1st Wrangler. Need Advice.

[Luminator832]

Greetings! 1st time posting on any forum, so please forgive any breaches of decorum. I just got my 1st Wrangler. 2020 JL Sport 2 door, 3.6l auto. 10k miles on odometer. Previous owner did several mods. 33" AT tires on 17" wheels and Mopar lift with Fox shocks being a couple. My plan for this Wrangler is to use it as a daily driver with the occasional beach trip or camping trip. Possibly some light trails. That being said, I have noticed that the vehicle has quite a bit of wander on the highway. I have also noticed that the axles are not centered under the frame (about 1/2" off). I would guess that the Mopar lift is giving me well over 2" (looks more like 3-3.5, but im not sure how to tell, as i dont have stock ride height measurements). My question: Should I just get adjustable track bars and control arms to correct the geometry/alignment on Mopar lift, or would it be worth it to just invest in a more comprehensive kit? Thanks in advance!!

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[Deleted member 59498]

Welcome, pictures always help.

 

[Luminator832]

Naturally! These may help. May not...TBD.

 

[aldo98229]

Yeah, the steering on my 2018 Sahara developed a strong pull to the right and significant of wander after the dealer installed a Mopar lift.

Things that helped:

1. Replaced the OE stabilizer with a beefier Fox 2.0 damper
2. Had the steering box TSB done. Yours being a 2020, make sure it’s been done on it
3. Swapped the OE trackbar with an adjustable, beefier YETI unit. This didn’t make much difference in steering feel, but re-centered the axle

Of the three above, theTSB made the biggest difference.

Good luck.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Nice looking Jeep!

It's likely a Mopar 2", that will give about 3-3.5" on a Sport. You will adjustable front and rear track bars and the Mopar longer lower control arms. Adjustable lower control arms would be better.

I'm not sure if those Fuel Beast wheels are hubcentric. A hubcentric wheel uses the axle hub itself to center the wheel and carry the weight, vs relying on the lug nuts. Lug centric wheels need to have a little extra attention to detail when mounting, to make sure all of the lugs are evenly seated before tightening. Many tire shops just hammer them on with impacts. Double check the torque on all of the lugnuts.

Also, those wheels have an aggressive offset, so after the adjustable suspension components are added, make sure that you take it to a competent alignment shop.

Finally, check the PSI in the tires, just because the sidewall says 65 or 80 PSI max does not mean that you run that much air. For your Jeep, 35 PSI will be fine.

Looks like the guy before you also added the steel bumpers front and rear. You will need to get the proper end caps for the bumper so it blends with you fenders. The Rubicon end caps don't blend with the Sport fenders.

 

[Luminator832]

Thanks! I will look into all of that.

 

[Luminator832]

Are there specific Bumper end caps you would recommend?

 

[Luminator832]

Yeah, the steering on my 2018 Sahara developed a strong pull to the right and significant of wander after the dealer installed a Mopar lift.

Things that helped:

1. Replaced the OE stabilizer with a beefier Fox 2.0 damper
2. Had the steering box TSB done. Yours being a 2020, make sure it’s been done on it
3. Swapped the OE trackbar with an adjustable, beefier YETI unit. This didn’t make much difference in steering feel, but re-centered the axle

Of the three above, theTSB made the biggest difference.

Good luck.

Thanks so much for your reply! Local dealer tells me there is no way for them to tell if the TSB has been done. I am the Jeep's 3rd owner, so its possible that either of the previous owners had it done, but not here at my local dealer. I'm not sure how to proceed

 

[Heimkehr]

Local dealer tells me there is no way for them to tell if the TSB has been done.

The pre-2021 steering box was aluminum. The 2021+ OEM steering box, which is what's installed when the TSB is performed, is black steel.

You might consider using the services of a different dealer.

 

[Luminator832]

Nice looking Jeep!

It's likely a Mopar 2", that will give about 3-3.5" on a Sport. You will adjustable front and rear track bars and the Mopar longer lower control arms. Adjustable lower control arms would be better.

I'm not sure if those Fuel Beast wheels are hubcentric. A hubcentric wheel uses the axle hub itself to center the wheel and carry the weight, vs relying on the lug nuts. Lug centric wheels need to have a little extra attention to detail when mounting, to make sure all of the lugs are evenly seated before tightening. Many tire shops just hammer them on with impacts. Double check the torque on all of the lugnuts.

Also, those wheels have an aggressive offset, so after the adjustable suspension components are added, make sure that you take it to a competent alignment shop.

Finally, check the PSI in the tires, just because the sidewall says 65 or 80 PSI max does not mean that you run that much air. For your Jeep, 35 PSI will be fine.

Looks like the guy before you also added the steel bumpers front and rear. You will need to get the proper end caps for the bumper so it blends with you fenders. The Rubicon end caps don't blend with the Sport fenders.

Are there any end caps you recommend? Is this a requirement?

 

[Luminator832]

The pre-2021 steering box was aluminum. The 2021+ OEM steering box, which is what's installed when the TSB is performed, is black steel.

You might consider using the services of a different dealer.

Thanks! I will.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Are there any end caps you recommend? Is this a requirement?

I don't know the part numbers. Not required, just cleans up the flow between the bumper and the rear fenders.

 

[aldo98229]

Thanks so much for your reply! Local dealer tells me there is no way for them to tell if the TSB has been done. I am the Jeep's 3rd owner, so its possible that either of the previous owners had it done, but not here at my local dealer. I'm not sure how to proceed

Are dealing with a Jeep dealer, correct? They should be able to tell from the VIN!

Regardless, the dealer should be able to tell by simply doing a visual check if the steering box is aluminum or cast iron.

 

[Luminator832]

Are dealing with a Jeep dealer, correct? They should be able to tell from the VIN!

Regardless, the dealer should be able to tell by simply doing a visual check if the steering box is aluminum or cast iron.

Yes. Dealing with a dealer. I spoke with a different dealer who said that there was nothing listed on the VIN that showed that the TSB had been done. They did say that it would not be covered, as the vehicle is out of warranty. Looks like I will have to come out of pocket for it.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

Look at your steering box and see if it is silver or black. You might already have the steel version (black) and not need the TSB. As far as your original question, an adjustable track bar will help center your axle and a heavy duty one will slightly improve your handling. If you have a steel steering box and and a heavy duty adjustable track bar and still experience a little wandering, it might just be a Jeep thing (solid front axle thing) and over time you will become more accustomed to it. If you find a local Jeep club and can drive a JL with similar specs, give it a test drive for comparison.

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