How to Upgrade Steering Box on Jeep XJ – Know The Right Way To Do This

The steering box failing in a Jeep Cherokee XJ is not that common, but it can happen to any XJ owner. Don’t be concerned if your steering box is damaged and needs to be replaced. Here, we discussed how to upgrade the steering box on Jeep XJ, when it is necessary to upgrade, and the potential risks.

Although it takes a while to upgrade the steering box on a Jeep XJ, you can do this even in your own garage if you have prior knowledge. To access the steering box, you must remove four items. Then you must take the old steering box out and put a new one in its place. Thus, reinstall every item that you previously removed.

If you follow our instructions carefully, you should be able to complete the process in one sitting.

What Is A Steering Box?

The steering box is basically a significant part of vehicles. It operates directly in the automobile’s control system. The steering linkage, which turns the wheels, receives steering input from the driver through gear in the steering gearbox.

Additionally, it measures steering wheel movement and intensifies these changes. This is why the wheel moves more than the moves of the steering wheel. 

The steering box contains numerous parts. These are the key components of a steering box: the steering wheel, power steering pump, steering coupler, gearbox, steering hoses, and steering box column.

Why Is It Necessary To Replace The Steering Box On A Jeep XJ?

It must be replaced when it is worn out or damaged, but there are other signs that indicate an upgrade is necessary. Let’s look at each of these indicators.

Steering fluid leak

This is a typical justification for upgrading the steering box. Even though it appears to be a minor issue that can be resolved without replacing the entire steering box, the reality is different.

When a major component is damaged, fluid leaks. For instance, a gasket, a high-pressure line, fittings, or other crucial components. Hence, it becomes necessary at this point to upgrade the steering box. 

Unpleasant grinding noise

It occurs when a car is neglected for an extended period of time. Additionally, it can occur if you frequently drive your car off-road. Thus, the steering box’s bolt became loose or broke at some point due to a lack of lubrication and proper maintenance. As a result, you can hear a loud grinding sound. 

Similarly, the frame may bend and your steering box may disintegrate if you continue driving for an extended period of time. In that case, there will be no other option but to upgrade it.

Broken tie rod

This is a rod connected to the steering arm at one end and the pinion at the other end. Rods like this work as a major link between the steering wheel and the shaft that actually moves the wheel. In this regard, if it is broken or bent in any way, this will prevent the steering wheel from moving normally. 

Moreover, when your tie rod bends, you have to change other components with that, which ultimately becomes costly. This is why experts usually recommend upgrading the steering box in such cases.

How to Upgrade Steering Boxes on Jeep XJ?

On the Jeep XJ, replacing the steering box is a labor-intensive process. If you don’t have any prior knowledge of vehicles, especially Jeep cars, we do not advise doing this. However, if you have experience and appropriate tools around, you can give it a try.

Here, we’re attempting to provide you with comprehensive instruction. We made every effort to make this process as simple as possible.

[Note: For this process, you need multiple labour (2 to 3 people). One person won’t be able to make it.]

Step 1: Remove Pitman Arm

The steering box is located in the front of the vehicle and is bolted to the side of the bodywork. Pitman arm is basically a linker, it connects the steering column to the idler arm. Well, first of all, you need to remove the pitman arm. To do so, you need a pitman arm removal/pitman arm puller.

The Pitman arm is attached to the box very strongly. Use a PB Blaster, and then thoroughly remove all the nuts and then take out the pitman arm from the drag link.

Prepare a catch container beneath the box in case of the steering fluid leaks and starts falling.

Step 2: Remove the Pressure Link From Steering Box

The pressure lines are located beneath the front grill. Both the high-pressure link and the low-pressure line must be removed from there. To remove the bolts, you’ll need an 18mm open-end wrench. There is also the possibility of leaking old power steering fluid, so be prepared.

Step 3: Detach the Steering Column

A coupler with splines is bolted down firmly. You won’t be able to separate the steering column if you don’t remove the splined coupler. Therefore, to remove that, determine what kind of bolts were used to attach it, and use the appropriate wrench.

Step 4: Remove The Steering Box

There are three mounting bolts that hold the steering box to the frame. You’ll likely need a 13mm socket to remove that. Be aware that steering boxes are quite heavy. 

In order to avoid damaging it, give the steering box enough support before removing it. Otherwise, it will slip out of the frame and cause a mishap.

Step 5: Installing the New Steering Box

Make sure you have all the necessary tools (such as a wrench and bolt-tightening equipment) on hand before moving on to the next step. The reason for this is that the bolt on the new steering box may differ from the one on the old one.

Now you must reverse the entire process in order to install a new steering box. First, secure the steering box to the frame by tightening all of the bolts. When the car is running, the steering box will tremble if those three bolts are not tightened. It will produce unpleasant noise. So make sure to tighten them all properly.

Likewise, reinstall the steering column one by one, such as the pressure link (both high and low), the coupler, and pitman arm. This is the entire procedure; however, there may be slight variations depending on the model of the car used or the type of steering box selected.

[Note: During the upgrade of the steering box, never move the steering wheel. The reason is that if you move the steering wheel, it can break the clock spring in the steering column.]

Is There Any Risk In Upgrading A Jeep XJ’s Steering Box?

There is no risk if it is done by a professional, but if anyone attempts to do it without prior knowledge, there may be some issues.

Besides, there is a chance that the steering box will fall if someone without experience tries to replace this. The reason is that the steering box is heavy; if he does not use any support for the steering box, the box will fall.

Additionally, there is a step where the pressure line needs to be disconnected. Since pressure lines are somewhat delicate, they must be gently unhooked. So the chance is that you will rip it out if you complete it quickly.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked queries about upgrading the steering box on the Jeep XJ. Hopefully, it will provide you with more insights.