Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

[californiajeeping]

Tires rotation, new AE box, new steering damper.
Before the play was so much that you wouldn’t know when the tires were straight...

The pull to the right is most likely the new steering stabilizer. My first V41 stabilizer caused mine to pull to the right as well. I thought it would break in and stop pulling after a few 100 miles, but it didn't. Got slightly worse actually. I got a new V41 steering stabilizer and it no longer pulls to the right, even right after I drove it out of the dealership, zero pull big difference. To make sure, check your tread wear. If the tread is even, and your tire pressure is the same on all 4 tires, and it is still pulling to the right after 200 miles or so, then I'd have them replace the steering stabilizer. And of course make sure they didn't install the steering stabilizer backwards like they had for others.

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[HoundDude]

The pull to the right is most likely the new steering stabilizer. My first V41 stabilizer caused mine to pull to the right as well...

I thought your pull to the right was with a Fox steering stabilizer? or are you just a really unlucky guy?

 

[Vezfly]

I took my to a local shop today , brought the total toe to .34.

While he was down there had him check ball joints and track bar torques...

They were no where close to proper torque on lower ball joints(should be 30-37) and track bar to frame was maybe at 50 instead of 110....

Haven’t driven it far since will advise

 

[EDH_JL]

Back from the dealer, only 15 miles on the new steering box but already seems way better. The results of the torque over-center test showed 8 in-lbs when the spec is 1.3-5.8 in-lbs (seems like a big spread!).

I made the attached graphic to show my steering journey so far, the Jeep being able to wander between either side of the red area was seriously dangerous especially under hard braking. Track bar replaced first removed the wander from the red area, then the new steering box reduced play from the yellow to the green. If it stays like this, I will be very satisfied. Request the torque over-center test, its the only objective way to know if your steering box is bad or not and eliminates the "seems normal" or "they all do that" subjectivity.

Edit: V41 steering damper recall was performed before I test drove and bought the JL, so I don't know how that impacted the steering.

 

[Dvol]

Back from the dealer, only 15 miles on the new steering box but already seems way better. The results of the torque over-center test showed 8 in-lbs when the spec is 1.3-5.8 in-lbs (seems like a big spread!).

I made the attached graphic to show my steering journey so far, the Jeep being able to wander between either side of the red area was seriously dangerous especially under hard braking. Track bar replaced first removed the wander from the red area, then the new steering box reduced play from the yellow to the green. If it stays like this, I will be very satisfied. Request the torque over-center test, its the only objective way to know if your steering box is bad or not and eliminates the "seems normal" or "they all do that" subjectivity.

Mines has almost exactly same play except started after 10k miles. I didn’t have the bad wandering most have had. I have to make small corrections constantly after 45mph.

My Jeep returns to dealer Monday to readdress the clicks and loose steering play and the backwards installed v41 fancy damper lol. Path to knowledge continues...

 

[EDH_JL]

Mines has almost exactly same play except started after 10k miles. I didn’t have the bad wandering most have had. I have to make small corrections constantly after 45mph.

My Jeep returns to dealer Monday to readdress the clicks and loose steering play and the backwards installed v41 fancy damper lol. Path to knowledge continues...

Thanks for the reminder on V41, I will add that to my post. The recall came out 5 days before I bought the Jeep and was performed before I even did a test drive so I can't speculate on how that impacted (or not) the steering.

 

[californiajeeping]

I thought your pull to the right was with a Fox steering stabilizer? or are you just a really unlucky guy?

I had replaced the old OEM steering stabilizer with the Fox steering, it pulled to the right. Just like others had reported their Fox steering stabilizer was doing as well. Fox confirmed there was a bad batch. I put the old OEM steering stabilizer back on. I then brought it in for the V41. It pulled to the right. The dealer confirmed it was pulling to the right during a test drive. They put a new V41 steering stabilizer, no longer pulls. There is other steering stabilizer history as well, but that is the applicable part. I read where others have been through even more steering stabilizers than me, so I'm not as unlucky as they are. lol

 

[californiajeeping]

I took my to a local shop today , brought the total toe to .34.

While he was down there had him check ball joints and track bar torques...

They were no where close to proper torque on lower ball joints(should be 30-37) and track bar to frame was maybe at 50 instead of 110....

Haven’t driven it far since will advise

I bet it will drive a lot better. Did you look at the ball joint nut cotter pins?

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

I thought I'd post an update of what I've done for my steering. Some of this is a recap you might have read before.

tl-dr: Aftermarket components have made a great difference.


First change: I put the Mopar lift LCAs on. Those are ¼" longer and brought my caster from 4.7 to 6.0. That change made a big difference in the wandering and overall steering feel. However, it was still not as good as our JKUR and not road-trip worthy.

I waited a while before doing anything to see what FCA would do.

The V41 recall steering damper was replaced on 8/15 and that didn't make any noticeable difference. My husband also couldn't tell that anything had been done. I value his feedback because he had a JKUR that he modded extensively (and it drove a lot better than my JLR).

Then my husband surprised me with this!

He was impressed with the Steer Smarts components on his JK, so thought this would be a good place to start and he was right. Putting this track bar on made the biggest difference to date. The steering felt more solid, a bit firmer. We put that on last weekend, 8/17.

Hubby said that the steering has gone from terrible (stock), to OK (LCAs), to good (Yeti). We were planning a trip to Colorado next month to do some of the gorgeous trails, but cancelled it because of the steering. Yes, it was that bad. Right now it doesn't wander, but still feels like it has a lot of play. More than our JK did for sure.

My sweet husband then surprised me with this:

We're going to put it in this weekend. We'll also check the torque on other steering components while we're working on it. I'll report back how the Falcon stabilizer affects the steering.

I'm really hoping for a new steering box for the 2 doors! Beyond that, we're going to replace components we need to. The track bar might be next. I was thinking about adjustable LCAs, but my caster is at 6, so that was moved down the priority list.

So far the upgraded components have made quite a noticeable difference—to the point we're talking about going to Moab in the spring! .

 

[Bigbobo]

At what point does Jeep start torquing the fasteners properly? It should not be hard to make sure that there is a quality check around this.

 

[hiddenmickey]

I’ve had my 2019 Wrangler JLUS for a week now and I am having the lane drift issue. It is really bad on the interstate. I’m constantly having to make little adjustments left and right to maintain my lane. I have no mods and have the stock Michelin LTX tires with 36 lbs of pressure. The tires had 42 lbs of pressure when I took delivery!

I hate that this is my first post to this good forum, but I want to be on record as having this issue. The more people speak up about this, the more pressure we put on FCA to respond to this problem with a sense of urgency.

 

[Tritonman]

I have the full Yeti SteerSmarts front end including their new sway bar links and even the Griffin HD Attenuator on the drag link. Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer. Teraflex Alpine adjustable lower control arms and the Mopar lift with Rock Krawler perches, Teraflex rear track bar relocation bracket. Had the AD steering box revision done couple months ago along with any software steering updates.

Caster set to about 6.2 degrees
Toe set to about .22 degrees total.

Still have the dead spot. Same as most people and I'm able to move the steering wheel side to side a good deal with no tire movement. Dealership has bent over backwards to do whatever they can. Spoke to them today and they are going to install the new AE version the gear box and I'm really hoping this will be the end of it.

 

[chadc880]

You know the part that sucks the most, even though I am driving a crappy Mitsubishi Outlander Rental, the steering on this thing is soooooo perfect. I pretty sure its electric and yeah rack and pinion, before my JL I tried out a Altima SR Blue. Man that thing drove like a dream. Never once did I ever have an issue. Never. I needed my Jeep Utility back from having my 12 JKU for 7 years. In so many ways I wish I never bought my JL. If this repair doesn't fix it, I may do the buy back. I hate it but all these damn problems with the JL.

 

[kobejo34]

You know the part that sucks the most, even though I am driving a crappy Mitsubishi Outlander Rental, the steering on this thing is soooooo perfect. I pretty sure its electric and yeah rack and pinion, before my JL I tried out a Altima SR Blue. Man that thing drove like a dream. Never once did I ever have an issue. Never. I needed my Jeep Utility back from having my 12 JKU for 7 years. In so many ways I wish I never bought my JL. If this repair doesn't fix it, I may do the buy back. I hate it but all these damn problems with the JL.

Yeah I have about 2k in steering, geometry components, proper torque everything to spec. Took all 256 pages of this thread to a local 4x4 shop and said do this with unlimited funds just make it work. Wife nor 18 yr old son wont drive it and I have such hand fatigue its sucks. Got a CRV as a loaner for the wifes car and I may even get that, its that bad. @JeepCares I can drive my brother in laws 1998 TJ with nothing but a cheep lift from 1998, bald tires, and extreme wobbly and it tracks straight. He literally does nothing to his jeep. Took it to the dealer yesterday and they told me heaver tires will cause play in the wheel. I just said ok, I mean why even..... Dealer also asked me if I wanted to do the SS recall... I laughed an said I replaced that before I took delivery. "so you dont want to do the recall". OMG I'll will take the loss soon and buy a truck. Never a Chrysler, dodge, jeep again. I sent about 8-10 people to this dealer to based on good sales recomendations but Jeeps unwilling to admit anything or fix the steering is piss poor customer service.

So sad it was my dream ever sense I was 14.

Good news the dealer flashed the PCM so my fan isnt so loud and they said a "huge" radio update is coming in 4th quarter. But this is the same guy that said with a straight face larger tires will cause loose steering and lane changes.

 

[JimmyDoom]

So is this what I tell the dealer I want the below done or are they the same or one supersede the other?

Steering RRT8-054 and 18-19-06-WU
PCM update RRT 18-137

I asked my dealership to do the same PCM update and the RRT and they wouldn't do them. They said that it didn't pertain to my VIN number so it wasn't relevant. I have a 2018 4 door Rubicon with a build date of 7-18

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