clips
(or tight clips), over-lubrication of spring leaves, spring shackle bracket
loose
on frame, and

loose
rear
spring shackle. Be sure that the shock
absorbers
are operating properly to eliminate bob­bing of the front end.

i.
Check
brakes to make sure that one
does
not

drag.

j.
Check
the steering assembly and steering con­ necting rod.
This
includes the up-and-down-play
of the steering worm shaft, end play of the cross 317