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rickinAZ

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In case you haven't seen the newest issue of Motor Trend, they have positive news on the steering issues:

"I dedicated our previous 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon update to discussing the pros and cons of owning and driving a Wrangler every day. Having spent some time recently in a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel, it appears that one of my chief complaints about our Jeep's steering has been addressed.​
One of my biggest issues with our Wrangler has been its steering feel. Its heavy steering has a tendency to wander ever so slightly back and forth while driving in a straight line, which means the driver has to make constant little corrections to the steering wheel. In small doses, it's not much of an issue, but if you're spending more than an hour behind the wheel per day—as I do sitting in Los Angeles' traffic going back and forth to MotorTrend HQ—it gets tiring. It gets even more exhausting on long road trips.​
And then, a bright yellow 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel showed up to our offices for a test, with my name on it. I could tell something was different by the time I'd exited the parking lot—its steering feel was significantly lighter and lower-effort while still retaining feel of the road. After an hourlong drive home (an hour in which I wasn't constantly chasing the Jeep's steering), I fired off a quick email to Jeep's PR reps to see if there was something mechanically different between our 2019 Wrangler's steering and this newer 2020 one, or if I was just going crazy and clearly needed to find a new career path.​
Unlucky for you, I was right—Jeep's reps helpfully confirmed that Wrangler engineers had made both steering gear valve tuning and pump calibration changes that would result in lighter, lower-effort steering. The change definitely made it harder for me to get back into my 2019 long-termer."​
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emptyminded42

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There goes the value of my 2018! /s

I haven't had an issue with mine but I also haven't driven another JLU to notice the difference. I chalk up any undesirable behavior of my steering (like being blown all over the place on the highway) as a characteristic of the SFA and not something wrong with it. My Jeep requires more inputs than my Mazda3 and the wife's Forester, but like I said, I think that's due to the suspension/steering architecture than a problem. Maybe I'm wrong.
 

Yellowssm

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So is this on all 20’s or just the newer ones. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel much difference when I installed the synergy shaft brace on my 20?
 

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BrandonB00

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Interesting, I wonder if this will eventually lead into TSBs or recalls for 2018s and 2019s.
I'd love to get new calibrations for my 2019. I've thought all along that my Jeep just needed the steering re calibrated but with jeep saying my jeep "Drives as intended" they won't even Re-Flash the PCM to eliminate the possibility that the Jeep I ordered got the correct settings. Did they change any hardware or is this just software related? 4 dealers have checked every mechanical component and found them fine. Why are they ignoring that this is an electro-mechanical system?They are completely ignoring the "ELECTRO" part at the dealerships.
 
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robd1438

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*knock on wood* but i haven't had any issues with steering on my '18 MOAB, put a steering stabilizer in shortly after buying and no issues at all.
 

Rudolph Hart

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In case you haven't seen the newest issue of Motor Trend, they have positive news on the steering issues:

"I dedicated our previous 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon update to discussing the pros and cons of owning and driving a Wrangler every day. Having spent some time recently in a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel, it appears that one of my chief complaints about our Jeep's steering has been addressed.​
One of my biggest issues with our Wrangler has been its steering feel. Its heavy steering has a tendency to wander ever so slightly back and forth while driving in a straight line, which means the driver has to make constant little corrections to the steering wheel. In small doses, it's not much of an issue, but if you're spending more than an hour behind the wheel per day—as I do sitting in Los Angeles' traffic going back and forth to MotorTrend HQ—it gets tiring. It gets even more exhausting on long road trips.​
And then, a bright yellow 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel showed up to our offices for a test, with my name on it. I could tell something was different by the time I'd exited the parking lot—its steering feel was significantly lighter and lower-effort while still retaining feel of the road. After an hourlong drive home (an hour in which I wasn't constantly chasing the Jeep's steering), I fired off a quick email to Jeep's PR reps to see if there was something mechanically different between our 2019 Wrangler's steering and this newer 2020 one, or if I was just going crazy and clearly needed to find a new career path.​
Unlucky for you, I was right—Jeep's reps helpfully confirmed that Wrangler engineers had made both steering gear valve tuning and pump calibration changes that would result in lighter, lower-effort steering. The change definitely made it harder for me to get back into my 2019 long-termer."​
I’m no engineer but wouldn’t Jeep likely have made these changes to the steering because of the extra weight of the Diesel engine?
 

YZ212

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My 2020 diesel is ok except for the 1/4 inch dead spot in the middle. Not bad around town but sucks on the highway. By dead spot I mean the steering does nothing.
 

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BrandonB00

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‘Light’ steering isn’t the problem. It’s already feather light.

it’s wandering and drifting with a dead spot in the wheel that’s the issue.
I agree with you about that but i also think some of these issues are related to the calibration of the electromechanical system and I'm really happy to see them pay attention to that aspect rather than just saying " all the nuts and bolts are tightened to spec and we did an alignment so there isn't a problem. If only any of the dealers I've taken it to would acknowledge that there is an "electro" component to "electromechanical"
 

JeePM

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I test drove three different 2020 JL's a couple of weeks ago. All three drove differently. Two of them were 4 doors with different engines. I felt one was drifting all over where the 2nd one didnt seem to drift at all.
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