Tylerjcloud92
Well-Known Member
Are you guys turning the steering box adjustment screw 1/8th turn clockwise?
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jeremyjeep
Well-Known Member
It would be interesting to see what your chalk test shows, hope you share the results here. This forum at https://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/ko2-tire-pressure-2192793.html shows a crazy wide range of air pressure for BF Goodrich AT KO2. And this thread has more tire pressure data: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/popular-jeep-tires-size-weights-specs-pics.8603/
scotland007
Active Member
I totally agree with you here. I reckon it will take someone getting killed before they take action. We have had many calls with jeep cares and had the jeep in the dealer and until a fix is figured out there is nothing they can do.
mischman
Well-Known Member
I have no clue how yall were able to adjust that steering box screw. I stripped the hex head out, im sure im not the only one. I put vise grips on it and still couldnt get the thing to budge. I had no trouble breaking the nut free.
Tylerjcloud92
Well-Known Member
I got t
he service manager at my dealership to do it I think it helped he also said that now that it’s broke loose if I wanted I could a just it a little more if it still had to much of a dead spot but not to go to far or it will start to bind and not return to center
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vavaroutsos
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They used red loctite on it. You need to heat it to 550F to soften the loctite before trying to loosen it.
FWB FL
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So I hope when a dealer comes up with a repair some one will post it here. I keep watching for the repair for the high speed roaming all over at 70 mph.
jeremyjeep
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it is frustrating that most dealers just say "everything is in spec". There are only 4 or 5 steering components - steering box, steering pump, steering stabilizer, steering column, circuit board, etc. Simply check all other specs - ball joints, steering arm bolt torque, steering box adjustment, etc. first, then swap out one part out at a time. This isn't rocket science. Since every JL owner isn't having the steering issue, then it should be a part replacement, versus being a design issue which would mean ALL JLs would have the problem. You'd think dealers would rush to find a solution to the steering fiasco so they could get the credit for discovering the fix. What ever happened to pride, craftsmanship, taking a challenge every once in a while instead of only taking cookie-cutter tasks and just plain old customer service?
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FWB FL
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So agree with the above, some one at Jeep needs to step up and get this issue solved.
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vavaroutsos
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- 2015 Sprinter Crew Van 2500 High Roof 144" WB OM651 Brilliant Silver, 2019 JLR 3.6L 6SPD Granite Crystal
I think you would be better off with a MAP torch. You need to get it over 500 F to soften the loctite. With a heat gun the whole steering box might get pretty hot by the time it softened. You need to loosen the screw before it cools too, or the loctite will setup again.
WIJLU
Well-Known Member
2018 JLUR...same loose steering / wandering feel the rest of the folk here have.
So far...Dealer flashed the computer with the TSB, replaced steering box...no help (maybe 10-15% improvement with the steering box).
Had a chance to drive a buddy's JK (3.5" MC lift, ~34" Ridge grapplers) the other day. Here are my thoughts...
I've been thinking, like everyone else, that it's "loose" steering giving me this wandering feel...that I'm constantly correcting the steering at highway speeds. After driving his JK, I'm rethinking. His JK drove 100% better...but it still had play in the steering wheel. Less than mine, but way more than other vehicles I drive (2016 F150 for example...that has NO play).
What his DID have, was an EXCELLENT return to center feel. Mine has a HORRIBLE return to center feel. When I make a steering correction in mine...it stays where I left it...doesn't return to center at all. His would immediately return to center. I could still "wiggle" his steering wheel and feel play, but it drove great!!
Mine will try to return to center from a sharp turn, but when it gets ~10-15 degrees from the center...it stops trying to center itself. When making small corrections on the highway, it never wants to center. If I enter a shallow curve and set the steering wheel for the curve, I can let go of the wheel and it will hold the curve. It shouldn't do that!! Should try to recenter...
Caster can play into the "centering" ... but there is no adjustable caster to the JL's. Has anyone tried adjustable control arms to dial in caster? Has anyone checked their factory caster setting? I'd be curious to know what it was.
What else can affect the "centering" feel?
My new hypothesis is that it's the lack of centering in the steering that is causing the wandering feel for me. I'm going to work on this angle for a while and I'll post back if I figure it out.
No bashing...but please post back if you agree...and why or disagree...and why. Oh, and if you have fixed your centering feel, please let me know what you did that worked.
TIA!
So far...Dealer flashed the computer with the TSB, replaced steering box...no help (maybe 10-15% improvement with the steering box).
Had a chance to drive a buddy's JK (3.5" MC lift, ~34" Ridge grapplers) the other day. Here are my thoughts...
I've been thinking, like everyone else, that it's "loose" steering giving me this wandering feel...that I'm constantly correcting the steering at highway speeds. After driving his JK, I'm rethinking. His JK drove 100% better...but it still had play in the steering wheel. Less than mine, but way more than other vehicles I drive (2016 F150 for example...that has NO play).
What his DID have, was an EXCELLENT return to center feel. Mine has a HORRIBLE return to center feel. When I make a steering correction in mine...it stays where I left it...doesn't return to center at all. His would immediately return to center. I could still "wiggle" his steering wheel and feel play, but it drove great!!
Mine will try to return to center from a sharp turn, but when it gets ~10-15 degrees from the center...it stops trying to center itself. When making small corrections on the highway, it never wants to center. If I enter a shallow curve and set the steering wheel for the curve, I can let go of the wheel and it will hold the curve. It shouldn't do that!! Should try to recenter...
Caster can play into the "centering" ... but there is no adjustable caster to the JL's. Has anyone tried adjustable control arms to dial in caster? Has anyone checked their factory caster setting? I'd be curious to know what it was.
What else can affect the "centering" feel?
My new hypothesis is that it's the lack of centering in the steering that is causing the wandering feel for me. I'm going to work on this angle for a while and I'll post back if I figure it out.
No bashing...but please post back if you agree...and why or disagree...and why. Oh, and if you have fixed your centering feel, please let me know what you did that worked.
TIA!
mischman
Well-Known Member
Has anyone took apart their steering wheel yet? I mean, its a long shot but were at 1200 replies with no solution. Maybe there is something in there that is causing problems, its what turns the shaft that goes to the steering box.
jeremyjeep
Well-Known Member
WIJLU: I'd like to explore this same line of thinking - no pun intended. My JLUR has very similar symptoms that you described. And I drove a 2018 JK that returned to center perfectly, didn't wander all over the road. But I have 2 different steering symptoms in my JL, which of course could be the same cause / culprit. When driving around 45 MPH or faster, it feels like I'm in a wind storm and have to constantly correct the steering wheel to stay in lane. It gets worse as the temperature gets warmer, 88 - 95 degrees. But the pull you described happens at any temperature. So there might be two problems since one set of steering symptoms is temperature related and the steering pull isn't. Both steering symptoms happen equally left and right. Seems more right when roads are crested to the right, but on flat roads, it is 100% equal left and right.
As I've mentioned in previous posts, if I go into a large empty parking lot, turn the steering wheel, let go of the steering wheel, speed up a bit to make it go back to center, it won't. I end up going in a very large circle. Someone commented that my steering box adjustment was too tight. The steering box has been replaced and has the factory setting. The previous steering box did the same exact thing. TSB was applied too. Checked ball joints, control arm torque, yada yada. I have no dead spot but I'm concerned if the adjustment to the steering box is made to loosen it up, the dead spot will appear, but as you mentioned, the JK has the play in the wheel but doesn't pull. So maybe it would be a good idea to have it adjusted lose by 1/16 or 1/8 of a turn. However, I don't think this would fix the "wind" symptom that I described especially since the wind symptoms go away when the weather is in the mid 70s or lower.
I've called around to alignment shops, Rough Country, even the company that makes the high end alignment equipment and "castor" comes up all the time. But as you mentioned, there isn't an adjustment for castor. I called a couple of 4x4 shops and they said something about grinding off part of the control arms that would allow them to put an oblong fitting it so they can adjust castor. They say they have done this before and it has fixed the pulling symptoms that I've described, especially on lifted Wranglers. Mine is stock, not lifted by the way. However, this type of steering arm modification would 100% guarantee a warranty issue on any steering related problems.
1. Does your JL steer differently in weather in the upper 80s or higher? Most won't notice this because they don't live in extreme weather climates.
2. It would be interesting to pay an alignment shop to just check castor without asking them to hack a fix into it just to include/exclude castor as the culprit. The dealership said all alignment (castor, camber, toe-in, etc.) is within spec, but it is good to get a second opinion. Paying an alignment shop $120 is nothing compared to the bigger picture of $50K+.
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