1997 Jeep Cherokee power steering box

Tiny
DILLON_69
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 JEEP CHEROKEE
  • 6 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 203,000 MILES
Well I jist bought a 97 jeep cherokee sport and went up on a bank and when coming of dropped the front right tire in to a hole and it jarred the tire and popped the bolts loose in the power steering box and now there stripped and won't go back in but the jeep wont turn left if I replaced the gear box would that fix the problem or is there something else wrong that I don't see I looked and seen nothing else wrong nothings bent as far as I see
Thursday, August 13th, 2015 AT 2:29 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Disconnect the pitman arm from the steering box or right at the tie rod that attaches to it. See if you can manually turn the wheels from right to left. If you can and everything is tight and in good condition, the problem sounds like it is in the gear, but that is really odd. Also, what bolts are stripped?
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Saturday, August 15th, 2015 AT 8:14 PM
Tiny
DILLON_69
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
It's not the bolts them selves it the threads on the gear box that connect it to the Fram I'm thinking I can jist get a longer bolt and put a nut on the other side to hold the gear box in place until I can buy another one cause I can turn right fine but then when I turn left the bolts pop back out the gear box and it drops so I'm thinking as long as I bolt it back to the frame it should work fine cause when I turn left it's pulling the gear box away from the frame buy when I turn right is pushing the box into the Frame and I've checked everything everything is tight the only problem I found was that those bolts were popped out
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Saturday, August 15th, 2015 AT 9:22 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
I still recommend what I suggested. Remove the pitman arm from the steering box and see if the wheels turn properly. It could be what you are saying, but there could be other damage. And yes, the only way I can think of repairing the bolts is what you said. Use a fine thread case hardened bolt and nut, a lock washer and loctite so nothing can come loose.
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Monday, August 17th, 2015 AT 1:19 PM

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