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Death Wobble / Bump Steer / Steering Issues / Drifting - RESOLVED

Jason

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Seems many on the JL forum have reported needing longer LCAs after a lift. Seems like a lot of inconsistent front end geometry (not a surprise - if they are missing welds, they probably aren't consistently welding in the same spots). Many had success with this - https://teraflex.com/shop_items/jl-jlu-2-5-4-lift-front-lower-control-arm-drop-bracket-kit-pair changing the angle of the control arms.
So for that price why not just get adjustable LCA’s? What am I missing?
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jeremyjeep

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So for that price why not just get adjustable LCA’s? What am I missing?
Because the different angle makes it steer better than adjustable LCAs. Read the details on the Teraflex website. It also adds caster.
 

1styeepowner

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JLU Sport bone stock. Updated steering software. Still wobbles and shakes after hitting seams on expressway or when passing over bridge. I have to slow down for it to go away. Dealer can't reproduce it because we have newer expressway by the dealer. So this isnt going to get fixed anytime soon...Already has 14k miles on it
 

Jeepsterfreak

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JLU Sport bone stock. Updated steering software. Still wobbles and shakes after hitting seams on expressway or when passing over bridge. I have to slow down for it to go away. Dealer can't reproduce it because we have newer expressway by the dealer. So this isnt going to get fixed anytime soon...Already has 14k miles on it
File report with NHTSA. This seems to be the only way to officially document these problems when the dealer says “can not reproduce”.

280 total complaints so far. 200 are steering related (72%). “Toledo, we have a problem”.


https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/
 
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RPerson

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Also not resolved. Been off the road for nearly a month waiting for a steering damper (which I'm starting to suspect won't even fix the problem) and all I keep getting from Jeep is updates on when the part might arrive. Yesterday it got pulled in from December to "sometime the week of 11/12" which probably still means December.
Just an update on my particular issue:

New steering stabilizer magically arrived at the dealership the day that the MA Lemon Law kicked in and Jeep would owe me a refund/replacement. It was replaced and test driven by dealer for about 100 miles and all seemed fine. I had it for the weekend and drove enough on crappy highways that I would have expected it to come back if it was going to, but it did not. I'm still worried that the new part is just masking a larger problem, but going to have to wait and see a little.

I will also add that replacement part was manufactured on 10/30/18 so clearly there's a new batch just coming out. I don't have any info on the old part that was replaced (stupid me... didn't ask dealer for it or even to see it) so no clue if it's a redesign or they simply didn't plan well enough for inventory of replacement parts. Trying to be optimistic that somehow something got truly fixed, but not going to hold my breath on that for too long.
 

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jeremyjeep

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Just an update on my particular issue:

New steering stabilizer magically arrived at the dealership the day that the MA Lemon Law kicked in and Jeep would owe me a refund/replacement. It was replaced and test driven by dealer for about 100 miles and all seemed fine. I had it for the weekend and drove enough on crappy highways that I would have expected it to come back if it was going to, but it did not. I'm still worried that the new part is just masking a larger problem, but going to have to wait and see a little.

I will also add that replacement part was manufactured on 10/30/18 so clearly there's a new batch just coming out. I don't have any info on the old part that was replaced (stupid me... didn't ask dealer for it or even to see it) so no clue if it's a redesign or they simply didn't plan well enough for inventory of replacement parts. Trying to be optimistic that somehow something got truly fixed, but not going to hold my breath on that for too long.
Did you get the date code from the steering stabilizer? And what symptom(s) did it have before it went away? Was it just wobble or was it also loose steering and/or wandering?
 

RPerson

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Did you get the date code from the steering stabilizer? And what symptom(s) did it have before it went away? Was it just wobble or was it also loose steering and/or wandering?
Unfortunately never looked at the original/bad part. New part has a manufacture date right on the sticker and it's showing 10/30.

I only had the highway death wobble thing that started at around 9k miles. Identical behavior to what others are reporting in these threads and on NHTSA (one of those reports is mine). Driving at anywhere from 65mph to 75mph, hit a bridge gap or small bump, front end & steering wheel begin to shake violently, slow down enough (variable, but typically around 40-45mph) and it goes away. Happened multiple times and easily reproduced by the dealer. I did the same driving scenario a lot over the weekend and no issues with the stabilizer replaced. Unless there was undocumented work, dealer only showed that they replaced this part and that was it. Since I got it back I've been paying special attention to any looseness or wandering and it's not really an issue... mine drives pretty tight actually.
 

xpsruler

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Unfortunately never looked at the original/bad part. New part has a manufacture date right on the sticker and it's showing 10/30.

I only had the highway death wobble thing that started at around 9k miles. Identical behavior to what others are reporting in these threads and on NHTSA (one of those reports is mine). Driving at anywhere from 65mph to 75mph, hit a bridge gap or small bump, front end & steering wheel begin to shake violently, slow down enough (variable, but typically around 40-45mph) and it goes away. Happened multiple times and easily reproduced by the dealer. I did the same driving scenario a lot over the weekend and no issues with the stabilizer replaced. Unless there was undocumented work, dealer only showed that they replaced this part and that was it. Since I got it back I've been paying special attention to any looseness or wandering and it's not really an issue... mine drives pretty tight actually.
Sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing :-(
 

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RPerson

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Sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing :-(
That was more or less what I had. Never got a video and it sure feels more extreme than the video lets on in person, but same general behavior. Good luck... one of these days maybe Jeep will admit they've got a problem and address it directly.
 

Chinarider

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Going to add one here. Not a death wobble, but a surprisingly intense bump steer lurch over a patch of graded freeway over the weekend. The vehicle is a bone-stock 2018 JLUR, the road a typical California freeway with a small patch that was clearly recently graded (ground down to be even, but not yet re-surfaced). It was a straight patch (no curves or turns), and only about 30-40 feet. I was going about 60, which was 5mph under the posted speed limit. Anyway, hit that patch and the Jeep immediately tried to careen towards the right, very strongly. I’m an experienced Jeep driver; I’ve owned and driven 7 of them over the past 35 years, and this was easily the most stomach-churning moment I’ve experienced in any of them. I corrected it & continued on my way, but pulled over at the next exit to inspect everything (everything visually ok). It could have just been a fluke due to that particular patch of road, and of I’m sure that’s what set things into motion, but it was more the Jeep’s response to it that surprised me - not in a good way. Will continue to monitor...
 

jeremyjeep

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Going to add one here. Not a death wobble, but a surprisingly intense bump steer lurch over a patch of graded freeway over the weekend. The vehicle is a bone-stock 2018 JLUR, the road a typical California freeway with a small patch that was clearly recently graded (ground down to be even, but not yet re-surfaced). It was a straight patch (no curves or turns), and only about 30-40 feet. I was going about 60, which was 5mph under the posted speed limit. Anyway, hit that patch and the Jeep immediately tried to careen towards the right, very strongly. I’m an experienced Jeep driver; I’ve owned and driven 7 of them over the past 35 years, and this was easily the most stomach-churning moment I’ve experienced in any of them. I corrected it & continued on my way, but pulled over at the next exit to inspect everything (everything visually ok). It could have just been a fluke due to that particular patch of road, and of I’m sure that’s what set things into motion, but it was more the Jeep’s response to it that surprised me - not in a good way. Will continue to monitor...
What is the date code on your steering stabilizer? https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/steering-wheel-wobble.16577/page-8#post-436030

Also, https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jlu-rubicon-check-your-ball-joints-asap.15284/

And something else in the steering and/or suspension might be loose. https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/torque-specs.17769/
 

RPerson

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RE: that first link... so they are (kinda) acknowledging a problem... interesting. If anyone is aware of an official TSB or anything else related to this please post here with info. So many people seem to be having this problem and there are so many threads now related to it that I only just found this info. My dealer did not say anything about this, but had been waiting on a part since early October anyways because it was clearly bad.
 

xpsruler

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That was more or less what I had. Never got a video and it sure feels more extreme than the video lets on in person, but same general behavior. Good luck... one of these days maybe Jeep will admit they've got a problem and address it directly.
It definitely does not feel good. I really hope it does get addressed. I've always owned Jeeps but have never had this many issues before.

As for the tire pressure, I was at 34 during the time of filming. It was a cold day and the PSI dropped a little bit causing the light to come on. I did check the PSI shortly before filming which was at the higher level due to warming up. I've since added additional air to the tires but I didn't have low PSI when the issue started.
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