Broken Ring Gear

[ZackMill]

I have a 2019 Sahara Unlimited with 32k miles on it and I had the ring gear absolutely shred to pieces while driving on asphalt…..never off-roaded. I went to my local dealership and was told “any modifications void warranty,” and I said that’s not true, that you have to prove it, I found the act “1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.” Explain to me how I am denied by a dealer before they even look into the issue. @JeepCares

Sponsored

 

[azwjowner]

Your post doesn't provide sufficient information for us to offer an intelligible response or to join you in your outrage. What size tires were you running? Stock? 35s? 37s? 40s?

(As an extreme example, you can obviously shred the ring gear on pavement with 40" tires and that wouldn't be a warranty issue.)

 

[kah.mun.rah]

That's your original ring gear? Were you doing burnouts?

 

[ConqSoft]

42" tires on stock axles and 3.45 gears? ?

Edit: I doubt burnouts would even be possible. 0-60 in less than an hour?

 

[CarbonSteel]

42s. I get it’s 100% possible and that’s not what I’m arguing. The problem I’m having is it needs to be proven according to the law and that was not done.

If you are running 42's and 3.45 gears, there is not much to prove as to whether or not the design capacity of the axle has been exceeded.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

As you know, running 42s is a lot more friction and requires a lot more force on your ring gear than stock tires do. I am surprised that your teeth lasted as long as they did. Look at it as an opportunity to now re-gear to a better ratio for your 42s.

 

[mwilk012]

42s. I get it’s 100% possible and that’s not what I’m arguing. The problem I’m having is it needs to be proven according to the law and that was not done.

Lol you might as well have driven it off of a cliff and asked for warranty repair. No. This is because of your mods.

 

[AnnDee4444]

Can do 100 with a built 4 banger. Just waiting on my 5.38s so if that all you have to say then respectfully go away.

Stock speedometer calibration?

Edit: I thought you had a 3.6

 

[ConqSoft]

Lol you might as well have driven it off of a cliff and asked for warranty repair. No. This is because of your mods.

To be fair, I see no mention in the warranty information about driving off a cliff, so it could be argued that it's covered.

 

[azwjowner]

42s. I get it’s 100% possible and that’s not what I’m arguing. The problem I’m having is it needs to be proven according to the law and that was not done.

Your reading of the law is correct, but that relates to which party has the burden of proof at trial. You don't have a court case, and you aren't at trial. What happens in the real world in 99.99% of disputes is the parties assess the situation and act according to what they think should happen.

For example, suppose you buy a new washing machine with a 1 year warranty and it breaks after 3 months. Under the law, you (as the putative plaintiff) would have the burden of proving a breach of warranty claim--that the washing machine had a defect and this defect caused damages. If you call Maytag and tell them that your machine is broken, they don't say "well you'll have to prove it," and make you file a lawsuit. They send a warranty repairman because it's obvious that there is some sort of defect if the washing machine is broken.

42 inch tires? Jeep isn't covering that. They don't have to prove anything. If you sue them for breach of warranty, and it actually progressed, the burden of proof means that they can't just rest their case in silence, they actually have to offer an expert witness who will explain how your modified tire size caused the ring gear to explode. They would do that, and then they will have satisfied the burden of proof (because you're not going to be able to offer any evidence that makes it more likely that your modification didn't cause this failure) and then you will lose the case.

The burden of proof just means that if you are in litigation with the manufacturer, they can't simply make unsupported statements like "you went from 32s to 33s and therefore we're not warranting the ring gear." They have to show it's more probably true than not that your modification caused the failure, otherwise you have warranty coverage. But only if you're at trial.

 

[GATORB8]

The law actually says “demonstrate” not prove.

But, we really want to know if you ever got your exhaust shooting flames.

 

[somedude922]

Lots of deleted posts by the OP in here. Anyway…… 42s on stock axles and you want a warranty claim…..????????????????????????????????????

 

[kah.mun.rah]

Lots of deleted posts by the OP in here. Anyway…… 42s on stock axles and you want a warranty claim…..????????????????????????????????????

What I don't understand is that even if the warranty did cover him, his new 5.38 gears will probably arrive before the dealership has the replacement 3.45s installed anyway.

 

[CarbonSteel]

What I don't understand is that even it the warranty did cover him, his new 5.38 gears will probably arrive before the dealership has the replacement 3.45s installed anyway.

Truth!

But...5.38s will not save him either. The extra 3.5" of leverage of 42's versus 37's combined with the width will still exceed the capacity of the axle. Wrong use case...

 

[sherpaJL]

super cool ring gear mod

Sponsored