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Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

RagTopDeluxe

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I just sent the CEO an email because my FCA rep just left *another* vm stating they're still working on "getting some corporate resources involved on your vehicle." That crap has been going on for many weeks now. I'm over it.
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BrandonB00

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I just sent the CEO an email because my FCA rep just left *another* vm stating they're still working on "getting some corporate resources involved on your vehicle." That crap has been going on for many weeks now. I'm over it.
Oh. My FCA rep just told me that too.
 

Aceman

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Oh. My FCA rep just told me that too.
Wow. I got the same thing today. STAR case has been closed after 2 weeks in the shop. I asked, "so what did you do to fix it?"
"Nothing, vehicle operates as it should". So they created a STAR case and had my jeep for 2 weeks because the vehicle has no issues?
BS.
 

RagTopDeluxe

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Oh. My FCA rep just told me that too.
This rep is from what she called "Special Services," where I was transferred to after the regular FCA customer service rep said I qualified for the lemon law. That transfer was a little over three weeks ago. :angry:
 

VegasJeepJL

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This rep is from what she called "Special Services," where I was transferred to after the regular FCA customer service rep said I qualified for the lemon law. That transfer was a little over three weeks ago. :angry:
Did they mention they would replace your because you qualified for Lemon?
or
Are they just closing the escalation and sending you to go start all over via arbitration?
 

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RagTopDeluxe

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Did they mention they would replace your because you qualified for Lemon?
or
Are they just closing the escalation and sending you to go start all over via arbitration?
They never mentioned replacement, which adds to the frustration. At one point the rep mentioned arbitration, but what does that mean? Starting over is not appealing because Iā€™ve been dealing with this steering for six months now.

Weā€™re *this* close to getting the PSC kit and dropping it off at Cloakworks, but damn, $3,000 to *fix* a stock Jeep just gets me.
 

jimmydarnell

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I filed my lemon law paper work last week and someone called me pretty quick. And that is just a form I pulled off line. I think if they call and try and make it right, that is outside of the lemon law. Its kind of giving them one last chance I think. If you can't come to an agreement or they dont offer to help then arbitration is scheduled. At least that the understanding I got for how it works in GA.
 

richk225

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Thanks Marc, My Jeep is a late 2018 production, which I bought in Dec 2018. I've read as much as I can here on this topic. I broke down a few days back and ordered the full SmartSteer steering parts: Track bar, track bar frame brace, tierod, draglink, Falcon steering damper. The tierod, track bar brace, and steering damper are here. But the Yeti track bar is the first part I want to put on and drive.

My Jeep ... how to say it ... slams around, changes direction, based on the road bumps, irregularity. If the road surface drops on the right side, it is normal in any vehicle to steer slightly to the right due to the caster and weight of the vehicle acting on it. But my jeep dives to the right hard and requires a big steering input to the left, then a correction to the right for over input. I feel a lot of that is the panhard bar letting the axle assembly move from laterally. When the axle moves laterally, the steering angle is affected by the frame mounted steering box thru the pitman arm-draglink assembly. I don't believe it's a steering box issue as I cannot detect any significant play when checking small steering wheel movement to output of the steering box, when checking while parked. It's gotta be downstream from the steering box on mine. When driving on flat highways at highway speeds (50-70 mph) I can detect a significant lag in the steering input. It may be a combination of the tire sidewall flex (a.k.a. "steering response") and the panhard (track) bar letting the axle move laterally a bit, but it is just enough lag to get into a driver induced oscillation (DIO), to paraphrase from the airplane "pilot induced oscillation" (PIO).

If anyone still suspects the steering box, disconnecting the draglink and having someone hold the steering wheel while moving the pitman arm (with a long wrench/lever) should reveal any play in the column-steering box.
I went the same route as you did with my early 18 JLUR and have gone through Jeep to get it fixed. There is so much I can write about this that my fingers would go numb. From loose steering and suspension hardware, to a alignment and re flash the computer, 3 new steering stabilizers, new track bar, and problem still not resolved. so I put adjustable LCA`s on and it helped but did not fix it. Back to dealer again and a new steering box was installed (I had to take off the LCA`s before going back) Still as bad as day one.I was hoping that a Steer Smarts drag link and tie rod assembly would help along with a Teraflex steering damper . Installed and the same problem, put LCA`S on and a little bit better but definitely not right. Back to dealer again and they would not touch it with the aftermarket steering parts, actually they would touch it but not under warranty. REMOVED everything and back to all stock, dealer installed another steering box and reflashed the computer again.
After talking to everyone from every steering parts manufacture it seems that some things help certain Jeeps while others are really a problem beyond simple parts swap. Every Jeep has a front track bar or panhard bar, so every Jeep should have the problem? Not one JK that I have worked on had a steering issue from the factory.
From my CJ`S all the way up to my JLUR from stock to lifted I never had steering issues. Anyone who has owned or driven a Ford with it`s original twin I beam suspension can relate to steering issues. I have owned Jeeps through out my life and have wrenched on them I became a ASE Certified mechanic but that does not mean I know everything and I`m not afraid to admit it.
If you look at the differences between a JK steering and a JL steering set up all is the same except for the type of steering box that is used, The use of the computer to assist with the steering,even with out lane assist. The JLUR is a Electric Hydraulic system. These 3 major components that differ from a JK`s steering. After reflashing the computer several times with no help, going through the original steering box along with 2 replacement steering box`s and trying all upgraded steering components every time the box was changed.Obviously I am not the only one with this problem and I started complaining about it the week after I picked up my Jeep.I have met with PSC and spoke to them about what my options were and I had the chance to talk and drive 2 different owners JLUR`S they had done the power steering pump upgrade and did not go with the ram assist because they were both running 35" tires and felt no need to go that route. I can say that both of their Jeeps drove like my stock JK did, and the same as my JK after installing a AEV lift. There was no wandering at all, very very slight steering correction needed, no pulling or over correcting, no dead spot. Best of all was that they let my wife drive both of them and she would not even drive our new stock Rubicon with 2300 miles on it. Lastly I did get to drive a before and after JLUR, everything was factory stock, not even the steering stabilizer replaced. It was like night and day, and actually fun to drive. I was told that PSC had been contacted by FCA to get their input on the steering issue.It is really a shame that they realize it is a issue and not just a small issue which seems to be how they are treating it. Since when are steering issues "A Jeep Thing" I know that I bounced around and did not write everything down. That was my lawyers job
I miss my Jeep very much and will definitely own another once FCA own`s up to the fact there is a BIG problem and does not treat customers like they do not have any knowledge or skills. Maybe they can get over on first time Jeep owners but if you have owned one before you will know this is not right.
 

richk225

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Not to continue with my rant but, some states consider using a ram assist steering system to be illegal. I guess it`s against the law to have a Jeep that steers like it should
 

roaniecowpony

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I believe there are multiple issues. Clearly the steering box has been an issue for some. I corrected my issue with a SteerSmarts trackbar alone, no steering damper change, no extra caster, no steering box change. A friend has driven it at 75 mph on winding 2 lane roads this past week without any issues...said it drives nice. I also think there has been enough evidence that the steering column is an issue for some. All three of these components has had revisions and linked to steering by FCA themselves. There are other components FCA has revised , but those three are more likely to be causal, iin my opinion.
 
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DaveK2020

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I guess the only message FCA will understand is Money - I have only one choice - I will not buy a new 2020 Wrangler JLUR - I will not do business with FCA due to their treatment of customers - loss sales and long-term damage to reputation is the result - And FCA is in control - their actions translate to no Trust and long-term damage -
 

Aceman

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I believe there are multiple issues. Clearly the steering box has been an issue for some. I corrected my issue with a SteerSmarts trackbar alone, no steering damper change, no extra caster, no steering box change. A friend has driven it at 75 mph on winding 2 lane roads this past week without any issues...said it drives nice. I also think there has been enough evidence that the steering column is an issue for some. All three of these components has had revisions and linked to steering by FCA themselves. There are other components FCA has revised , but those three are more likely to be causal, iin my opinion.
I agree that the most likely culprit is the steering box, intermediate shaft or perhaps the new electric assist pump. Did you have excessive play in the steering wheel prior to the Yeti track bar? Was the steering wheel loose while in park? I only ask because I can't imagine a track bar mitigating excessive slop while in park.

In my case, when engine is on and I'm parked, I have several inches of play in the steering wheel before the tires move.
I'm gonna take videos later that are sync-ed in real time. One camera will be on my son moving the steering wheel & another camera showing what's going on, or not going on, at the pitman arm as he does this. If the pitman arm doesn't react with the steering wheel, then I know I don't have to look farther down the linkage chain. I don't understand why dealers work from the farthest point from the steering wheel first, and then start working their way up toward the steering column.
 

Goin2drt

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I don't understand why dealers work from the farthest point from the steering wheel first, and then start working their way up toward the steering column.
Because it is cheaper. All about the shareholder bottom line.
 

TravisRogers

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Because it is cheaper. All about the shareholder bottom line.
This. FCA knows exactly whatā€™s wrong. They know how to fix it. They just donā€™t know how to fix it in a way the bean counters and the lawyers can agree on.

FCA corporate knows that allowing the guys at the local dealership to rip out and replace the entire steering system of every problem Wrangler is not only impractical, itā€™s also a huge liability. If youā€™ve ever interacted with your Jeep dealership service department, you know these guys are hardly qualified to change your oil. My dealership actually knows less about my JL than Jiffy Lube.

Iā€™ve seen this play out plenty of times and I wouldnā€™t be surprised if we never see an official fix. The 2021 model will get a completely redesigned steering system while the ā€˜18-ā€˜20 problem models transition to people like my wife who drove our Pathfinder with a flat tire for a week and never noticed. Like completely flat.
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