Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

[Rdmitch]

The only alignments on a stock JL is total toe and steering center which doesn’t adjust left vs right but total. How would alignment affect pulling on a JL? I’m not doubting it, just curious technically how it would fix pulling.

My understanding (since I'm no mechanic) is that proper toe can help in keeping the vehicle straight. Many past posters have found their toe to be way off coming out of the factory. When I owned the 2018 the toe was off a bit and the resetting of it seemed to help.
Castor can be adjusted with adjustable lower control arms and there is also a aftermarket shim kit that allows you to increase castor.
From other peoples replies on this forum it appears that setting the castor to around 6ish. helps keep the tracking in line.

Since having the alignment inspected is such a minor cost, it's not a bad idea to see where it is and help establish a baseline.

Sponsored

 

[INCRHULK]

The Synergy brace may not help the wandering a lot.
I had it installed last week and have now experienced a full week driving with it on. I think it helped tighten up any looseness, but did very little for any steering corrections that need to be made while driving. Not to say it wont help your situation as everyone seems to have varied results. The YouTube videos have guys driving with one finger after the Sector Brace was installed claiming its the cure all. Me...not such luck. I think it helped and for my minor issues (which are not unsafe, radically uncontrollable steering) I feel better knowing I beefed up everything I could on the system. Other than a final alignment and castor adjustment I think I'm pretty much done with the process.

If you have really bad pulling only to the right it almost sounds like an alignment issue. The typical problems many have encountered with wandering is drifting both left and right as well as constant correcting to stay in a straight path.

I don’t have bad pulling, but it can drift to the right occasionally. I’ve already got an alignment schedule for when it goes in for the dreaded door paint repairs. Tires haven’t shown any wear issues. TBH its mostly a none issue, but I’d love a bit extra tightness. Mine was a lover the place before the steering stabilizer recall. That firmed it up a lot.

 

[sacourtney07]

so many of us continue to experience this issue and some lately did what you did back in 2018. Someone at the end of this thread posted that he too did this adjustment but it worked for a couple thousand miles with slop returning. Since you did this so long ago was wondering if your steering still works well and this adjustment did the trick or if you experienced the return of the slop?

Eh who knows. The steering has always sucked. It always will suck (until i get that new Broncooooooooo). Hello independent front suspension and highway comfort. I wheel my Jeep almost every weekend but I CANNOT wait to give my hard earned money to Ford and never have to ignore another loser in a Jeep waving at me again.

 

[limeade]

Eh who knows. The steering has always sucked. It always will suck (until i get that new Broncooooooooo). Hello independent front suspension and highway comfort. I wheel my Jeep almost every weekend but I CANNOT wait to give my hard earned money to Ford and never have to ignore another loser in a Jeep waving at me again.

From the tone of your post, it sounds like you'll fit in well on the Ford forums. Unless this was all in jest and being sarcastic. If so, well played.

If not, then enjoy your IFS. You must not have known what you were getting into when buying a primarily off road oriented vehicle with a short wheel base and solid axles.

 

[Windshieldfarmer]

Eh who knows. The steering has always sucked. It always will suck (until i get that new Broncooooooooo). Hello independent front suspension and highway comfort. I wheel my Jeep almost every weekend but I CANNOT wait to give my hard earned money to Ford and never have to ignore another loser in a Jeep waving at me again.

Wow - are you a plant by Ford? May you find happiness in your Bronco watching Jeep owners rock crawling...from afar.

 

[df007]

Oh boy....

 

[Rdmitch]

Oh boy....

i would never even try messing with this adjustment.
Aside from reports that it may be temporary, it seems like if this was an option jeep would have jumped all over it from day 1 and saved themselves a whole lot of grief and money.

As far as the new Ford Bronco, my office window is directly across the street from a Ford dealer so I’ll see them when they arrive,. Just curious to check out the look, but I learned my lesson on buying a first year production car.

 

[soringorgan]

My 2020 Rubicon is the exact opposite of this. Below 70 or so there is 3/4- 1 inch dead zone in the center, above 70 it steers like a go cart, tight and very responsive.

My 2020 Rubicon EcoDiesel has this as well, 55-70 has the play and wandering, above 70 steering starts to tighten and drives a lot better. I am working to convince the dealer that is an issue and a $70k car should not do this.

 

[Jeepileptic]

My 2020 Rubicon EcoDiesel has this as well, 55-70 has the play and wandering, above 70 steering starts to tighten and drives a lot better. I am working to convince the dealer that is an issue and a $70k car should not do this.

Good lord! The Eco Diesel runs $70,000?!?! Too rich for my blood.

 

[HoundDude]

Good lord! The Eco Diesel runs $70,000?!?! Too rich for my blood.

yeah, but there's no upcharge for the loose steering

 

[rrwoodward]

Adjusting the steering box has been mentioned several times since back in 2018 and 2019, and even before on JKs. Some stated they were successful but didn’t follow up if it was a successful long term fix or if it made things worse later on. The steering Star case mentions that it is not adjustable, I think because once the Loctite thread locker is broken, it can’t be reapplied since the threads are inside the steering box. The steering pump is supposed to take up the slack so there shouldn’t be a need to adjust the steering box. If there is eventually a software update that makes the steering pump stronger, and the steering box was adjusted to be tighter, then steering could lock up.

June 2018 reference example to adjusting the steering box

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-like-it-has-play-and-drifts.3691/post-235040

I'm just now joining this forum to look into this nightmare issue with the 2019 JL steering. This seems like a very simple and effective fix. Can others conform this? I've sent this video to my dealership to see what a mechanic there thinks. I don't trust myself to do it.

 

[jeepthang]

I'm just now joining this forum to look into this nightmare issue with the 2019 JL steering. This seems like a very simple and effective fix. Can others conform this? I've sent this video to my dealership to see what a mechanic there thinks. I don't trust myself to do it.

As stated throughout this 413 page thread, there is no simple and effective fix. This method has worked for some and other's it was only a temporary fix; me being one of them. You may feel an immediate response when the adjustment is made but for me my slop returned after about a thousand miles. Welcome to the club...

 

[jeepthang]

I have an updated track bar, steer smarts SS, and LCA's. Front end is solid and I have isolated the source to either within the steering box or steering column.

 

[jeepthang]

Here's a video of what I'm dealing with. That movement transfers to about an inch of play at the steering wheel. https://s.amsu.ng/YyAdu095CcSN

Sponsored