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Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

Foster1

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Your comparing two entirely different vehicles????!! Different models, weight, wheelbase...

A pick-up vs a wrangler???

......you folks are lost!!
The grammar makes me cringe.

I understand they're different models, but plenty of people have compared Wangler to Wrangler and Gladiator to Gladiator, but I'm not gonna waste my time and search to find a perfect example just so you believe it. There's another thread for the same issue for the Gladiator. Go ruin that one, please don't ruin this forum.
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KnG818

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The grammar makes me cringe.

I understand they're different models, but plenty of people have compared Wangler to Wrangler and Gladiator to Gladiator, but I'm not gonna waste my time and search to find a perfect example just so you believe it. There's another thread for the same issue for the Gladiator. Go ruin that one, please don't ruin this forum.
Nobody is on the Gladiator forum even if I took your advise.

Btw, I didnt really mean my response towards you...I actually agreed with your post(besides the video of course).

Like I said, good luck everyone!
 

KnG818

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Your = possessive
You’re = you are

The inability to grasp this most basic principle negates any valid point you may be making.
Auto correct sucks, especially typing on this forum I noticed for some reason.

Besides, I dont proof read everything I write on here..its really not that crucial. Ya'll know the intention.
 

Bearded_Dragon

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The issue would be upgrading the current system for improvement.

You cant "fix" something that isnt broken.
Hmmm, everyone at Orlando Jeep Club who drove my Wrangler says there is most definitely a problem. Jeep dealership I bought it from said there isn't an issue because the stock KO2 tires, "do that" even though the loaner didn't. My buddy's YJ with over 200k miles steers better, my 84 J10 steers better, and I've been behind plenty of JLs that steer way better. So yes, some of us most definitely have issues and it isn't a Wrangler/solid axle/offroad performance vehicle issue. The issue is Jeep supplied crappy parts and refuses to do anything about it.

Oh and I forgot to mention, the dealership even printed off one of the TSB articles about steering issues; the one where they're supposed to take off the steering box and check for play. When I asked if they did what the TSB article said, they pointed back to the stock KO2 tires and said they weren't going to perform any fixes on my Wrangler.
 

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RagTopDeluxe

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Yeah I have read your posts. I have refrained from commenting but sadly I think you have something else going wrong like the install was bad, bad alignment or something. No way after those components it can still be bad. I also think you are misconstruing the “lightness” of the steering as bad. Yes it is lighter because the PSC unit is high powered to accept modified Jeeps with heavy tires and components etc. It is like over kill if you would so yes you have to get used to the lightness of the drive. Mine was light but the dead spot was gone and it did not wander. With the PSC and a proper alignment IMO no way can it still wander and have a dead spot. In my case I took away more of the lightness because I went heavy duty on all the steering parts and took out all the lightweight flimsy stock stuff. I am also running a wheel and tire that weighs 117lbs.
The steering is definitely lighter than I was expecting, but that’s not the issue. (I used to have an ND Miata, talk about *light* steering.) It is definitely wandering. My husband drove it and thought it was still bad.

I’m thinking the PSC kits are not as useful on stock Jeeps. I don’t have a lift or bigger tires. I’ve had the alignment fixed and re-checked as well the torque on the components.
 

VWE

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Your = possessive
You’re = you are

The inability to grasp this most basic principle negates any valid point you may be making.
I should have known better than to concern myself with the opinion of a person who puts Lund window vents on a vehicle after 1996.
 

RustyH

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Taking mine in on Wednesday for them to look at. 2018 JLUS with 3600 miles. I bought it 1000 miles and a month ago. Steering wanders all over the place. When I talked to the service advisor, he mentioned that they'd check the torque on everything (S1819000003, I assume) and set maximum toe. This jeep was subject to the V41 recall, which was completed before I knew her.

I'm also going to point out TSB # 02-003-19, which I guess replaces the front track bar and TSB 08-092-18 for the software update.

Will report back. FWIW, not my first jeep - CJ and TJ never felt like this.

ETA: Whether they reduce the wandering or not, I couldn't be happier with being back in the club.
Took it in yesterday. Predictably, I got the "that's just how jeeps are" response, but they did set the toe to max spec. I didn't feel any difference with that change, other than the steering wheel was off center when I picked it up. It was a good excuse to spend some time in the garage fixing it and drinking a beer yesterday evening.

When I asked them about the trackbar TSB, and why they didn't replace it, the response was that the "trackbar looked fine". Whatever... as I told the service guy, I'm not going to push the issue, I know what I signed up for, and I'm sure based on this thread and others that mine isn't as bad as some others. I think eventually I'll end up going aftermarket with LCAs and and a trackbar to address it, but I'm no in a rush. I do appreciate the discussion in these threads about this issue, it's always helpful to learn from the experience of others to get a baseline for what folks are experiencing.
 

LibertasJeep

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My 2018 JL drives exactly like the vehicle on the right in this video. Dealer says it is normal. I say it is exhausting to drive on the highway. Lots of corrections needed to stay straight. I have owned wranglers before. This is not normal and Jeep needs to acknowledge it.
 

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Dvol

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My 2018 JL drives exactly like the vehicle on the right in this video. Dealer says it is normal. I say it is exhausting to drive on the highway. Lots of corrections needed to stay straight. I have owned wranglers before. This is not normal and Jeep needs to acknowledge it.
Same mine drives just like the one on the right ..Shocker i know my Kool aide ran out...My 2019 JLUR has had 5 service visits and all had something done to it and Tech agreed with issues..So my last visit per my case manager states Tech says it is " Driving as Designed".. Crap happens i went ahead and decided too let a 3rd party handle things from here on out. Jeep service @ most dealers leaves a lot to be desired IMHO. So as such i hope this issue gets a recall and those few of us can get back to enjoying our Wranglers. I still like mine more than most vehicles ive owned even with its issues...TCOB..
 

jrf

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I didn't realize this was a thing on the JLs too? I should have guessed since I'm sure they use the same steering box. Hopefully you all are logging the problems with the NHTSA and DOT. That's the only way Jeep will be forced to fix them. I'm coming over here from the JT Gladiator side. Same problems. Good news is some of the dealers are acknowledging there is a problem, and of course some aren't. There have been enough people now that have driven both "good" and "bad" JTs. And from what I can tell it's not an either/or...it's an area of grey. Meaning the amount of slop in the steering box can vary from OK to very bad and everywhere in between. For those of us that have driven Jeeps or solid front axles vehicles pretty much our whole driving lives...this is NOT normal for a solid axle or any vehicle for that matter.

File a complaint with the NHTSA

Phone number and info for filing a complaint with the DOT
 

Bearded_Dragon

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I didn't realize this was a thing on the JLs too? I should have guessed since I'm sure they use the same steering box. Hopefully you all are logging the problems with the NHTSA and DOT. That's the only way Jeep will be forced to fix them. I'm coming over here from the JT Gladiator side. Same problems. Good news is some of the dealers are acknowledging there is a problem, and of course some aren't. There have been enough people now that have driven both "good" and "bad" JTs. And from what I can tell it's not an either/or...it's an area of grey. Meaning the amount of slop in the steering box can vary from OK to very bad and everywhere in between. For those of us that have driven Jeeps or solid front axles vehicles pretty much our whole driving lives...this is NOT normal for a solid axle or any vehicle for that matter.

File a complaint with the NHTSA

Phone number and info for filing a complaint with the DOT
You are correct, JL and JT use the same steering box. I filled a complaint years ago, hopefully something comes from it.
 

GeeBee

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Let me ask you a question...

Have you ever rode a 4 wheeler(a quad/ATV)?? Or a solid axle side-by-side(such as a Polaris utility vehicle)??

Have you ever driven an ATV or side-by-side on pavement and taken a turn or corner?? They ride like drunken sailors.

Wranglers are built very similarly. Of course some differences, but overall built very much the same.

If you dont understand what a Jeep Wrangler is, then you will never understand that the steering on a Wrangler is characteristic.

You dont know what your talking about.

What Jeep has done with the JL and its on-road manurism's(as well as off road) is phenomenal compared to previous models.

My comment that you quoted stands true - Im sure Jeep and Jeep owners are sick of people like yourself smearing the Wrangler over something that is perfectly normal.

And yes, I know...the "recalls". Those recalls are attempts to keep folks like you "pleased".....Kinda like sticking a pacifier in a crying babies mouth.
I admire your brand loyalty, but you need to ease off the 'it's normal'. To survive in the rapidly changing 21st Century Motor Industry Jeep needs it's customers to think that they're moving with the times and improving with each new model, not churning out the same negative characteristics. If I'd had the sense to check out the JL forums before making a purchase then I think you'd have succeeded in making me look elsewhere, but like many people on the forum I'd test driven a perfectly good JL and already paid the full balance before driving my own (drunken) Jeep home.

I've driven solid axle Land Rover Series II/Series III/ Defenders for the past thirty years on and off road in the UK, North Africa and Australia. They all handled better than my JL when it came to simply steering in a straight line with one exception: The 30 year old ex-military Series II SWB that I bought as my first drive as a 17 year old which had a knackered steering box and front ball joints from the outset. That was actually pretty similar to my driving experience with my JL - sawing at the wheel and white knuckling it as you tried to keep up with the rest of road traffic.

I had more close calls on the road in my year of JL ownership than I had in all 30 years of LR ownership. I think this was partly down to the fact the JL had over twice the power and was very tail-happy in 2H, but mostly because it couldn't hold a damn straight line at speed unless you were giving it 100% attention and constantly looking out for the next hump in the road / change in road camber / passing truck that was going to lead to an abrupt change of course.

As a teenager I loved my first death trap 4x4 for all of its quirks and mannerisms, as nothing beat being able to drop the canvas top and taking it off road without fear of getting it muddy or breaking anything and then hosing it out afterwards. It's the reason I've bought authentic, noisy, crude, slow 4x4's through the years when my family would have been far happier making long road trips in a modern SUV. Last year I jumped in with both feet at the UK launch of the Wrangler JL as here was an authentic 4x4 without any of the drawbacks: Comfortable, quiet, powerful, fuel efficient, practical, good looking and massively competent off-road in stock form.

I can vouch that the JL is all of these and an impressive piece of engineering for the most part, but what I didn't bank on was that my brand new £50k+ ride was going to meander all over the road just like my first beat up barnstormer from 30 years ago. I totally get that 99.5% of the JL's out there are probably perfect, but having driven solid axle 4x4's my whole life I do know what to expect from them and I do know that after a year of trips to the dealer my JL was still a twitchy evil bastard.
 

jrf

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I'll tell you how I ended up on the JL forum. I have a JT and co-workers are aware. Fellow co-worker had his RAM truck in for service and they gave him a JL two door loaner. First thing in the morning he walks into my office and says "I got a loaner for my truck today at the dealership and they gave me a Wrangler." I say "Yeah, how do you like" his response "It was terrible and terrifying to drive on the highway over here. I couldn't keep the damn thing in it's own lane."

Of course I start thinking about the JT side of life and thinking...yeah that could make sense. So I came over here to the "Issues/Repairs.." section and sure enough there is a 300+ page thread on loose steering. While I understand for Jeep it's kind of a subjective thing. Can't really prove there is anything "wrong" with the looseness in the steering. They really are going to turn off a lot of people from buying the things if they don't fix it. I've seen no less than 3 public reviews of the JT comment on the poor steering.

BTW, I just drove it at lunch. Yep...it's not right for sure. Again I'm coming from over 30 years of driving Jeeps and solid axle vehicles. While I know it will never drive like a car or like my R&P Titan. It sure as hell should at least steer as well as the old XJs, and TJs.... it doesn't. It wanders around on the road and is hard to keep going in a straight line.
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