Howe Steering Valve
It's been a few years since I've worked on the
steering, but it needs an update. I've been dealing with the current
steering valve for too long and it's time to put a nice one in there. What
I don't like about the current valve. I have to prime it everytime I start
the engine. When I first start the engine, the steering wheel free-spins.
What I do is spin it real slow until I find that magic spot and it engages.
Next, it's not load reactive. Sometimes that's a good thing, but the
downside is that it doesn't self center. It makes driving down the street
challenging. There is no such thing as driving straight.
04/21/10 - My friend Quinn hooked me up with a discount at Howe. I called and placed the order today. It's going to be 10 days before they get it in stock, then they have to ship it to me.
04/29/10 - The steering valve arrived earlier than I thought it would. Tomorrow I plan on getting some fluid, then swapping out the box. Hopefully this is a good step toward fixing the steering.
05/01/10 - I swapped out the steering valve today and went for a test drive. The Jeep now follows the road better which is good. The problem is I went from 2.5 turns (lock to lock), to 1.5. That's quick steering. Even though it's quick, it feels MUCH better on the road.