Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

[WyoRacer]

Disclaimer:I have never owned our driven a wrangler before this month.
I’ve driven a few JLURs from my local dealer and thought they wandered on the roads while testing. Standard answer ‘it’s a jeep thing’. I study the forum here and think there might be a problem with the JLs I drove. I drive a 2021 JLUR and purchased it with the same driving feeling from the previous vehicles. So I ask you all, am I crazy to take it back to the dealer after a week to complain about the ‘wandering’ or is it normal due to the design and my lack of experience? Thanks for all the replies

Sponsored

 

[VKSheridan]

Disclaimer:I have never owned our driven a wrangler before this month.
I’ve driven a few JLURs from my local dealer and thought they wandered on the roads while testing. Standard answer ‘it’s a jeep thing’. I study the forum here and think there might be a problem with the JLs I drove. I drive a 2021 JLUR and purchased it with the same driving feeling from the previous vehicles. So I ask you all, am I crazy to take it back to the dealer after a week to complain about the ‘wandering’ or is it normal due to the design and my lack of experience? Thanks for all the replies

If you find yourself constantly correcting just to keep it between the lines at highway speed, probably. If you take your eyes off the road to study the map and discover you’ve drifted over the line, probably. If you have no idea if a half inch correction will consistently correct half an inch versus two or three inches, definitely. There’s a huge difference between driving a box that a slight change in wind messes with (“Jeep thing”) and see-sawing the steering wheel as if you have worn out tie-rod end and steer knuckles.

You know how it feels right now with zero wear. Just ask yourself if you think it will get better once things get a bit worn. That will give you your answer....

 

[Rdmitch]

Disclaimer:I have never owned our driven a wrangler before this month.
I’ve driven a few JLURs from my local dealer and thought they wandered on the roads while testing. Standard answer ‘it’s a jeep thing’. I study the forum here and think there might be a problem with the JLs I drove. I drive a 2021 JLUR and purchased it with the same driving feeling from the previous vehicles. So I ask you all, am I crazy to take it back to the dealer after a week to complain about the ‘wandering’ or is it normal due to the design and my lack of experience? Thanks for all the replies

Look at your steering box and see if its black or aluminum.
If its black its the new "AA" series and minor deviations in steering could be the Jeep Thing. You can improve the handling to some degree with bringing the caster up to 5 or 6 since typical JLUR's come out with about 4.5 degrees castor from the factory. Also make sure your not running excessive tire pressure.

If the Jeep for some odd reason is a 2021 built with the aluminum "AE" steering box, have the dealer change it to the "AA"

 

[cmcclintock]

CHECK CASTER which can (did for me)improve the handling dramatically. I have an early build 2018JLU Rubicon. The caster was at 4.2. and wandered all over the Freeway. I purchased some adjustable front lower control arms took the Jeep to a highly respected/quality alignment shop and and adjusted caster to between 6-7 degrees .....

Now drives straight as an arrow down the freeway. I did this after I went to two different dealerships to resolve without any assistance ... they used the “drive like a Jeep.” ..I knew they were full of it.

 

[318Polara]

Well after better than 2 years it is fixed. New gear box and alignment.

 

[Rdmitch]

Well after better than 2 years it is fixed. New gear box and alignment.

..another happy camper

 

[2mnycars]

One year ago we said, "it's the steering gear" in conversation with service at the selling dealer. They said (of course) "It's a Jeep Thing"

A year later another dealer replaced the steering gear as a result of this tsb.

Still a dead spot on centre. Not as large perhaps. It could be better.

 

[daveprice7]

Is anyone still telling people that their loose steering is just inexperience with solid axles and all Jeeps steer like that? I now own two nearly identical JLs and I know first hand the difference between good and bad steering... from what I've read, my bad steering is much better than others. I've learned to compensate for it, but I really shouldn't have to (my dealer will do the TSB on mine, but I'm waiting for them to catch up on appointments, wildfires have impacted things here).

My wife was waiting until the steering TSB came out before she was willing to drive one, but her 2020 JL is fine with the old aluminum box.

 

[VKSheridan]

Is anyone still telling people that their loose steering is just inexperience with solid axles and all Jeeps steer like that? I now own two nearly identical JLs and I know first hand the difference between good and bad steering... from what I've read, my bad steering is much better than others. I've learned to compensate for it, but I really shouldn't have to (my dealer will do the TSB on mine, but I'm waiting for them to catch up on appointments, wildfires have impacted things here).

My wife was waiting until the steering TSB came out before she was willing to drive one, but her 2020 JL is fine with the old aluminum box.

Hell, I had a DEALER, not just anyone tell me my steering was fine. Twice. Worse yet, the second time was after the TSB was published.

To put the final insult on their total incompetence, it was my freaking dealer Hellcat technician that offered to actually try to fix it, not a Jeep mechanic. For something that has been around for a few years and has a class action lawsuit, you’d think they’d want to suppress disappointed customers instead of piss them off by telling them they don’t know how to steer a car.....

 

[tmiller9833]

So got my 2018 JLUR back today after 08-074-20 and I'm underwhelmed. To those that know more than me...does it pass the smell test?

Edit: Apparently I don't know what a steering box looks like! Updated.

 

[Zotch]

So got my 2018 JLUR back today after 08-074-20 and I'm underwhelmed. Box is black but seems to me should be cleaner and not wet? Drove it home before I looked (I know, should have looked at dealer)...drive about 15miles. To those that know more than me...does it pass the smell test?

View attachment 375374

View attachment 375375

I don't think that's the steering box.

Sponsored