Interesting: steering wheel damper on Ecodiesel Wranglers

[BroncoHound]

Swapping over the steering wheel trim from my 2020 to my 2022 last week, I came across this little nugget. It weighs right at 1.5lbs and sits in the steering wheel assembly. My assumption is the little oil burner rattles a hair too much for the banker crowd so Jeep added this to try and tame the steering wheel feedback. I was tempted to throw it on the wheel for my 2020 Pentastar/A478 JLUR and go for a ride to see if i felt a difference but I didn't feel like putting the steering wheel back together just to take it back apart 10 minutes later to put it back in the Ecodiesel. Looks like it's about a $50 part so maybe some of the gasser crowd will want one.

How it sits in the steering wheel:

The gasser wheel with no damper:

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[Terpsmandan]

Interesting.....

 

[Tread4Lo]

See, there is the diesel weight savings we all have been hoping for.

Random question though, why are you tearing you steering wheel apart?

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Random question though, why are you tearing you steering wheel apart?

Swapping over the steering wheel trim from my 2020 to my 2022 last week, I came across this little nugget.

 

[BroncoHound]

See, there is the diesel weight savings we all have been hoping for.

Random question though, why are you tearing you steering wheel apart?

As mentioned above, I was swapping the trim bezel piece. The aluminum colored plastic bezel on the Rubicon steering wheels reflects sunlight into my eyes while driving, so I swapped the black plastic bezel from a sport onto my gasser JLUR. This was swapping that black piece over to the oil burner.

 

[Tread4Lo]

Ah, gotcha. I like the look. It is weird the use of chrome inside where there is none on the outside.

 

[brewski]

Swapping over the steering wheel trim from my 2020 to my 2022 last week, I came across this little nugget. It weighs right at 1.5lbs and sits in the steering wheel assembly. My assumption is the little oil burner rattles a hair too much for the banker crowd so Jeep added this to try and tame the steering wheel feedback. I was tempted to throw it on the wheel for my 2020 Pentastar/A478 JLUR and go for a ride to see if i felt a difference but I didn't feel like putting the steering wheel back together just to take it back apart 10 minutes later to put it back in the Ecodiesel. Looks like it's about a $50 part so maybe some of the gasser crowd will want one.

How it sits in the steering wheel:

The gasser wheel with no damper:

For 2022 did they get rid of the chrome trim? I see that reflection in my windshield all the time and it affects my clarity of what I see. Having windshield reflections is annoying.

 

[BDinTX]

Trying to figure out how it dampens things... is it just a weight?

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Trying to figure out how it dampens things... is it just a weight?

Yes

 

[BroncoHound]

For 2022 did they get rid of the chrome trim? I see that reflection in my windshield all the time and it affects my clarity of what I see. Having windshield reflections is annoying.

I guess I wasn't very clear in the order of things:

- My 2020 JLUR (gas engine) came with the brushed aluminum-looking plastic steering wheel bezel.
- I installed a black plastic steering wheel bezel from a JL Sport onto my 2020 JLUR about 18 months ago
- When my 2022 JLUR (diesel engine) arrived last week, I swapped the black plastic steering wheel bezel from my 2020 with the brushed aluminum-looking plastic bezel that came on the 2022. This allowed me to have the bezel I want on the Jeep I'm keeping (the 2022), and return the Jeep I'm selling (the 2020) to stock form.

The part number for the black plastic Sport steering wheel bezel is 6RN48TXDAA, is about $75, and can be swapped out in about 45 minutes if you're doing it for the first time, 15 once you've done it once.

 

[BroncoHound]

Trying to figure out how it dampens things... is it just a weight?

Yep, just a little 1.5lbs weight hanging at the lower portion of the steering wheel. I've been trying real hard the last couple days to convince myself I feel a difference between how the 2022 steers now vs how the 2020 steered when it had the same tires and such that are now on the 2022 and, for the life of me, I can't tell a difference. The 2020 even still has the aluminum steering box and the 2022 has the steel one. They both still steer the exact same to me.

 

[Tread4Lo]

I'm with @BDinTX , how does this reduce the felt vibration.

I do wonder if there are a bunch of other little weights here or there trying to soak up more vibrations. Could be another reason the diesel weight a bit more.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

I'm with @BDinTX , how does this reduce the felt vibration.

I do wonder if there are a bunch of other little weights here or there trying to soak up more vibrations. Could be another reason the diesel weight a bit more.

Remember the days of pulling back on the headboard because you didn't want to alert her parents? Same concept.

 

[BDinTX]

Remember the days of pulling back on the headboard because you didn't want to alert her parents? Same concept.

Does that mean I'll need to be ready to jump out the window too?

 

[Terpsmandan]

I can remember reading about the development of the Z32 Nissan 300ZX and the engineers were taping fishing sinkers to the shift knob to change the feel of the shifter. Similar idea with that damper.

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