2020 JLUR steering issue

[MtnDew]

I just purchased my second 2020 JLUR in a six months time span and while the steering was good on the first one, the second one delivered February 23 is that much better, tight wheel and very little play!! And I’m on a 3.5” lift with 37’s, stock was amazing!! This may piss a lot of people off but I gotta say that a lot of this is in peoples heads. People have set their expectations way too high because it’s 2020 and these vehicles are pushing low 60s, it’s still a solid axle vehicle with an ancient suspension design.

I just test drove two 2020 JLUR from two different dealers. I thought the steering wheel felt pretty loose on both with a big dead spot of a couple inches. At that point I wasn’t even aware there were other people complaining or that it was a problem until I went home and googled it that evening.

My point is that it’s definitely not all in people’s heads as you suggest. The steering was so loose and different from my 2014 Tacoma that I’m not sure what my plan is now. All I know is I sure would not want to drive at highway speeds with a steering wheel that felt like that.

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[nerubi]

Three Wranglers and only one problem (other than recalls) - radiator cap started losing pressure after 7 years. Perfect steering, no oil burning, never needed alignments. And as to customer responsiveness - the FCA CEO responded to my email the next day after I said my 2019 build was taking too long. Built the next day. I've heard about steering problems with the Wrangler forever - many car experts say live axle side effect. You can look at forums for other vehicles with live axles and see same complaints.

 

[californiajeeping]

There are several steering related TSBs and Star cases in the TSB section on this website. FCA is aware and has documented the JL steering issues.

 

[NPE102414]

Yep, you just opened up a door that you don’t want to walk thru. it’s not an imagined or problem based on overly high expectations . You were fortunate to get a few great ones, many are problematic in various degrees. I had a real bad one and now one that’s not perfect but easily 50% better.

I don’t mind walking through this door because I build these for a living and there really not much needed to make them drive straight.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I don’t mind walking through this door because I build these for a living and there really not much needed to make them drive straight.

I would consider myself pretty handy and although I might not build Jeeps for a living I do build some high hp cars and know my way around fabrication and what it takes to make a 3000 HP car go down the road straight. After owning several Jeep Tj/Ljs I would be thrilled if my 2020 Jl drove half as good as my Lj. Fact of the mater is the gear box on these things either suck or they are decent. My 04 Lj with 140k drives better than my wife’s 2020 Grand Cherokee, my 2020 JL drives like a 57 Buick. You can’t just make these things drive straight if they don’t make a box that is consistent.

 

[D60]

I also think it's hit or miss in the steering gear. I don't know if it's poor manufacturing tolerances/QC, or poor lash adjustment at the factory.

But I'm really glad to see some common sense appear here -- if we know (and we do) it's possible for a stock JL/JLU/JLUR to have tight steering from the factory (it is), there's no point in throwing steering braces, track bars or anything else aftermarket at it UNTIL you get it right WITHOUT all this stuff.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I also think it's hit or miss in the steering gear. I don't know if it's poor manufacturing tolerances/QC, or poor lash adjustment at the factory.

But I'm really glad to see some common sense appear here -- if we know (and we do) it's possible for a stock JL/JLU/JLUR to have tight steering from the factory (it is), there's no point in throwing steering braces, track bars or anything else aftermarket at it UNTIL you get it right WITHOUT all this stuff.

I am a trainer for a large group of collision shops, I am actually at the point I am considering ordering a few of the new boxes and doing some bench testing and pick the one that’s the best. I am also waiting on receiving a used JK box, from what I can tell they look almost exactly alike. The fact that PSC has a cast iron box for their jl system and they already had a Jk replacement box on the market tells me they didn’t have to R&D a new box, they took what they had for the jk and it worked.

 

[HoundDude]

@Jeep&dogs please keep us posted if you experiment

 

[D60]

@Jeep&dogs please keep us posted if you experiment

THIS!!!!

 

[Jeep&dogs]

What I would actually like to see is if someone with a Jl that they say steers “great” posts up a video of how much the input shaft on the top of the box rotates before the sector shaft on the bottom moves. And then the same on one with sloppy steering. Documenting the difference between the two could very well help eliminate the “it’s a Jeep thing” and help get FCA do do something about it. Realistically if there are jeeps without the issue it’s obvious the parts exist to build a decent system. If this could be documented that there is in fact a difference (which I truly believe there is) it could force FCA to set an acceptable tolerance for this and then hopefully lead to forcing them to swap out the box until they get “a good one”

The biggest issue I believe is FCA knows there is an issue but there is do way to determine so to speak what is acceptable vs not acceptable, they certainly don’t want to look for that because it would force them to address the issue. If the issue could be documented and people start to present this to them they get forced to either come up with a reason why there is a difference and justify it or fix it.

 

[nerubi]

What I would actually like to see is if someone with a Jl that they say steers “great” posts up a video of how much the input shaft on the top of the box rotates before the sector shaft on the bottom moves. And then the same on one with sloppy steering. Documenting the difference between the two could very well help eliminate the “it’s a Jeep thing” and help get FCA do do something about it. Realistically if there are jeeps without the issue it’s obvious the parts exist to build a decent system. If this could be documented that there is in fact a difference (which I truly believe there is) it could force FCA to set an acceptable tolerance for this and then hopefully lead to forcing them to swap out the box until they get “a good one”

The biggest issue I believe is FCA knows there is an issue but there is do way to determine so to speak what is acceptable vs not acceptable, they certainly don’t want to look for that because it would force them to address the issue. If the issue could be documented and people start to present this to them they get forced to either come up with a reason why there is a difference and justify it or fix it.

Jeep knows there are some complaints about steering but unless most Wranglers have the problem or NHTSA ever thinks it is a major safety issue, which they haven't, then there won't be any significant changes. For many years there have been complaints about steering and death wobble but only tweaks have been done. But research solid axles for many manufacturers and you will see the same issues. So either accept them or buy vehicles with IFS to reduce those issues but also reduce off road capability and ability to make changes to the vehicle.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

Jeep knows there are some complaints about steering but unless most Wranglers have the problem or NHTSA ever thinks it is a major safety issue, which they haven't, then there won't be any significant changes. For many years there have been complaints about steering and death wobble but only tweaks have been done. But research solid axles for many manufacturers and you will see the same issues. So either accept them or buy vehicles with IFS to reduce those issues but also reduce off road capability and ability to make changes to the vehicle.

Excessive play in the box has zero to do with solid axels. I will go as far as to say I have owned 50+ vehicles with solid axels and they don’t drive like my Jl. It is 100% possible to have a solid axel and have good steering. I have 5 solid axel vehicles in my driveway right now that prove that.

 

[D60]

Excessive play in the box has zero to do with solid axels. I will go as far as to say I have owned 50+ vehicles with solid axels and they don’t drive like my Jl. It is 100% possible to have a solid axel and have good steering. I have 5 solid axel vehicles in my driveway right now that prove that.

Absolutely this. I'm lucky in that my '19 drives tight.

I've driven plenty of SA vehicles and IFS vehicles (trucks) and done a few SAS's. There's no reason for a SA to wander much. In most cases they're not AS tight as rack and pinion but they're close enough that the average soccer mom can hop in either and barely tell a difference.

 

[df007]

Jeep knows there are some complaints about steering but unless most Wranglers have the problem or NHTSA ever thinks it is a major safety issue, which they haven't, then there won't be any significant changes. For many years there have been complaints about steering and death wobble but only tweaks have been done. But research solid axles for many manufacturers and you will see the same issues. So either accept them or buy vehicles with IFS to reduce those issues but also reduce off road capability and ability to make changes to the vehicle.

Seems like there are so many issues it's actually worked to FCA's advantage with the NHTSA. There is an open investigation but between the trackbar welds, axle welds, steering damper recall, trackbar recall, and now this whole clutch thing, their heads are spinning. FCA probably has them convinced that the issue is just the damper and trackbar.

 

[df007]

I am a trainer for a large group of collision shops, I am actually at the point I am considering ordering a few of the new boxes and doing some bench testing and pick the one that’s the best. I am also waiting on receiving a used JK box, from what I can tell they look almost exactly alike. The fact that PSC has a cast iron box for their jl system and they already had a Jk replacement box on the market tells me they didn’t have to R&D a new box, they took what they had for the jk and it worked.

I'll be interested to hear about your JK project. I wish some aftermarket company would do a gearbox that worked with the rest of the factory stuff like pump, lines, etc.

I still have this gearbox if you do get into comparing a bunch:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...has-play-and-drifts.3691/page-360#post-970684
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...has-play-and-drifts.3691/page-371#post-987873

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